By: John-Paul Wolfe
Miguel Cotto 38-4 (31 KO’s) and Sergio Martinez 51-2-2 (28 KO’s) have agreed to fight. On June 7th, the two future Hall of Famers will battle for Martinez’s middleweight championship at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The bout will be contested 1 pound below the middleweight limit of 160lbs, a small concession in favor of the former 140 pound champion Cotto. For Miguel, this is truly a historic fight as he looks to become the first Puerto Rican boxer to win titles in 4 different weight classes (140,147,154 and with a win on June 7th, 160).
This is the perfect fight for Miguel Cotto to end his career on. Although only 33 years old, Miguel’s fighting style and history of brutal, punishing fights makes him much older in ‘ring years.’ With a win on June 7th, his already impressive boxing resume will be solidified alongside the all-time greats, and perhaps place him alone at the top of Puerto Rico’s long list of world champions.
For Martinez this fight represents the biggest payday of his career and a well-deserved one at that. At age 39, coming off knee surgery and a very unimpressive win in his last outing against England’s Martin Murray, this should also be Sergio’s final curtain call, regardless of the outcome. A win for Martinez is going to be an uphill climb, something he may be used to with his competitive bicycling background. But the mountain of age, injury, and a more dangerous opponent than he has faced since his 2010 KO victory over Paul Williams will likely be too much for the middleweight champ to handle.
Look for Cotto’s newfound relationship with 2013 Trainer of the Year, Freddie Roach to pay dividends. In his last and only bout working with Roach, Miguel appeared to have turned back the clock, resurrecting his aggressive body punching style that began to fade following his 2007 victory over Shane Mosley, in which he traded aggression for a more classic boxing style. Although this fight seems to be one which favors Cotto, you cannot discount Martinez’s chances. Sergio has shown devastating one punch knockout power and brings a southpaw stance with a unique style that is difficult to prepare for. Neither boxer will be moving backwards so expect action and world class skill to be on display throughout the contest.
