The 25 year-old, fighting a veteran ten years his senior, held all the aces regarding size and power which ultimately proved the deciding factor in what was an entertaining fight in Nevada.
Despite hitting the 155lb catchweight on the scales, Canelo weighed upwards of a light heavyweight in the ring, whilst Cotto stayed around his usual weight of 154 and struggled to hurt the younger, fresher fighter.
Cotto, to his credit, stayed mobile throughout and stuck to trainer Freddie Roach’s gameplan, but it was Canelo’s sheer strength that ultimately racked up the points in his favour and swung the contest firmly his way.
Despite a couple of rounds that were clearly scored for Cotto, Canelo was pretty much in control and unhurt which enabled him to ease to a wide points win on the judges cards 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111.
I saw it a little closer at 116-112 on my WBN Live Scorecard, but there was no doubt who won the encounter in the end and who deserved to become the new WBC middleweight belt holder.
A massive unification fight with WBA, IBO and IBF champion Gennady Golovkin now looms large on the horizon for Canelo following the WBC’s stipulation that the four-belt battle must be negotiated next.
For the defeated Cotto, a long hard think is required before ‘Junito’ makes a final decision on his future.
