Miguel Cotto vs Paulie Malignaggi

On Saturday, 10th June 2006, Madison Square Garden in New York City played host to the matchup of Miguel Cotto and Paul Malignaggi. Promoted by Top Rank and DiBella Entertainment, Cotto was defending his WBO World Super-lightweight Title for the 6th time. With a record of 26-0-0, Cotto, from Caguas, Puerto Rico, faced off against Brooklyn, New York's Malignaggi, who came into the fight with a 21-0-0 record. The bout aired on Top Rank PPV, with referee Steve Smoger officiating.

The fight began with both fighters weighing in at 138¼ lbs. Cotto made an impact in the first round, opening a cut over Malignaggi's right eye. This injury would prove to be a significant factor in the fight, as Malignaggi later stated that the blood affected his performance, constantly flowing into his eye and obstructing his vision.

In the second round, Cotto continued as he knocked Malignaggi to the canvas. Malignaggi managed to get back on his feet and continue fighting. By the fifth round, Malignaggi suffered another setback as a cut opened above his left eye, further hampering his performance.

Despite these early challenges, Malignaggi persevered and continued to battle Cotto. As the rounds progressed, his injuries began to take a toll on his appearance, with his nose, lip, and right jaw showing signs of swelling by the eleventh round. After the fight, it was revealed that Malignaggi had sustained a broken right cheekbone during the contest.

Ultimately, after twelve gruelling rounds, the judges' scorecards revealed a unanimous decision in favor of Miguel Cotto. Glenn Feldman scored the fight 116-111, Don Trella had it 115-112, and Peter Trematerra also tallied 116-111 in Cotto's favor.