With the ease of Miguel Cotto’s demolition over previously unbeaten and longstanding light-middleweight fighter, Yuri Foreman, it would appear that his recent losses to Pound for Pound king Manny Pacquiao and now reputation-tarnished power puncher Antonio Margarito have not set him back as much as many expected.
With his 4th world championship title inside 3 weight classes now secured, Cotto has certainly cemented his legacy, and his popularity will always remain, due to his heart and determination inside the ring as much as his generosity outside it.
But where does he go from here?
Manny Pacquiao broke him down in 12 brutal rounds, and very few would pick him to defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr, the only other fighter who could add a great deal to his reputation or legacy with the right performance or result.
Of course there are plenty of challenges left inside his newfound weight category, and given that Cotto has dealt with the majority of Welterweight contenders already in his 4 years competing at the very top of the division, he may find that his jump up to light middleweight came at exactly the right time, especially when he has and is likely to come up short against the top pairing.
Firstly, there is his old adversary Antonio Margarito who also recently moved up.
Rematching and settling old scores always goes down well with boxing fans, but in this case with the controversy surrounding the Margarito handwraps scandal, there is both a sense that his loss may have been unwarranted or unfair anyway and that “Toni” may be undeserving of another fight of this magnitude.
There isn’t much better way to avenge his loss than to step back in front of Margarito and find out whether his power punching came from some degree of cheating or whether it was legitimate and he will have to overcome the same onslaught that caused his first loss and knockout first time around though.
Cotto can also enhance an already bright reputation, by taking steps towards “cleaning up” the light middleweight division, just as he has done or tried to do at both the Light Welter and Welter weights.
One thing he can not be accused of doing, is avoiding a challenge. He has definitely faced the majority of the best fighters on offer in his career, but at 154lbs, he is going to find it that bit more difficult.
Paul Williams, Kermit Cintron, Sergio Martinez…as well as Toni, Alfredo Angulo, Daniel Santos and the fast-emerging Saul Alvarez are a lot bigger than what he has been used to, and punch a lot harder too.
I don’t think it was a coincidence that Cotto opted to face Yuri Foreman, the lightest punching 154lb’er out there and Cotto will most definitely have to overcome adversity yet again if he is to make any inroads into the division.
The word is that Cotto will be facing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr next, assuming he can overcome John Duddy, which is by no means a certainty.
Chavez Jr has amassed a massive 41-0-1 record at only 24, but the fact his average fight only lasts 4 rounds, speaks more volumes about his average opponents’ ability rather than any of his own.
Cotto should have no problem with Chavez Jr, and it will generate a massive amount of interest in central and south America, so I can see the appeal.
If he intends to retain his WBA world title, then he will also have to face Nobuhiro Ishida in the not too distant future, who is another light punching 154lb’er, who Cotto should have no issues defeating.
If he ends up taking on these guys, then it will definitely be the easy path, one which Cotto is not too accustomed to walking.
You can forgive him for taking it at this stage in his career, but other than earning him a little more money, it does nothing else to improve his standing.
He’ll have to face a tough dilemma in the coming months.
Take the easy path and the easy money, or put it all on the line again for one last shot at glory against brutally tough opponents?
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