:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/20862827/183201309.0.jpg)
Miguel Cotto had lost two straight fights, but his star power had not faded as a result. This past Saturday on HBO, the Puerto Rican superstar's return to the ring brought in 1.55 million viewers, the highest-rated cable fight of 2013, according to Nielsen.
Cotto (38-4, 31 KO) stopped Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-3, 16 KO) in the third round, a scintillating performance that turned a lot of heads. With new trainer Freddie Roach at his side, the veteran looked like the Miguel Cotto of old, the body punching, vicious offensive star who fought with a sneer and an intention to do damage.
Just one weekend earlier, HBO had set the previous high mark for the year with the Chavez Jr-Vera contest, which brought in 1.416 million viewers. It's worth noting that for all the talk of Showtime having a great year and making strides, 13 of the 15 highest-rated fights on cable this year have come from HBO.