Miguel Cotto acquired the WBA light-middleweight crown after holding back ace Yuri Foreman in round nine of a chaotic bout at Yankee Stadium.
With Foreman clearly in pain from a leg injury, his corner threw in the towel, but the referee didn't see who had hurled it and ordered a restart.
"I felt bad for him but you've to continue fighting," said Cotto.
The Puerto Rican is now a three-class champion, having been welterweight and light-welterweight champion before.
He improved his record to 35-2, with his 28th stoppage win, while Israeli Foreman endured his 1st defeat, in his first defence of the title he won last November with a solid decision over Daniel Santos.
Foreman, Israel's first world champion, wore a knee brace from the start to the campaign to protect an old injury, but after he slid double in the seventh round, he was distinctly in great irritation and had limited mobility.
"It was a lot pain, very sharp pain," he said later on.
"I'm world champion, now former world champion. Weren't quitting. We're international champion and we want to fight."
Referee Arthur Mercante Jr defended the chaotic end to the fight and paid tribute to Foreman's spirit.
"The towel got in during the heat of the battle," he said.
"I didn't know where it came from. There was no need to stop the fight. They were in the midst of a large battle.
"I saw he [Foreman] was game - the true heart of a champion."
Cotto was glad to get back to winning ways after losses to Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao.
"I think I proved this night to everybody who said 'Cotto is finished' that everybody has failed," Cotto said.
"I'm happy with my performance and we had worked at many things we did tonight and I think it showed."
With Foreman clearly in pain from a leg injury, his corner threw in the towel, but the referee didn't see who had hurled it and ordered a restart.
"I felt bad for him but you've to continue fighting," said Cotto.
The Puerto Rican is now a three-class champion, having been welterweight and light-welterweight champion before.
He improved his record to 35-2, with his 28th stoppage win, while Israeli Foreman endured his 1st defeat, in his first defence of the title he won last November with a solid decision over Daniel Santos.
Foreman, Israel's first world champion, wore a knee brace from the start to the campaign to protect an old injury, but after he slid double in the seventh round, he was distinctly in great irritation and had limited mobility.
"It was a lot pain, very sharp pain," he said later on.
"I'm world champion, now former world champion. Weren't quitting. We're international champion and we want to fight."
Referee Arthur Mercante Jr defended the chaotic end to the fight and paid tribute to Foreman's spirit.
"The towel got in during the heat of the battle," he said.
"I didn't know where it came from. There was no need to stop the fight. They were in the midst of a large battle.
"I saw he [Foreman] was game - the true heart of a champion."
Cotto was glad to get back to winning ways after losses to Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao.
"I think I proved this night to everybody who said 'Cotto is finished' that everybody has failed," Cotto said.
"I'm happy with my performance and we had worked at many things we did tonight and I think it showed."
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