There’s a place for a former British champion from Chorley in Miguel Cotto’s memoirs . . .
Cotto insists he will walk away from boxing following the defence of his WBO super-welterweight title against Sadam Ali at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night and according to promoter Oscar de la Hoya, the Puerto Rican will be remembered as one of the top 20 fighters in history.
That comment has sparked considerable debate on the forums, but what’s without question is that Cotto has won world titles at four weights, from super-lightweight to middleweight, beating Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and Sergio Martinez and having his redemption against Antonio Margarito.
He was well beaten by Manny Pacquiao on one of ‘Pac Man’s’ best nights, but Floyd Mayweather jr described him as “the toughest guy I fought” after outpointing him and Michael Jennings also holds the 37 year old in the highest regard.
The then-British welterweight champion met Cotto for the vacant WBO 147lbs strap at Madison Square Garden in February, 2009 and remembers him as “different level to everyone else I ever fought.”
Jennings remembers that Cotto’s “speed, accuracy and power really were phenomenal . . .
“The first punch I threw was a jab that he slipped and then countered with a jab. It hit me bang on the nose and made my eyes water.
“He didn’t seem to waste a punch. He would make you miss by a centimetre and then make you pay. I remember him putting me on the floor with a left hook to the body and I thought to myself: ‘He’s not catching me with that again.’ Ten seconds later, he hit me with the same shot. You knew he was looking for that punch – and he still landed it. That’s what makes a great fighter.
“I didn’t get the game plan right that night. I went on the back foot and boxed him and that was the wrong thing to do. That meant he could do what he wanted to do. I should have tried to put him on the back foot and take the power out of his shots.
“Perhaps the occasion got to me.
“Everything was twice as big as what I was used to. I had fought on Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe shows, but nothing compared to that. Madison Square Garden was full. There were 15,000 Puerto Ricans there and 10 people from Chorley!
“I went there to win. I never fought for the money. I love boxing and being paid to do it was always a bonus for me.
“I was gutted to lose, but I have a good story to tell my kids when they grow up.”
Jennings was forced to retire through injury after losing a British-title challenge to Kell Brook in September, 2010 and now has a successful stable of fighters at his gym in Coppull, a few miles outside Chorley in Lancashire, including British cruiserweight champion Matty Aksin and Jack Arnfield, set to challenge British middleweight champion Tommy Langford next February.
“I’m enjoying the coaching side of things,” said Jennings, “but I would rather be fighting and every boxer is the same. I had to retire because of injury, otherwise I’m sure I would have carried on and if Cotto wins this one, he could well have another and another . .
“It’s hard to walk away . . . “
Cotto is fancied to beat Ali, a 29 year old from Brooklyn who’s been campaigning at welterweight and lost to Jessie Vargas for the vacant WBO belt last year.
The feeling is that though Cotto is still good enough to beat fringe contenders and welterweights, Golden Boy have recognised he can’t compete with the elite and have decided to look after him this weekend rather than throw him in with someone like David Lemieux.
“There’s a chance he could win well, carry on and ruin his legacy,” said Jennings.
“Cotto is still a top fighter, but there are always good people coming through and in his last few fights, he hasn’t quite looked the same.
“I’m not sure he can fight at elite level anymore.”
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