Cotto vs Ali results: Angel Acosta wins vacant WBO junior flyweight title

Off television on tonight’s Cotto-Ali card from Madison Square Garden, Angel Acosta overpowered Juan Alejo en route to a 10th round knockout, claiming the vacant WBO junior flyweight title with the victory.

Acosta (17-1, 17 KO) lost his previous fight in September to Kosei Tanaka, the former titleholder who vacated his belt this week in order to move up to the flyweight division.

The 27-year-old Acosta, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, stopped Mexico’s Alejo (24-5-1, 14 KO) at 1:33 of the 10th round. Alejo reportedly put up a fight and hung in as much as he could against the power puncher, but was finally just beaten down, and when dropped, couldn’t beat the 10 count from referee Benjy Esteves Jr.

With the victory, Acosta establishes himself as a top fighter at 108 pounds, joining the title carousel and, of course, making himself a prime target for the other contenders as a result.