Miguel Cotto vs. Paulie Malignaggi was a professional boxing match contested on June 10, 2006, for the WBO light welterweight title.
Background In February 2006, negotiations for a Miguel Cotto–Paulie Malignaggi WBO light welterweight title fight to take place that June in Madison Square Garden began when Cotto and Malignaggi's respective promoters, Bob Arum and Lou DiBella met in Las Vegas. Both parties expressed optimism that the fight would get down with Arum stating "It will get done. I think it's a great fight and a marketable fight", while DiBella echoed similar sentiments "you have the Puerto Rican star with a big following in New York against the Italian kid from Brooklyn. Good promotion, good fight."Get Ready for a Street Fight, ESPN article, 2006-02–17, Retrieved on 2025-09-10 The deal was contingent on Cotto first winning his March fight in his native Puerto Rico against Gianluca Branco. Cotto would defeat Branco via eighth-round technical knockout, putting his fight against Malignaggi on.Cotto's left hand the hammer on Branco, ESPN article, 2006-03–06, Retrieved on 2025-09-10
The event was independently produced on pay-per-view by Arum's company Top Rank. HBO had been in talks with Arum to air the event under their pay-per-view division but HBO passed in favor of the Antonio Tarver–Bernard Hopkins fight which was taking place on the same June 10 date. HBO made Arum an offer to broadcast the fight one day earlier on June 9, but Arum declined as he wanted to keep the June 10 date as it was the day before New York City's Puerto Rican Day Parade.Body Blows: Tarver/Hopkins, Miguel Cotto, Notre Dame, and Boxing vs. UFC., Inside Pulse article, 2006-06–13, Retrieved on 2025-09-12
Fight Details Cotto got off to a great start as he opened up a cut above Malignaggi's left eye in the first round and then scored the fight's only knockdown in the second, dropping Malignaggi with a left hook. Though Malignaggi was able to get back to his feet and continue the fight, the blow broke his jaw and his right orbital bone, causing the right side of his face to swell. Malignaggi would rebound and stayed in the fight by winning several rounds thereafter using his speed and jab. However, the cut above his right eye got progressively worse as the fight went on and the ringside physician was asked to check the wound before the start of the eighth round but allowed Malignaggi to continue. Though Malignaggi got through the remainder of the fight, Cotto would continue to land big shots and by the 11th round, both Malignaggi's eye and nose were bleeding.
In what was a hard fought contest, Cotto defeated Malignaggi by a relatively close unanimous decision with two scores of 116–111 and one of 115–112.
Aftermath Following the fight, Malignaggi would be immediately rushed to the hospital with DiBella announcing soon after that Malignaggi would not fight for the remainder of the year due to his injuries.Cotto beats Malignaggi, defends jr. welterweight belt, ESPN article, 2009-06–10, Retrieved on 2025-09-14Cotto Tops Malignaggi, New York Post article, 2009-06–11, Retrieved on 2025-09-14
Fight card Confirmed bouts: Weight Class Weight vs. Method Round NotesLight Welterweight140 lbs.Miguel Cotto (c)def.Paulie Malignaggi UD12Super Featherweight130 lbs.Bobby Pacquiao (c)def.Kevin KelleyKO4/12Middleweight160 lbs.John Duddy (c)def.Alfredo Cuevas RTD7/12Super Bantamweight122 lbs.Juan Manuel López def.Sergio Mendez UD6Welterweight147 lbs.Julio César Chávez Jr.def.Aaron DrakeTKO2/6Light Heavyweight175 lbs.Curtis Stevensdef.Eric HowardTKO6/6Super Middleweight168 lbs.Peter Quillindef.Eddie O'NealKO1/4Bantamweight118 lbs.Noriko Kariyadef.Kerri HillTKO3/4x2
Broadcasting Country Broadcaster Top Rank Pay-Per-View
References