Miguel Cotto is coming off another stellar win, disposing Yoshihiro Kamegai to win his sixth world title. The Puerto Rican came out with a unanimous decision victory, allowing him to add the vacant WBO Junior Middleweight World Title to his collection.
Cotto, who will be turning 37 soon, is aware that he has reached the climax of his career. He plans to cap his boxing run this December though he has not decided on who to face yet. But if trainer Freddie Roach is to be heard, the winner of the upcoming mega bout between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin could be on the list according to a report from Boxingscene.com.
Cotto still deadly
There is no certainty if the eventual winner of the Alvarez vs Golovkin fight will entertain a match against Cotto. Seeing the magnitude of that bout, an immediate rematch could be the priority of both fighters.
Though he makes it sound that he has slowed down, that doesn’t seem to be the case according to Kamegai. According to “El Maestrito”, he felt so frustrated and was unable to land his punches well. Despite his age, the Puerto Rican remains diminutive and slick, potentially enough to face either Canelo or GGG.
Rematch with Alvarez
Should Alvarez win, it makes a bit of sense. Alvarez won over Cotto in 2016, winning via unanimous decision. It was a close fight and Roach believed that his boy won the fight.
But if CompuBox is to be believed, the Mexican did land the heavier blows and inflicted more damage.
Seeing how the fight was controversial, a rematch would make sense. Cotto may find himself in a win-win situation seeing that it would be the final bout of his career. A win could back Roach’s claim that they did win the first meeting.
A loss, on the other hand, may hardly matter since the Puerto Rican is headed to retirement anyway.
Why Golovkin?
Cotto and Golovkin have not faced each other yet so one last match could also be sensible. The 36-year-old is aware of the punching power of GGG. Being one of the toughest fighters in the sport, Cotto should muster enough to take the punches.
In a way, it could be a high-risk encounter with health and pride at stake. Cotto could get hurt from the punches of the knockout-hungry Golovkin. A loss (possibly by KO) could be a sour ending to his career. The last time Cotto lost by knockout was against Manny Pacquiao in 2009. Is he willing to risk ending his career in forgettable fashion?
Right now it may be too early to tell. Cotto is savoring his latest triumph over Kamegai but is expected to be among the interested spectators of the Alvarez vs Golovkin fight set for Sept. 16. Will he call out the winner after that mega bout? Stay tuned!
