Boxing In Puerto Rico: Jose Miguel Cotto Once Again Denied WBA Title

Friday night at Coliseo Angel Espada, Puerto Rico, local man Jose Miguel Cotto failed in his second attempt to win the WBA Lightweight title.

The older brother of WBA Welterweight Champion Miguel Angel Cotto faced Thailand’s Prawet Singwangcha for the vacant crown but at the end of twelve rounds the two were determined to have fought to a draw.

30 year old Singwangcha had never fought outside of Asia and was initially taken aback by both the partisan crowd and Cotto’s strong start.

A year ago Cotto challenged Juan Diaz for the WBA crown and while the man from Caguas was unsuccessful in lifting the belt, the occasion did give him an edge in big fight experience.

But after enjoying an early lead, Cotto found the tables turned as Singwangcha showed superb stamina and kept up the pace to take the later rounds.

In the end, the action was too close to pick a winner and the ringside officials scored the bout 114-114 (twice) and 117-111, declaring a draw.

Cotto sees his record to 28-1-1 (20) while Singwangcha goes to 30-2-2 (18).

The chief support contest too place between ex-IBF Lightweight kingpin Javier Juaragui, 51-14-2 (35), and Jose Reyes, 20-4 (7), with Reyes taking a surprising win after eight rounds, 78-73 and 77-73 (twice).