Miguel Cotto dominates Geale, eyes Canelo next

Miguel Cotto walks back to a neutral corner after dropping Daniel Geale. Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines - WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto made short work of Daniel Geale, dropping him twice in round 4 to win by technical knockout at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. on Sunday, June 7 Manila time.

Cotto (40-4, 33 knockouts), who was making his first ring appearance since winning the title a year ago, was the stronger of the two as he bullied the former IBF middleweight titleholder Geale (31-4, 16 KOs) to the ropes and banged away with body punches and right hands to the head.

Cotto scored the first knockdown on a left hook to the chin as Geale threw a right hand to the body. Geale survived but was overwhelmed by the Puerto Rican’s follow-up assault. Geale rose up again but informed the referee that he could not continue. The official time of stoppage was 1:28.

Cotto weighed less than the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds while Geale weighed in at the 157-pound catchweight at Friday’s weigh-in. HBO’s unofficial scale registered Geale at 182 pounds wearing street clothes on fight night.

Unbeaten middleweight Gennady Golovkin sat at ringside for the fight, but Cotto appears to be more inclined to face Mexican star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez later this year. Cotto had been in discussions to face Alvarez earlier this year before talks stalled.

"I've had 44 fights in my career and Canelo is just going to be another one," Cotto said at the post-fight press conference.

"And then if Gennady is available and he wants to fight, I'm available too."

- Rappler.com