Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings

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Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings
Cotto vs Jennings.jpg
DateFebruary 21, 2009
Venue Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, U.S.
Title(s) on the linevacant WBO welterweight title
Tale of the tape
Boxer Miguel Cotto Michael Jennings
NicknameJunito The Lurcher
Hometown Caguas, Puerto Rico Chorley, Lancashire, UK
Purse $1,000,000 $150,000
Pre-fight record 32–1 (26 KO) 34–1 (16 KO)
Age 28 years, 3 months 31 years, 5 months
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)5 ft 9+12 in (177 cm)
Weight 146 lb (66 kg)146+12 lb (66 kg)
Style Orthodox Orthodox
Recognition WBO
No. 1 Ranked Welterweight
The Ring
No. 2 Ranked Welterweight
WBO
No. 2 Ranked Welterweight
Result
Cotto wins via 5th-round technical knockout

Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings was a professional boxing match contested on February 21, 2009, for the WBO welterweight title. [1]

Contents

Background

After it was announced in November 2008 that the reigning WBO welterweight champion Paul Williams would be moving up in weight to challenge Verno Phillips for their interim light middleweight title, the organization forced Williams to vacate the welterweight title as WBO rules did not allow a fighter to hold titles in separate weight classes. The WBO then hoped to decide their next welterweight champion by having their two top-ranked contenders Miguel Cotto and Michael Jennings face one another the following February. [2]

After months of negotiations, a deal was reached in late November that would see the Cotto and Jennings headline a HBO pay-per-view on February 21, 2009 at a yet-to-be-announced venue. [3] Though Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall had been rumored to be the venue in which the event would take place, it was announced in January that Cotto's favored Madison Square Garden would be the location of the pay-per-view. [4]

Fight Details

After a relatively uneventful first round in which nothing substantial was landed though Cotto was the far busier fighter, Cotto dominated the overmatched Jennings thereafter as he continuously pressed the action forcing Jennings to move away and try to clinch whenever Cotto got in close. Jennings had trouble landing any sustained offense as he only managed to land 30 punches compared to Cotto, who landed 118. By the fourth round, Cotto had bloodied Jennings nose and scored two knockdowns in the final minute of the round, both coming from Cotto trapping Jennings in the corner of the ring and sending him down with multiple-punch combinations. Jennings was able to get up and continue the fight both times as he narrowly survived the round as Cotto was hammering him again in the corner as the rounded ended. Jennings was able to survive most of round five, but Cotto again trapped him in the corner and sent him down with a combination, though Jennings again rose to his feet, the fight was stopped as Jennings was clearly too dazed to continue. Cotto would earn the technical knockout victory at 2:36 of the fifth round. [5]

Fight card

Confirmed bouts: [6]

Weight ClassWeightvs.MethodRoundNotes
Welterweight147 lbs. Miguel Cotto def. Michael Jennings TKO5/12 note 1
Middleweight160 lbs. John Duddy def. Matt Vanda UD10
Super Featherweight130 lbs. Kina Malpartida def. Maureen Shea TKO10/10x2 note 2
Middleweight160 lbs. Paweł Wolak def. Norberto Bravo TKO3/8
Super Bantamweight122 lbs.Jorge Diazdef.Lante AddyUD6
Middleweight160 lbs. Matt Korobov def.Cory JonesTKO4/4
Heavyweight200+ lbs. Lenroy Thomas def.Terrell NelsonUD4

^Note 1 For vacant WBO Welterweight Title
^Note 2 For Vacant WBA Female Super Featherweight Title

Broadcasting

CountryBroadcaster
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Sky Sports
Flag of the United States.svg United States HBO

References

  1. "Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings". boxrec.com. BoxRec. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  2. WBO Forcing Paul Williams To Vacate at Welterweight, Boxingscene.com article, 2008-11–13, Retrieved on 2025-08-28
  3. Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings Deal is Reached, Feb. 21, Boxingscene.com article, 2008-12–01, Retrieved on 2025-08-29
  4. Miguel Cotto Makes Return at MSG, New York Post article, 2009-01–06, Retrieved on 2025-08-29
  5. Cotto claims WBO welterweight title, ESPN article, 2009-02–29, Retrieved on 2025-08-31
  6. "BoxRec - event".
Preceded by Miguel Cotto's bouts
21 February 2009
Succeeded by
Preceded by
vs. Jason Rushton
Michael Jennings 's bouts
21 February 2009
Succeeded by
vs. Willie Thompson