Miguel Cotto

On Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, a Puerto Rican legend and an Argentine legend will do battle for the WBC middleweight title.

This is how boxing should be.

Former four-time world champion Miguel "Junito" Cotto (38-4, 31 KO) will attempt to dethrone Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KO) in a bout that will be fought at the catchweight of 159 pounds.

The winner will be set up for an epic bout with any number of household names in the sport.

WBA and IBO champion Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Geale are scheduled to fight on July 26 at Madison Square Garden. The winner of that bout is one possible opponent for the Cotto-Martinez victor.

There's also the possibility of facing a champion at 168 pounds.

Who knows what the recent resignation of Richard Schaefer at Golden Boy Promotions will do to the current fighter affiliation landscape.

This could be an exciting time in boxing, and the winner of Cotto-Martinez could be in the thick of things.

Neither fighter has looked his best of late. Though both men won their last fights, their recent results haven't been spectacular.

The two aging warriors are fighting to not only win or retain a world title, but to extend their glory in the sweet science.

If you're a boxing fan, you're going to want to see this fight.

Where: Madison Square Garden in New York

When: Saturday, June 7, at 9 p.m. ET

TV: HBO

Live Stream: Box Nation (subscription required and region restricted)

The Book on Cotto

After looking like a fighter ready to hang up the gloves against Austin Trout in Dec. 2012, Cotto looked the best he has in years against Delvin Rodriguez in Oct. 2013.

Granted, Rodriguez isn't exactly Floyd Mayweather Jr., but Junito's hand speed, aggression and fitness looked solid in his three-round decimation of the 34-year-old Dominican.

If that Cotto shows up on Saturday, he'll be a difficult test for Martinez.

It should be noted, Cotto is fighting as heavy as he ever has for this bout. It's just five pounds more than the 154-pound mark where he held his last world title, but much heavier than the 140-147-pound range where he was at his prime from 2006-2008.

At only 5'7", how much weight is too much to carry for Cotto? We may find out on Saturday.

The Book on Martinez

Maravilla might have received a bit of home cooking in his last bout against Martin Murray. Despite being floored and looking exhausted to end the fight, Martinez won a unanimous decision over the tough Englishman.

In the fight before that, he thoroughly outboxed Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for 11 rounds, but Martinez was dropped in the final round.

He got up and won a clear unanimous decision to claim the WBC title, but it looked as if that fight might have been Maravilla's last virtuoso performance.

The emotion, buildup and magnitude of that bout was so significant that it could have spent Martinez.

The 39-year-old is still tough, resilient and proud, but does he have enough left in the tank to dig deep and pull out another hard-fought bout in a raucous environment?

David Kassel of Fight Hype sees Martinez with most of the pre-fight advantages but reminds us about the intangibles on Cotto's side.

On paper, Martinez holds every possible advantage, with the exceptions of crowd support and experience. Cotto has been in many big fights while Martinez has been in one (Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.) on American soil. Martinez has only fought once in Madison Square Garden, and that was in the theater. He'll be fighting in front of 20,000 screaming Puerto Ricans. However, none of that matters once the two men step in the ring.

Martinez loves challenges, and he certainly has one ahead of him. He is three inches taller. He does own a six-inch reach advantage, as well as a pair of faster hands and feet.

But his mobility could be a concern, as he has been dogged by knee problems.

Martinez recently sought to dispel any concerns about his health. According to Lem Satterfield of The Ring Magazine, Martinez says the knees won't be a problem on Saturday. 

Right now, I am just the same as when there were no knee problems. I have overcome all obstacles. … The recuperation was very painful. I was on crutches for nine months and it is very hard to come back from that. … This is the road that I chose, and I enjoy the achievement of coming back from something like this. … My knees are feeling great. … I haven't felt this good in a long time.

Is he as ready for a grueling bout as he leads on? This, too, is a question that will likely be answered on Saturday.

Prediction

Early on, Martinez's length, speed and boxing acumen will give Cotto issues. The questions are: Can Martinez maintain the pace, and will Cotto stay diligent in his pursuit?

Working the body is key for Junito. He did this well against Rodriguez, and it will be imperative if he plans on slowing down Maravilla.

The combination of Cotto's concentration on the body, Martinez's recent trend of slowing down late and his troublesome knees are a formula for disaster for the champion.

To the delight of the MSG crowd, Cotto will walk Martinez down and stop the exhausted champion between the ninth and 12th rounds.

This should be an exciting bout.

It's amazing what one great performance can do for you in the world of professional prizefighting. 

It was just a little over 11 months ago. Former multi-time world champion Miguel Cotto was left, seemingly for dead, in the wake of his lopsided defeat by Austin Trout at Madison Square Garden. It was his second consecutive defeat, and unlike the spirited performance against Floyd Mayweather that May, this was much less forgivable to a boxing community ready to write him off as a contender.

What a difference a year makes.

Cotto returned in October, with a new trainer—Freddie Roach—an old/new network—HBO—and a vintage performance that saw him stalking, attacking to the body with a renewed ferocity and scoring a spectacular third-round knockout of Delvin Rodriguez.

Suddenly, Cotto is not only not done at the top level of the sport, but he finds himself the prize in a tug-of-war between two of boxing's premier stars.

As a result, it appears he could be headed toward a career-high payday.

According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, Cotto has been offered a purse of well over $10 million, if he's willing to, once again, jump ship and fight Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, March 8, on Showtime pay-per-view. The Puerto Rican legend's previous high payday came in his challenge of Mayweather and would seemingly pale in comparison to this offer.

That's a big wad of cash to turn down, and it's more than a payday.

Canelo is coming off a major defeat, and quite possibly an even bigger disappointment, in getting thoroughly dominated by Mayweather in the biggest boxing event—in terms of money and star power—in years. 

You'll find more than a few people willing to pick Cotto to not only be competitive but also even win the fight.

Behind door No. 2 sits reigning WBC and lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez. A bout between Martinez and Cotto has been discussed for some time and was reportedly on the table for April at Madison Square Garden, according to a report by Michael Woods of ESPNNewYork.com.

Both are potentially huge money, high-profile fights, and they are both winnable for the future Hall of Famer.

The question in the minds of most boxing fans is: Who should Cotto choose?

You can make a convincing case for either, and boxing fans are in the rare can't-lose situation. Either fight has the potential to be explosive, both are highly competitive and both have compelling storylines with which to build a dramatic promotion.

For sure, the chance to fight for a middleweight championship can't be dismissed. And Martinez's camp has even conceded the possibility of contesting the bout at a 158-pound catchweight, which wouldn't force Cotto to pack on more than a few pounds for the fight.

But when it all shakes out, and it will pretty soon, Miguel Cotto and the boxing world are better off with him facing Alvarez over Martinez.

It's a fight that was all but certain to happen had Cotto gotten past Trout in December, and it was even floated in the aftermath of his defeat. 

For that fight, it was a matter of wrong place at the wrong time.

Canelo was already facing a steady stream of criticism for his propensity to face older, smaller fighters, and Cotto fit snugly into both categories. 

Alvarez would've received little credit for a victory at the time, and the chorus against him would've only swelled.

No, that fight wasn't ripe then, but it sure is now.

Cotto is coming off a dominant performance—albeit against a decent, but unspectacular, opponent—Canelo is coming off a one-sided loss, and he desperately needs a big victory to restart his rise to the top and justify the hype that landed him the biggest fight in the sport.

It'll be a difficult personal decision for Cotto, who spent the majority of his career on HBO and with Top Rank, to, once again, leave the network to pursue greener pastures—and bigger dollars—on Showtime.

But, in the end, boxing is a business, and for someone who doesn't plan on fighting much longer, it only makes sense.

A Canelo fight opens up a world of possibilities Martinez simply can't match.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, Cotto elects to face Martinez and even manages to knock him off. Winning a world title in a fourth weight class would certainly be a worthy accomplishment. It would be the icing on the cake of a great career and would be a huge achievement, given Cotto's recent rise from the proverbial dead.

You can mark it down that HBO won't be willing to give Cotto the Martinez fight without some sort of assurance he wouldn't skip town when all was said and done. They'd likely require a multi-fight deal—even if it's only one more fight—and, then what?

What's the logical next fight for Cotto if he gets by Martinez? Does he really wanna face someone like Gennady Golovkin at this point in his career and after so many in-ring wars? 

Is it plausible to believe he'd go all the way back down to welterweight—where he hasn't fought since 2009—to face Timothy Bradley? 

Highly unlikely.

And that's the single-biggest problem with this from Cotto's perspective.

The cupboard—after Martinez—is bare.

Should he upset Canelo on the other hand, the path may well be cleared to a second bite at the biggest money apple in all of boxing.

You picking up what I'm putting down?

Beating Alvarez could well lead Cotto into a rematch with Mayweather, something that isn't possible should he stick with HBO and Top Rank. 

Mayweather shifted the balance of power in the cable boxing game earlier this year when he jumped from HBO to Showtime with a record six-fight deal. He's currently in the planning stages for the third bout of that contract, and Cotto could become a realistic option.

He'd certainly be more attractive than the Devon Alexanders or Amir Khans of the world. 

It wasn't as though he was outclassed in their first bout. He lost, clearly, but he frequently forced Mayweather on the defensive and was able to touch him up more than any other recent foe. 

There's no doubt he'd like to get another shot at becoming the first man to best Floyd in a professional fight, and Freddie Roach—who has led Manny Pacquiao's corner in his fruitless quest for a Mayweather clash—would love nothing more than the chance to, once again, match wits with The Money Team.

And the fight would sell. There's no doubt about it.

Cotto is at the stage of his career where it should be all about the biggest money and the biggest fights. His recent performance notwithstanding, he doesn't have a lot of time left, and he's absolutely fine with that.

Both Martinez and Canelo offer both big money and a big fight. But only one connects the dots to the biggest name in boxing.

That's Canelo Alvarez, and that's the fight he must take.

Former junior middleweight title holder Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is looking to face former three-division titlist Miguel Cotto on March 8 according to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.

Pugmire reported that Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said a meetup has been planned to discuss the possible bout. Schaefer also said the fight would likely be held in the fight mecca of Las Vegas, Nev. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Alvarez just announced that he plans to fight three times in 2014, per Boxing News 24, and facing off with Cotto would be a huge way to kick off his three-fight campaign next year.

Canelo (42-1-1, 30 KOs) is coming off the first loss of his career at the hands of pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. and will be looking to get his career back on track against Cotto.

Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs) is on the comeback trail himself after suffering two-straight losses at the hands of Mayweather and Austin Trout in 2012, but made a victorious return to the ring earlier this month when he stopped journeyman Delvin Rodriguez in the third round of their bout.

With Cotto having a name in the sport and a large fan following, coupled with Alvarez’s own massive following, a Cotto-Canelo showdown is almost guaranteed to be a successful pay-per-view and live gate.

Canelo’s fans made up most of the 16,000-plus people that filled the MGM Grand Garden Arena in his match with Mayweather, and his fans would do the same against Cotto. Though, Cotto’s fans did show up in force for his return bout against Rodriguez, putting almost 12,000, mostly Cotto fans in the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.

Earlier this year, Cotto said he would fight three more times before retiring, and with one fight all ready in the books, a win over Canelo could set up a possible rematch with Mayweather. After Cotto left Mayweather looking as beat up as he ever has post-fight, there is a demand for a rematch between the two.

With the hopes of many for Alvarez to be one of the stars that helps carry the sport of boxing once Mayweather calls it quits, a win over Cotto will help solidify that, after the lopsided loss to Mayweather last month put them in serious doubt.

With a win over Cotto and two more wins over quality opponents, we may very well see Alvarez back in with Mayweather as his six-fight deal with Showtime comes to an end.

After Miguel Cotto's triumphant return to the ring on Oct. 5 with his TKO victory over Delvin Rodriguez, the boxing world lit up about the possibilities for the Puerto Rican star's next bout.

One of the names that popped up more than most was Sergio Martinez, and the fight on many fans' wish lists may become a reality if the two fighter’s camps have anything to do with it.

ESPN boxing analyst Dan Rafael reported that not only does Top Rank CEO Bob Arum like the idea of a Cotto-Martinez showdown, but Sergio Martinez's adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz, also expressed interest in the bout.

Arum explained that the bout would ideally be set up around the weekend of New York's Puerto Rican Day Parade in June and held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Lewkowicz said he didn't want to negotiate through the press but said a Cotto bout is top priority for Martinez.

"So the only thing is that Sergio will accept the fight because he wants to fight the best, and Miguel Cotto is one of the best. There is no question about it, and it would be a competitive fight. We’d love it. We have a Plan B, but Plan A is definitely Cotto,” Lewkowicz said.

Martinez himself also took to his Twitter account to let the boxing world know that he wants the Cotto fight next, and he has his team working on setting up the clash.

With Cotto fighting in the 154-pound junior middleweight division and Martinez fighting out of the 160-pound middleweight division, a catchweight would be necessary for the bout to take place.

This small dilemma seems to be a nonissue as Martinez's camp already said they would be willing to drop down to 158 pounds to make the fight happen. So, it would be up to Cotto's camp to see if they're up to adding four pounds to Cotto to make the 158-pound limit.

With all the early chatter, it seems that we may very well see a Cotto-Martinez megafight at some point in 2014.

If the bout does take place, we will see just how much Martinez has left after suffering back-to-back knee injuries, per ESPN.

Martinez first hurt his knee in his unanimous decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in September 2012, and then hurt it again in his next fight against Martin Murray this past April, shelving the fighter for the remainder of 2013.

Cotto's dominant performance against Rodriguez came on the heels of suffering two consecutive losses at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout.

With both fighters having a lot to prove, a showdown between the two would be a widely popular event and should be a no-brainer for both sides to make happen next year.

Miguel Cotto was quick and accurate while dishing out his usual power in a third-round stoppage over Delvin Rodriguez on Saturday at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. 

The win improves Cotto's record to 38-4. It was his 31st knockout. 

This was a big win for Cotto's career. He entered the fight having lost two straight. The first was a unanimous-decision defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. The second was a unanimous-decision loss to Austin Trout. 

Since those fights, the 32-year-old began training under the expert guidance of Freddie Roach. That appears to be a match made in heaven. Cotto looked as good as ever on Saturday, and he is ready for more high-profile bouts. 

Here are three that would provide a nice evening of boxing. 

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

After Cotto's victory on Saturday night, Roach dropped this little nugget on the media, which comes to us via Daily Mail's Martin Domin: "Miguel told me that if he were in the shape that he's in right now he would have won that fight [Mayweather]. So I'm sure he would definitely welcome a rematch."

I think Cotto might be getting a little carried away by saying he would have beat Money. I also think he should be careful about wishing for a rematch for his next fight. A loss in three-of-four fights at this stage of his career would be tough to overcome. 

That said, if Cotto really believes he's made the improvements needed to beat Mayweather, or even come close, he should push for this fight. 

Either way, it would be a decent bout. Cotto landed a few big blows on Mayweather in their first go around, and his brawling style made for an entertaining fight. 

Sergio Martinez 

This would be one entertaining matchup. Sergio Martinez needs a thrilling win to get fans buzzing if he wants to remain as a high-profile fighter. The WBC middleweight champion has turned in some fine performances, like his unanimous decision over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, in his recent seven-fight win streak.  

However, none of those fights have done much to increase his brand. He could use a fight that provides some fireworks, and this would definitely do that. 

As for Cotto, a strong showing against Martinez would definitely cement the notion that he is still one of the sport's best and most entertaining fighters. It would be a nice payday for him, and a victory would lead to more big paydays. 

Saul Alvarez

This is the fight I hope happens next. Put Cotto and Canelo in the ring together and we are bound to get an epic battle. These two powerful fighters would slug it out. 

As we've seen in Canelo's recent bouts, a loss to Mayweather and a victory over Trout, Alvarez's defense leaves something to be desired. 

Cotto would be able to exploit the holes in Alvarez's defense, but unlike Mayweather, he would also be vulnerable to Canelo's striking. 

Both fighters are full of heart and would go toe-to-toe. This bout would be an instant classic.