Boxing News: Miguel Cotto Dominates Ricardo Mayorga, Sergio Martinez Stops Sergiy Dzinziruk

MMA news is always first and foremost here, especially on a day like yesterday. Still, I'd be remiss if I didn't at least acknowledge some of the noteworthy boxing action from last night. First, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Miguel Cotto looked better than average as a junior middleweight in beating the aging Ricardo Mayorga.

Steve Cofield retells the action:

Ricardo Mayorga was never the most technical fighter but he's always brought the fight. Tonight, his age showed against Miguel Cotto. Cotto fought at a controlled pace, peppering Mayorga with jabs throughout before turning it on in the final round to score a TKO finish at 0:53 of the 12th round in front 7,247 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

There were some decent exchanges along with way, but most were highlighted by Mayorga missing and Cotto landing good shots on the counter. The judges, Duane Ford, Jerry Roth and Chris Wilson, had it 107-102 for Cotto. Yahoo!'s lead boxing writer Kevin Iole also had it 107-102.. I scored it 108-101.

The Nicaraguan, knowing he was down big on the cards, went for broke in the opening seconds of the final round. Cotto (36-2, 29 KOs) took advantage of Mayorga's wild shots by landing a massive left hook. Mayorga (29-8-1, 23 KOs) froze for a second, began to look in the direction of his left arm and went down. He was hurt badly. Reports from ringside also say that he suffered a dislocated left thumb.on the exchange. Mayorga rose late in the count and began fumbling with his glove.

I watched the fight and thought Cotto looked ok for this weight, but not particularly strong.

Meanwhile, Sergio Martinez stopped Sergiy Dzinziruk in the eighth round of their middleweight bout:

Martinez stopped Sergiy Dzinziruk in the eighth round, knocking down the Ukrainian middleweight three times Saturday night at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Casino.

Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the bout at 1:43 of the eighth after Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KOs) of Oxnard, Calif., sent Dzinziruk down for the third time.

"I was able to hit the gas and accelerate," Martinez said. "I got a new wind, That happens to every human."

After three uneventful rounds to begin the fight, Dzinziruk (37-1, 23 KOs) briefly went down on one knee at the start of Round 4 from a tap on the top of his head.

Dzinziruk argued that he slipped. Mercante, however, ruled that Dzinziruk was hit by a punch and called it a knockdown.

In Round 5, Dzinziruk was knocked down again by a left hand just seconds before the bell rang. He got up smiling, but Martinez now firmly appeared to be in control of the fight.

Martinez had won the WBC middleweight title with a knockout of Paul Williams last November, but had that title stripped from him earlier this year.

The Martinez-Dzinziruk bout was for the WBC Diamond Championship. Martinez was awarded a diamond encrusted belt worth $50,000 for his victory. The WBC also refers to Martinez as the WBC champion emeritus.

Martinez-promoter Lou DiBella is now already hyping a potential fight between Martinez and Cotto.

For more, visit Bad Left Hook. Lots of analysis to be had especially over Yuri Foreman's upset.