Mayweather vs. Cotto: Round-by-round recap

ROUND 1: Referee Tony Weeks gave final instructions, and the fight’s underway. Mayweather throws a left hook. Mayweather jabs. Cotto keeps his head down, leading with his left. They’re separated twice. Cotto tries a hard right, Mayweather dodges. It happens again. Mayweather sneaks a left to the body.

Judges: Robert Hoyle, 10-9 Mayweather; Patricia Morse Jarman, 10-9 Mayweather; Dave Moretti, 10-9 Mayweather.

ROUND 2: Cotto picks up Mayweather and leans him to ropes. Mayweather gets in a right to the head. He presses Mayweather to a corner, lands a hard right and combo. Mayweather responds with left uppercut. Mayweather lands rights. Mayweather turning shoulder, sneaks in some shots.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Mayweather; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Mayweather; Moretti, 10-9 Mayweather.

ROUND 3: Right uppercut inside by Mayweather. Cotto combo to the body. He wants to do that all night. Exchanges. Cotto to the body and head. Cotto jabs. Mayweather right overhand. Cotto flush left to face.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Mayweather; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Mayweather; Moretti, 10-9 Cotto.

ROUND 4: Mayweather jabs. Mayweather looking to land, flinging rights past Cotto glove to head. Mayweather combination, makes Cotto duck away, uncomfortably. Mayweather in middle of ring now, avoiding corners.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Mayweather; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Mayweather; Moretti, 10-9 Mayweather.

ROUND 5: Mayweather cornered again. Lands, but takes a hard right in exchange. Cotto goes to body, but takes five to six punches to head. Mayweather left-right combo. Mayweather dodging Cotto punches.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Mayweather; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Cotto; Moretti 10-9, Mayweather.

ROUND 6: Cotto jab. Cotto right. Mayweather smiles. Cotto left. Cotto gets in a left, circling Mayweather. Cotto to body. They hold until bell.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Cotto; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Cotto; Moretti, 10-9 Cotto.

ROUND 7: Cotto covering/blocking Mayweather punches. Cotto good combo ended by right to head. Mayweather in middle of ring again. Mayweather combo to body and head. Cotto ducks in, presses Mayweather to his corner. They hold. Good Mayweather combo.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Mayweather; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Mayweather; Moretti, 10-9 Mayweather.

ROUND 8: Cotto’s trying to win this fight. He presses Mayweather to ropes, barrages him with blows. Mayweather lands a right, but Cotto buries more body punishment in middle of ring. Cotto gets Mayweather back to corner and works him over with combinations. Mayweather trying to smile through it, but Cotto pounds him against ropes. A right to the body, a left to the head. Best round of the fight. Crowd roaring.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Cotto; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Cotto; Moretti, 10-9 Cotto.

ROUND 9: Mayweather lands an opening left and some uppercuts. They exchange again. Cotto gets in good combination, then throws multiple jabs. They hold. Cotto pushes Floyd off to ropes. Mayweather combo. He’s throwing aggressively. He fights like it’s close.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Mayweather; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Mayweather; Moretti, 10-9 Mayweather.

ROUND 10: Cotto to body with right. Mayweather looking for openings. Lands a right to head. Good Mayweather counter. Straight left to face by Cotto. Mayweather jab. Cotto to body twice, then head.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Mayweather; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Mayweather; Moretti, 10-9 Mayweather.

ROUND 11: Mayweather uppercut. Two good lefts to jaw by Cotto. Brilliant combo by Mayweather. Cotto twice to body, slips a right. Mayweather lands left-right.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Mayweather; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Mayweather; Moretti, 10-9 Mayweather.

ROUND 12: The pair have a good exchange by Mayweather’s corner. Mayweather left-right. Cotto on top of Mayweather with a combo. Right-left by Mayweather. He hurts Cotto with a right. Cotto jabs in vain. Another hard right by Mayweather. He was at his sharpest this round.

Judges: Hoyle, 10-9 Mayweather; Morse Jarman, 10-9 Mayweather; Moretti, 10-9 Mayweather.

DECISION: Hoyle, 118-110 Mayweather; Morse Jarman, 117-111; Moretti 117-111.

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