Miguel Cotto

Robert Guerrero has been looking for a blockbuster fight for a long while, starting with his promise to beat Manny Pacquiao, to him trying to convince the public that he is the perfect opponent for Floyd Mayweather Jr.

After it became clear that neither Mayweather Jr. nor Pacquiao is interested in fighting Guerrero, Robert picked another name to target:

“I believe I have the reach and speed to outbox Cotto. Skills win fights not weight and I’ll do it with no catch-weight or stipulations like a real throwback fighter would do,” stated Guerrero in a recent interview with BoxingScene.  

To be honest, despite the fact that I like Guerrero, I would give him the same probability of winning against all three, and that chance is slim to none.

Fighting at this new weight is not something that he will be able to perfect and find the perfect pace for right away. He showed new signs of exhaustion and inability to dictate the fight against Selcuk Aydin, imagine what Cotto would do to the tired and overpowered Guerrero.

There are plenty of other fights Robert could seek out, yet he is stuck on trying to bet his career against the odds. I can understand how important it is for Robert to get that shot and prove himself in the ring against cream of the crop, but what he is doing is asking, nay, begging for a devastating loss.

Of course Cotto is not going to take that fight, or even humor the idea, as there are far more intriguing and more importantly higher-paying fights out there. But if for some magical reason Cotto ended up across the ring against Guerrero, unfortunately for Robert this would spell disaster and turn out to be one of the biggest mismatches in recent boxing history.

Robert Guerrero has recently made a ring return against Selcuk Aydin, jumping two weight classes, and put on a performance that got him through this fight with a victorious conclusion.

Sometimes it is hard to judge whether a fighter is showing ring rust, and this was that very case. Now that the fans got their fighter back, everyone is wondering what his next step will be, and whether he will want to stay at the higher weight, or go back to dominating at the lower weight.

In a recent interview BoxingScene had with Robert Guerrero’s co-manager Luis DeCubas Jr., it became apparent that Guerrero wants any and all big fights at his current new weight. 

When asked whether Guerrero would fight Miguel Cotto, DeCubas Jr. said the following:

“That’s definitely an option. Matter of fact Cotto is not a big jr. middleweight, and we believe size-wise Robert is bigger than him. We would have the advantage in height, speed and reach, and unlike the Pacquiao situation, Cotto wouldn’t have to come in at catch-weight. It would be a tremendous event as we all know the Mexican vs. Puerto Rican rivalry is second to none.”

First of all let me say that Guerrero is a great person and an even better fighter, but only at a lower weight. His recent performance, despite the fact that he came out victorious, was far from impressive. He survived Aydin, and at some point during the fight, Robert was clinching to stay on his feet.

So why do they think that Guerrero would be able to handle someone like Miguel Cotto? Why is team Guerrero trying to cut Robert’s career short by trying to match him up against opposition that he simply cannot win against?

Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao, and Cotto, would all present Guererro with a surprise inside the ring, and it wouldn’t be a pleasant one. I am not implying that Robert would hit the canvas like a brick in the first half of the fight, but what I am saying is that I don’t see him fighting Cotto as a fight with a positive outcome.

Cotto is a pretty hard hitter, with better than impressive stamina, and the relentless ability to come forward throughout the entire 12-round fight.

For the sake of Guerrero’s career, I hope that his management avoids those calibers of fighters at such weight, and let Robert be the champion that he is in the weight class that he belongs in.

I like Robert, and I know he could surprise us all, but a wrong move in boxing could, and often does, cost a fighter their career.

With the available roster of opposition for Manny Pacquiao, picking a fight should not be too complicated as far as the fight itself goes, but of course there are always financial negotiations, which can stall or even prevent a good fight from coming together.

It is safe to assume at this point in time, that Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao fight will not happen until sometime around summer of 2013, and even that is an optimistic hypothesis.

So what will Pacquiao do next? Who will be his next adversary in November of this year?

According to an article on ESPN, Pacquao’s promoter Bob Arum stated the following:

“We could do a Cotto rematch, assuming we can come to an understanding on the weight. Cotto is talking about going to 160 to fight somebody, but we've been talking to Gaby and we'll sort it out. I think Manny would be willing to do it at 150."

Maybe to some this is not a surprise, but to me it’s definitely an unexpected turn of events. Of all the three main opponents in the running to face Pacquiao next (Timothy Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto), Arum and Pacquiao might actually give Cotto a re-match.

I see this as a very promising fight, and would love to see Cotto get another shot at Pacman. Having said that, the weight issue is making me think that team Pacquiao might want to drain Cotto again, and is unlikely to fight Cotto at his optimal weight. Although since Arum stated that they would be willing to make it at 150lbs, this might turn out to be a dangerous fight for Manny, and a better experience for Cotto.

It is hard to say what will happen, but this is a better fight than Marquez or Bradley in my personal opinion. I would love to see Marquez get another shot, but I just feel that Cotto deserves it more, and at the right weight, will prove to be a more explosive event. 

Time is money, and there is always an optimal time to make big fights happen. For Saul Alvarez that time has come, as beating sub-par and older faded champions will no longer impress anyone.

In a recent interview with BoxingScene, Canelo once again tried taking his career further:

“For me, it would be right now. I would love to fight Miguel Angel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather. Either of them. I’m ready,” said Alvarez.

Alvarez is doing the right thing by trying to propel his name, and while he would not look good at all against Mayweather Jr., fighting Cotto would be the optimal fight for both fighters.

Cotto has recently talked about his soon to come decision on who he will fight next, and I am hoping that team Alvarez could jump on this opportunity in time to sit down at the negotiations table and make this fight happen.

This fight would be big anywhere it would end up being held at, but since Cotto will only fight in MSG in his next fight, it could be even bigger. It is not often that big fights are brought out of Las Vegas, thus I am positive that their fight would sell out in MSG in no-time.

Since Cotto is coming off of a loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., beating him in a definitive fashion would possibly give Alvarez more ground to once again call out Mayweather Jr. and possibly secure a fight sometime next year. Or maybe, just maybe, if he is able to pull off a win, Alvarez might be the come-back fight for Mayweather Jr. before they finally sit down and talk to camp Pacquiao again.

Since his last fight in May of 2012 against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto has not said anything regarding his future in boxing. For Cotto, there is no lack of opposition, and his exciting style will always bring viewers to their TV screens without a doubt.

According to a recent BoxingScene article, Miguel Cotto will soon be ready to announce his next bout for December 1, 2012 at the MSG Arena in New York.

“We will meet with several companies, with people who can make the next event possible,’ stated Cotto.

When Miguel Cotto steps inside the ring, entertainment is always guaranteed, and his desire to win the fight promotes his warrior spirit when a boxing match suddenly becomes a brawl.

The question at hand is: Whom will Cotto face next?

A little while ago, rumors of a Cotto vs. Mayweather Jr. II were circulating the web based on something that a member of camp Mayweather had said. Floyd is leaving the Clark County Detention Center tonight, thus we should hear something from him within the next few weeks.

Would Floyd give Miguel a rematch? Since their fight was financially successful, and he needs a tune up fight after serving time, Cotto might be the perfect opponent for Floyd, so I would not dismiss this idea too quickly. 

Another good option for Cotto is to try and make a fight with Saul Alvarez. Alvarez has gained a tremendous following, thus their fight would be a huge event. It would be a great opportunity for Alvarez to prove that he is indeed a world class champion who is capable of beating top level competition. And of course for Cotto, it would be a chance to show the boxing community that he is still a dominant top notch fighter.

Amir Khan would be another decent fight, although I think that Khan is not mentally ready for a fight with Cotto. A win against Khan would be of minimal benefit for Cotto, but it would be another win and another step up toward the right to demand a bigger fight.

There are other names that I could mention, even Pacquiao, but I am not sure that this is where Cotto is aiming his efforts. I am curious to hear what they are able to cook up, and am looking forward to another great performance by Cotto.