MAYWEATHER WIN A SPARKLER; COTTO STOPS PEREZ

By George J. Elsasser



Photo Credit: Chris Farina


No surprises last noche ... the HBO twin bill from Fresno city on the left coast went as expected ... Mayweather retains WBC title with near blanking of game but outclassed Victoriano Sosa and expected future star Miguel Cotto stopped "opponent" Joel Perez in four.

Get no argument here that Mayweather has all the skills the special ones have had over the years ... and last night he displayed them for all to see ... early on it was clear he was looking for the knockout ... put the jab on the back burner while trying to deposit Sosa into the cheap seats as he scored time and again with big left hooks and power right hands ... but not to be.

Sosa, while going oh for four thru one to four, caught Floyd napping in round five and eked out his first winning round ... he maybe picks up another couple but come round nine, it was to be vintage Mayweather ... enter the jab.

Those in the game like calling the jab the "stick" ... and Mayweather showed a good enough one to patent it ... a sharp and quick hurtin' one is what it is ... and come them championship rounds of ten, eleven and twelve it seemed the knockout would also arrive as Floyd followed the stick with bad intentioned combinations.

To his credit, Sosa endured ... and a decision loss by as wide a margin it was, still looks better on the resumé than a KO by.

And there was that co-feature ... Cotto-Perez ... could tell from the get-go that Joel Perez had auditioned for the role of the fall guy ... tried early on, but had zilch going for him against the physically stronger and much bigger banger Cotto.

And so it was a made to order past name of sorts on the Cotto hit list ... and hit he did from start to finish ... the hands were quick and the punches came in bunches ... but it wouldn't be them eye-catching combos to the head that would have Perez waving a flag of surrender.

End came at 1:29 of round four ... a nasty Cotto left-hook to the ol' solar plexus drained all the Perez interest ... took the full count from referee Ray Caiz Jr. ... no arguments here ... guy had as much chance as that "elitist" Iraqi Republican Guard doing battle with my beloved Marines.

Post Scripts:

Mayweather Jr. : until proven otherwise ... this guy is not only the class of 135 but could likely handle most of them junior welters as tough a mob as they be. But Floyd, using that dandy stick and backing it with counters and his occasional sneak lead right hand is a bad one ... as in special.

Miguel Cotto: Catches the eye with quickness and power as well ... and against the level he's been in with it is tempting to rate him higher than he's earned at this point. Expect he'll develop to title timber ... but patience my friends.

Semper fi,

GEL

4-20-2003



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