Boxing fans want a better opponent for Miguel Cotto. The middleweight champion made easy work of Daniel Geale on Saturday, knocking him down repeatedly and overall looking like a fighter ready for stronger competition before winning via technical knockout.
Geale came into the fight concerned about the 157-pound catch weight despite hydrating up to 182 pounds before they touched gloves. That hardly seemed to be the issue, however, as Cotto simply outboxed Geale, moving very well laterally and punishing the Australian with his trademark body blows.
Boxing oddsmaker TopBet gave Cotto a big edge (-700 odds to win) coming into this fight with good reason: this was a mismatch. As a result, the primary narrative since the fight has been the same one coming in: it’s time for the Puerto Rican to be given a bigger challenge.
Cotto all but made this storyline for himself, after being quoted after the fight as saying “Canelo will be just another fight. If the people want that fight to happen, it will happen.” Cotto vs. Canelo would be the biggest fight since Mayweather vs. Pacquaio, and a great opportunity to see two of the sport’s biggest fighters go head to head.
Canelo Alvarez is coming off an excellent performance of his own, a destruction of James Kirkland in May. The two have boxing fans salivating and they both know it.
Whoever he fights next, it’s clear that Cotto will be in top form, as he has been in all three fights since beginning to work with coach Freddie Roach. Cotto was disciplined, aggressive, and technically outstanding throughout the fight, and it was only a matter of time before his combination of body work and powerful hooks was going to drop Geale.
