Sergio Martinez vs Miguel Cotto

On Saturday, 7th June 2014, Madison Square Garden in New York played host to a thrilling matchup between Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martinez. The WBC World and Ring Magazine Middleweight titles were at stake. Cotto entered the ring with a record of 38-4-0, while Martinez held a 51-2-2 record. Weighing in at 155 lbs and 158¾ lbs respectively, this marked Cotto's first bout at middleweight with a catchweight of 159 pounds set for the fight.

From the very beginning, Cotto exhibited exceptional control with his speed, power, and accuracy. He knocked down Martinez three times in the first round, securing a 10-6 round. As the match progressed, Cotto anchored center ring, effectively cutting off Martinez as he attempted to manoeuvre around in circles. Cotto's damaging power shots ultimately forced Martinez to adopt a defensive stance, deviating from his typical hands-down style.

Cotto dominated the majority of the fight, winning every round except the third. In the ninth round, Martinez's knee appeared to come close to touching the canvas, resulting in a 10-8 round in favor of Cotto. After the bout, Cotto remarked that the cut he inflicted on Martinez's right eye played a part in his success.

Martinez, despite his determination, was unable to recover from the initial onslaught of Cotto's attacks. He admitted, "I got hit. I was cold, and I never recovered from that. You gotta know when to win, and you gotta know when to lose." His trainer, Pablo Sarmiento, ultimately decided to stop the fight, stating that Martinez's knees had not been responding for several rounds. In the end, Miguel Cotto emerged victorious, defeating Sergio Martinez by retirement at 0:06 in the 10th round.