José Cotto

José Miguel Cotto Vázquez (born June 22, 1977) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer and a four-time regional level champion. He is the brother of six-time world boxing champion Miguel Cotto and the cousin of lightweight contender Abner Cotto.

José Cotto
Statistics
Real nameJosé Miguel Cotto Vázquez
Weight(s)Super bantamweight
Featherweight
Super featherweight
Lightweight
Light welterweight
Welterweight
Light middleweight
Height5 ft 5.5 in (1.66 m)
NationalityPuerto Rican
Born (1977-06-22) June 22, 1977
Caguas, Puerto Rico
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights38
Wins33
Wins by KO24
Losses4
Draws1

Amateur career

In 1995 as an amateur, he participated at the Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina, and won a silver medal. A year later he represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he was defeated in the first round.

Pro career

He won the WBC Youth World super bantamweight title on August 20, 2000, a split decision win against a capable young Fernando Velardez (who would later fight Mexican legend Erik Morales for Morales' WBC Featherweight title).

On July 25, 2003, Cotto was supposed to fight in Phoenix, Arizona. However, his opponent had trouble getting a license to fight, as he had been knocked out recently and was serving a 45-day suspension from another state. The Arizona boxing commission was not able to find Cotto an opponent in time and the fight got cancelled.

On September 9, at his native Caguas, Cotto finally returned to action, with a first-round knockout win over Johnny Walker. On December 19, he fought Anthony Martinez in Aibonito, winning by an eighth-round knockout.

Cotto moved to Phoenix early in 2004. On April 14 of that year he stopped Mexican Luis Lizarraga at two minutes and thirty seven seconds of the first round to win the regional, International Boxing Council (IBC) Intercontinental super featherweight title. He has also won the vacant WBO intercontinental super featherweight title during his fight with Genaro Trazancos.

On August 6, he beat former WBA Bantamweight champion Al Kotey by a ten-round unanimous decision in San Juan. On August 20, 2005, Cotto would have boxed Manuel Medina, with a world title shot at stake. But he was not able to make the fight's weight limit and the fight was cancelled.

On January 29, 2005, Cotto knocked out Armando Cordoba in the first round to win the vacant WBO NABO lightweight title.

On January 20, 2006, Cotto knocked Ubaldo Hernandez out in seven rounds at Mayfield, California. On April 8, he received his first world title try, losing a twelve-round decision to Juan Díaz as part of a Pay Per View undercard, for the WBA world Lightweight title in an exciting fight where both contestants threw nearly a hundred punches per round.

In May 2007, he and Prawat Singwangcha (30-3-1, 18 KOs) battled to a twelve-round draw in a bout for the vacant WBA lightweight title.

Cotto then proceeded to fight Canelo Álvarez at welterweight. Cotto got off to a good start and almost knocked out Alvarez, in round 2 Cotto went down after missing a hook. The referee stopped the fight in round 9 after Cotto was trapped in the corner and was taking many flush right hands by Alvarez.

On April 9, 2011 he lost a 10-round unanimous decision to former IBF Light Welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi, managing to buckle Maligaggi a couple of times.

    He was scheduled to face former two time lightweight champion José Luis Castillo on February 11, 2012, though it was cancelled due to Castillo coming in overweight. On April 21, 2012 Jose Cotto beat Eric Cruz (13-8 13 KO's) by UD over 10 rounds, knocking the overmatched opponent down twice.

    Professional boxing record (incomplete)

    33 Wins (24 knockouts), 4 loss(s), 1 Draw, 0 No Contest
    Res. Record Opponent Type Rd., Time Date Location Notes
    Loss33-4-1 Manuel Pérez SD102012-07-21 Oasis Hotel Complex, Cancún, Quintana Roo For NABA Lightweight title.
    Win33-3-1 Eric Cruz UD102012-04-21 Coliseo Roger L. Mendoza, Caguas
    Loss32-3-1 Paulie Malignaggi UD102011-04-09 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
    Win32-2-1 Christopher Henry TKO4 (10), 1:192010-11-05 Coliseo Cosme Beitia Salamo, Cataño
    Loss31-2-1 Canelo Álvarez TKO9 (10), 2:512010-05-01 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas For NABF Welterweight title.
    Win31-1-1 Ilido Julio TKO6 (8)2009-12-19 Coliseo Roger L. Mendoza, Caguas
    Win30-1-1 Martin Ramirez KO3 (8), 2:522009-09-26 Coliseo Héctor Solá Bezares, Caguas
    Win29-1-1 Anthony Woods TKO4 (8), 2:242009-08-29 Coliseo Ruben Viera, Las Piedras
    Draw28-1-1 Prawet Singwancha MD122007-05-11 Coliseo Angel 'Cholo' Espada, Salinas For vacant WBA World Lightweight title.
    Win28-1-0 Ivan Hernandez TKO10 (10), 1:572006-08-04 Coliseo Pedrín Zorrilla, Hato Rey
    Loss27-1-0 Juan Díaz UD122006-04-08 Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas For WBA World Lightweight title.
    Win26-0-0 Ubaldo Hernandez KO7 (10), 2:592006-01-20 Activity Center, Maywood, California
    Win25-0-0 Genaro Trazancos TKO7 (12), 1:002005-03-04 Coliseo Pedrín Zorrilla, Hato Rey Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title.
    Win24-0-0 Armando Cordoba KO1 (12), 1:272005-01-29 Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Hato Rey Won vacant WBO NABO Lightweight title.
    Win23-0-0 Alfred Kotey UD102004-08-06 Coliseo Pedrín Zorrilla, Hato Rey
    Win22-0-0 Luis Alfonso Lizarraga KO1 (11), 2:272004-05-14 Dodge Theater, Phoenix, Arizona Won IBC Intercontinental Lightweight title.

    See also

    • Boxing record for José Cotto from BoxRec
    • Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "José Cotto". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18.
    Awards and achievements
    Preceded by
    Fernando Velardez
    WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight Champion
    August 20, 2000 – September 23, 2000
    Vacated
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    Fernando Velardez
    Vacant
    Title last held by
    Lemuel Nelson
    IBC Intercontinental Super Featherweight Champion
    April 14, 2004 – 2005
    Vacated
    Succeeded by
    Incumbent
    Vacant
    Title last held by
    Ebo Elder
    WBO NABO Lightweight Champion
    January 29, 2005 – July 22, 2005
    Vacated
    Succeeded by
    Rolando Reyes
    Vacant
    Title last held by
    Janos Nagy
    WBO Intercontinental Super Featherweight Champion
    March 4, 2005 – December 2, 2005
    Vacated
    Succeeded by
    Julio Pablo Chacon
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