The welterweight division witnessed a brutal spectacle on 9 June 2007, as Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto retained his WBA crown with an 11th-round stoppage of Brooklyn’s Zab Judah before a raucous sell-out at Madison Square Garden.

Cotto, unbeaten heading into the bout, arrived with the reputation of a relentless body puncher and the adoration of the thousands who had travelled to New York on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Judah, the former undisputed champion, sought redemption after a turbulent spell that included licence suspension and a winless run. The ingredients were set for drama, and the fight more than delivered.

Judah opened sharply, using his southpaw stance and speed to rattle the champion early. An uppercut in the first round stunned Cotto, but controversy struck moments later when the Puerto Rican landed low, dropping Judah to the canvas in agony. The challenger rose and fought on, only to suffer the same misfortune in the third, this time costing Cotto a point deduction. Despite the setbacks, the defending champion began to impose himself.

By the fourth round, blood trickled from Judah’s right eye following a clash of heads, a cut that would worsen as the night progressed. Cotto pressed forward with trademark aggression, his combinations downstairs gradually eroding Judah’s resistance. The seventh saw the American rally with a fierce flurry that briefly had Cotto on the defensive, but the tide had turned.

Cotto’s eighth round was emphatic. Thudding uppercuts and hooks to the body forced Judah to retreat, his legs betraying fatigue. In the ninth, the Brooklyn fighter was forced to a knee, the pressure proving too much. Though he bravely fired back at the bell, the momentum was slipping from his grasp.

By the tenth, Cotto was in command, hammering Judah with heavy shots that drew roars from the partisan crowd. The challenger fought valiantly, pounding his chest in defiance, yet his cuts bled freely and his energy waned.

The end arrived swiftly in the 11th. A crisp right hand followed by a punishing left sent Judah to the canvas once more. Though he rose, Cotto swarmed him, and referee Arthur Mercante Jr. halted proceedings at 49 seconds of the round. It was Judah’s first stoppage defeat in six years.

All three judges had Cotto ahead 97–91 at the time of the stoppage, a testament to his dominance after a shaky start. According to punch statistics, the Puerto Rican landed more than twice the number of blows as his opponent, underlining the relentless pace he set.

For Cotto, it was a second successful defence of his welterweight crown and another step towards cementing his legacy among Puerto Rico’s finest champions. For Judah, gallant but undone, it was another frustrating night at the elite level.

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The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas played host to one of the most significant nights in the history of the super lightweight division when Kostya Tszyu and Zab Judah met to decide boxing’s first undisputed champion at 140 pounds in more than three decades. With the WBA, WBC and IBF titles at stake, this long-anticipated unification bout delivered drama, controversy and a decisive ending that ensured its place in the sport’s folklore.

Both men arrived in Nevada in peak form. Tszyu entered as the established force, already holding two of the major belts and coming off a disciplined unanimous decision win over Germany’s Oktay Urkal earlier in the year, a performance that underlined his ring intelligence and patience. Judah, unbeaten and brimming with confidence, had made a far louder statement in his previous outing by stopping Allan Vester inside three rounds to retain the IBF crown, showcasing speed and sharp finishing instincts.

From the opening bell, it was clear this was a clash of styles. Judah’s quick feet and southpaw stance allowed him to dictate the early exchanges. In the first round, his sharp counters and fast combinations caught Tszyu cold more than once, forcing the Australian-based champion to tie up and weather the storm. Ringside observers largely agreed the early momentum belonged to the Brooklyn man, whose movement and timing unsettled Tszyu.

The complexion of the contest shifted rapidly in the second. Judah became more cautious, choosing to circle and jab rather than press his advantage. Tszyu, sensing the change, began to take control of the centre of the ring. His pressure increased, his punches found range, and the bout turned from a battle of speed into a test of composure.

With only seconds remaining in the round, the defining moment arrived. Tszyu landed a clean right hand as Judah retreated, immediately following it with another that sent the American crashing to the canvas. Judah rose quickly but was unsteady, stumbling forward and losing balance once more. Referee Jay Nady, judging that Judah was unable to properly defend himself, waved the fight off just before the bell, awarding Tszyu a technical knockout victory.

The stoppage sparked chaotic scenes. Judah vehemently protested the decision, directing his anger towards the referee and requiring restraint from his corner and security personnel. The incident later resulted in disciplinary action from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, but it did little to overshadow the achievement in the opposite corner.

For Tszyu, the win cemented his legacy. By unifying the division, he became the first man since 1968 to fully rule the super lightweight ranks, doing so with a single, perfectly timed punch after navigating early adversity. Judah was left to reflect on a fight that slipped away in an instant, having shown flashes of brilliance before the sudden ending.

In the end, history will record that Kostya Tszyu rose from a difficult start to stop Zab Judah and claim every major belt the division had to offer, a decisive conclusion to one of boxing’s most important championship nights.

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