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Like the previous Margarito-Santos fight, the Miguel Cotto-Kelson Pinto match-up was all that boxing fans could have wanted. Two big punchers trading big shots the whole fight. Cotto was the better and more accurate puncher; Pinto never had an answer for Cotto's left hook, which Cotto landed on a consistent basis throughout the fight.
The action began with Cotto establishing what would be his best punch of the night, the left hook. He stunned Pinto with left hooks and right hands. Pinto was trying to trade with Cotto, but his punches were too wide, and Cotto was able to counter beautifully. Pinto was able to land some good shots that never bothered Cotto. Late in the round, Cotto caught Pinto with a strong right hand on the jaw, dropping him with a left cross to the head.
Pinto continued to eat Cotto's left hook, and never could find an answer for it, and he was again wobbled with a left hook late in the round. Pinto started round four well, he got away from throwing wide punches. Pinto started to box and throw more accurate shots, and had his best round of the fight. Pinto came out in round five looking good, continuing to box and stay away from Cotto's left hand, but late in the round, he got knocked down again. Pinto showed a lot of courage as he beat the count, and continued to try and go at Cotto.
Round six would be the end for Pinto. Cotto cornered Pinto at the start of the round, and began to wail away. Cotto had Pinto reeling, and knocked him down with a left hook to the body. Pinto showing courage again beat the count, but the fight was stopped by referee Robert Ramirez. Cotto won by TKO at 2:28 of round Six.
Cotto improved to 21-0 with 17KOs, while Pinto fell to 20-1. Cotto made an even bigger name for himself with an impressive win over a very good prospect. The Puerto Rican crowd seemed very impressed with Cotto, and with more performances like this he may get the treatment Felix Trinidad once got from his Puerto Rican faithful. Cotto showed that Pinto's two victories in the amateur ranks over Cotto meant nothing. This fight, along with the Margarito-Santos championship match, more than lived up to its expectations.
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004
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By Tom Dickey (September 12, 2004) 
