Cotto, the WBO welterweight champion, had been at odds with his uncle for some time. But things kind of boiled over on Wednesday during one final argument, when the two came to blows in a Puerto Rican gym. The fight then spilled into the street where further adventure ensued. The Sporting News:

But throw down he did. Evidently, it was an ugly situation, one that saw Cotto's father, Miguel Cotto Sr., step into the fray to try and break it up. Cooler heads prevailed inside the gym as the fracas died down, but it flared up again outside the gym in what was an even more vicious altercation, one that concluded with Evangelista throwing a cement block at the fighter while he was driving, breaking the passenger side window of his new Jaguar.

As as wise man once said, if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball. This goes for cinder blocks and boxing as well.

A portion of Miguel Cotto's statement following the incident:

"This afternoon, after concluding my training session for my next fight, I sustained an incident with my uncle Evangelista Cotto. This is a family and very personal matter, which is why I ask that you give me the space and respect in my intimacy needed to cope with situation. Let it be known that as of this moment Evangelista Cotto will no longer form part of my corner."

Anyway ... job opening!

It's Ugly Today In Cotto Land For Miguel And Evangelista [The Queensberry Rules]
Police: Miguel Cotto And Uncle Exchange Blows [Associated Press]
Miguel Cotto Fights His Uncle/Trainer, Wins [The Sporting News]

Cotto had a relatively easy night fighting against England's Michael Jennings in the first of Top Rank's co-featured bouts. The Puerto Rican star looked comfortable in his first fight since being crushed by Antonio Margarito (with or without illegal help), and he quickly dispatched of his opponent in the fifth round. Jennings went down on multiple occasions, with most of the damage coming from Cotto's lethal left hand. Many observers believe Cotto could now opt for a rematch with Sugar Shane Mosley, but in a crowded welterweight division plenty of other options exist.

While Kelly Pavlik shared top billing on the pay-per-view card he had the house all to himself in Youngstown, Ohio. The beloved native son battered a Marco Antonio Rubio for most of the night before the listless contender quit on his stool after the ninth round. The middleweight champ looked no worse for the wear in his first action since stepping up to fight a superior Bernard Hopkins, and could possibly go on to fight the immensely popular John Duddy. The undefeated Irishman starred on the New York portion of the undercard with a convincing win over tough Matt Vanda. Duddy has developed a huge following in the northeast following since moving to New York, making him an attractive opponent for Pavlik.

Image via ESPN

Cotto looked every bit the pound-for-pound elite he'd been pegged as throughout the first half of the fight only to see Margarito walk through every rock solid punch like the T1000 on PCP. Cotto's hand speed and swift lateral movement allowed him to pick-off and counter his challenger's punches, even when on the retreat. Margarito was repeatedly punished by Cotto's vaunted left hook, although far too many of those were directed at the head.

Cotto has been known as one of the premier body punchers in the sport, primarily due to that ruthless snapping hook, yet he never committed to attacking Margarito's long torso. Had he done so he might have slowed down Margarito's unrelenting attack. That is, if Margarito can be slowed down at this point.

Instead it was Cotto who began to wither in the latter stages of the fight, likely due in equal part to Margarito's constant flurries and the energy Cotto expended with all of his movement early in the fight. Once the fighters entered the championship rounds it became clear that Cotto was simply trying to hold on for the fight's final nine minutes. Of course a guy like Margarito wasn't about to let that happen. Instead he went after the heavy favorite with furious swarms of punches thrown from a variety of angles. Eventually Cotto was reduced to a beaten fighter, taking multiple knees before his corner waved the towel.

Antonio Margarito is the new champion, and quite possibly the toughest motherfucker roaming the Earth. Vazquez-Marquez was my previous pick for FOY, but after watching Margarito overcoming Cotto's superbly technique, speed, and power to score a knockout makes this all but unbeatable.

So what happens from here in the most exciting division in boxing? I say Margarito should take a rematch with Cotto. Oscar de la Hoya is too smart to take on such a dangerous fight without the huge guaranteed payday that would have come with a Cotto fight. Bob Arum would have settled for a match against the winner of the upcoming Zab Judah-Joshua Clottey fight, but now who knows if that will happen.

Paul Williams is the other major player in the division, and he famously won a decision over Margarito. Considering their history, and the fact that Williams holds a piece of the welterweight title it would make sense to see the two get back in the ring. And then there's my boy Andre Berto. The young, charismatic fighter is undefeated and a match between he and the winner of the Judah-Clottey fight would be a spectacle.

Oh, and be sure to check out Large's live coverage over at The Sporting Blog. I'm just diving in now, and it's pretty great.