By Jason Kim: WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto’s contract with his promotional company Top Rank is reportedly up now after his win over Antonio Margarito last Saturday night. The question is now whether Cotto will elect to stay with Top Rank or move onto another bit promoter like Golden Boy Promotions.
Cotto was seen hugging Bob Arum after the fight last Saturday night, and some boxing fans believe this to mean that Cotto will decide to stay with Top Rank. But I’m not sure Cotto would be doing the right thing if he does decide to do that. If Cotto stays, he has two good possible fights with Top Rank – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
Arum wants Cotto to fight Chavez Jr. next, and that could end in a loss for Cotto. A defeat for Cotto against Chavez Jr. would make it hard for Arum to put together a fight between Pacquiao and Cotto, especially if Cotto loses badly to Chavez Jr. Chavez Jr. isn’t well thought of, but anything is possible.
Those are really the only two big fights that Cotto would have if he stays with Top Rank, and a loss could make it hard for Cotto to get the second fight. If Cotto moves over to Golden Boy Promotions, he would have the opportunity to fight the following fighters: Floyd Mayweather Jr., Saul Alvarez, James Kirkland, Erislandy Lara and Alfredo Angulo. Cotto will likely never get a shot against either Mayweather or Alvarez as long as he stays with Top Rank. It’s almost a given that he’ll be ignored for future fights against these guys. Would he rather have Chavez Jr. and Pacquiao or Mayweather and Alvarez, plus all the other top fighters Golden Boy has?
We’re basically talking about most of the top junior middleweights in the division. If Cotto is serious about wanting to stay at 154, these are the fights he needs to cement his legacy. The Alvarez and Mayweather fights will bring Cotto big paydays, as both fights would be huge pay per view events.
I think Cotto might be better off with the move to Golden Boy. He’s already fought Pacquiao and lost badly. There’s no demand for a fight because Pacquiao and Cotto now. Arum would be really pushing that fight onto the boxing public, and it wouldn’t be as big as it was the first time.
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