Cotto scores thrilling 11th-round TKO of Judah!

Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto scored a scintillating 11th-round technical knockout of Zab Judah to retain his WBA welterweight title in a bout that featured low blows and ended with a pair of bloody fighters.

Rround-by-round

ROUND 1
Judah goes down face first and is writhing in agony form a low blow with about a minute left in the round. Fight resumes after a 90-second wait. Judah’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 2
Cotto lands a hook and a jab. Judah keeps flicking his jab, but most of them are short. Judah’s speed advantage is apparent. Cotto goes to the body for a combination. Good right to the body by Cotto. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 3
Judah goes down again from a low blow. There is 1:40 left. Judah is laying on his face and now is rolling around. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. deducts a point from Cotto. Cotto’s mouth is bleeding and he has blood on his chest.Judah’s round and with the point off, it’s 10-8.

ROUND 4
Judah has blood by his right eye. Judah is not punching as much now. Cotto lands a combination, though it doesn’t appear to hurt Judah. Judah is taking a more defensive posture. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 5
Judah backs into the corner and Cotto fires. Good right hand by Cotto inside. Cut on Judah’s eye is in a bad spot on his right eyebrow, but it’s not bleeding much now. Hard combination by Cotto. Short right inside by Cotto and Judah looks at referee to complain about hitting on the break. Jab by Cotto. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 6
Cotto lands a hard right that staggers Judah into a neutral corner. Many in the crowd are on their feet. Judah is talking to Cotto. Cotto is firing hard shots inside. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 7
Cotto crouches under a Judah combination. Cotto lands a left and Judah connects with a hard three-punch combination that rocked Cotto. Judah fans begin to chant his name. Good combination by Cotto inside. Judah’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 8
Judah’s right eye is badly swollen and Cotto’s face is cut up. It’s been a grueling fight. Cotto lands a left in the corner. They trade in the center of the ring. Another combination to the head by Cotto backs up Judah. Judah lands a body shot that has no impact. Cotto regained his lost momentum. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 9
Judah takes a knee in his corner even though there was no punch landed. There is a minute left. Cotto is pummeling Judah at this point. Cotto is taunting Judah. Judah misses wildly with a hook. Cotto’s round, 10-8.

ROUND 10
Cotto resumes attack as crowd chants, “Let’s go Miguel.” Cotto lands an uppercut and Judah wobbles into the corner in trouble. Only 10 seconds are left. Cotto fires away. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 11
Cotto combination puts Judah down in first 30 seconds. Judah is up but wobbly. Mercante jumps in to stop it with about 50 seconds gone in the round. Miguel Cotto goes to 30-0 and retains WBA welterweight title.

Sources:
Sports.yahoo.com:
http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=…
Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/scorecard/…