Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale: Winner, Recap and Reaction

On Saturday night, Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KO) was in a word: impressive.

The WBC middleweight champion successfully defended his title with a decisive fourth-round knockout of Daniel "Real Deal" Geale (31-4) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The weapon that did the damage was Cotto's left hook. The Puerto Rican champion landed a titanic counter shot that sent Geale sprawling under the bottom ropes.

Here's a look at the initial knockdown per HBO Boxing's Twitter account:

Geale got to his feet before the count, but he didn't look confident or steady. 

Shortly after, Cotto turned up the pressure and dropped him again with a hard right hand. Geale would again rise to his feet, but much like he did in his TKO loss to Gennady Golovkin, the Australian quit in the ring.

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

Welterweight contender and Showtime analyst Paulie Malignaggi ripped Geale's lack of "self belief." With two straight losses in this fashion, it is going to be even harder to buy Geale as a legitimate contender moving forward.

Throughout the first three rounds, Cotto's sharp body work was the story. Despite the fact that Geale had rehydrated up to 182 pounds, per the HBO broadcast, Cotto was clearly the stronger man. As has been the case since he hired trainer Freddie Roach, Cotto's purposeful movement and focus on his opponent's midsection had him looking like a champion in top form.

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

As soon as the fight was over, talk shifted to what was next for Cotto. Fans everywhere are clamoring for Cotto to face 154-pound Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez. Another opponent mentioned as a possibility for Cotto is fellow middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.

As evidenced by this tweet from Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Cotto had two very different responses to questions about Canelo and Golovkin.

Despite what might be perceived as reluctance from Cotto regarding a potential bout with Golovkin, Roach has indicated he wants his fighter to face GGG after a meeting with Canelo.

While Cotto has looked great in each of his last three fights, he hasn't faced top competition. Geale is a former champion, but not a guy anyone would consider elite—even if he were still in his prime. Cotto beat a hobbled and old Sergio Martinez to win the title in his last fight, and a weak-chinned Delvin Rodriguez before that.

The popular Cotto still has his fans. That was clear from the turnout at the Barclays Center and the eruption during his entrance and during his moment of triumph, but his critics are building a strong case against him and his questionable matchmaking.

A win over Canelo would clearly silence his detractors. 

We can only hope an announcement for that fight is forthcoming. In the meantime, put another one in the win column for the future Hall of Famer and pride of Caguas, Puerto Rico.

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