Miguel Cotto Next Fight News: Freddie Roach says Cotto could drop back down to light middleweight
Recently, Puerto Rican boxing standout Miguel Cotto lost his middleweight titles after a unanimous decision defeat against Mexican sensation Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
The 35-year old prizefighter was said to have been troubled by Alvarez's size, according to his own trainer Freddie Roach.
In a report by Boxingscene.com, the famed boxing coach adds that they are looking at the option of going back down to 154-pounds, at light middleweight. "[Going back to 154-pounds is] definitely an option that we'll pursue, because going into the fight he weighs 159 and his opponent weighs like 175," Roach said. "[Canelo] was the bigger, stronger guy and we did have trouble backing him up. He did come forward a lot."
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Roach's recent statements was contrary to his initial thoughts on the fight, as he believes Cotto actually outscored Alvarez in the twelve-round bout.
"We thought it was much closer than the scorecards showed. It was a very competitive fight," Roach said in another report by Boxingscene. "Miguel's defense was unbelievable. I actually thought we outscored him."
"HBO spoke to me between rounds and I never thought we were in danger of losing the fight," he added. "I thought we outscored him in the fight, but the judges thought different."
Meanwhile, six-division world champion and Golden Boy Promotins head honcho Oscar De La Hoya believes that despite his age, Miguel Cotto can still compete at the sport's elite level. Holding a record of 40-5 (with 33 wins by knockout), Cotto began his professional career in 2001.
Along the way, he has faced the sport's toughest and most talented opponents, such as Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Josesito Lopez, and Austin Trout, just to name a few. Cotto's performance against Alvarez recently may not be as appealing, but De La Hoya believes the four-division champion still has a lot left in him.
"I strongly believe Miguel Cotto has a lot to give to the sport," De La Hoya said. "He proved it tonight against a young guy who is 25-years-old. I mean, Canelo fought a terrific fight against a terrific fighter. Cotto should not walk around with his head down. He should be proud of his performance."
