Other Sports

Cotto stops Judah to retain welterweight crown

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-10 16:26

NEW YORK, June 9 - Miguel Cotto retained his WBA welterweight championship with an 11th-round stoppage of Zab Judah in front of a capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

The 26-year-old unbeaten Puerto Rican knocked his American opponent down in the ninth and then again in the 11th, before a follow-up flurry prompted the referee to call a halt to the contest.

Judah, a former undisputed champion, started brightly by stunning Cotto with a left hand in the first round, but the defending champion gradually wore down the challenger with a bruising attack to head and body.

After defending his title for a second time, Cotto's record improved to 30-0 with 25 knockouts, while Judah fell to 34-5, also with 25 knockouts.