By Yannis Mihanos: Miguel Cotto (38-4, 31 knockouts) recently spoke about being an A-side fighter and current WBC middleweight champ Sergio Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KOs) being the B-side in their upcoming fight on June 7th at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Tormented by injuries (2 knee operations), Martinez now claims he is back at full form and ready to set the record straight; his last fight over a year ago against Martin Murray was a disappointment for Martinez, but he still managed to come out victorious with a close 12 round unanimous decision win.
Cotto, on the other hand, appears resuscitated thanks to his new trainer and future Hall of Famer Freddie Roach. With Freddie on his side, Cotto has embraced again his old aggressive style and enjoyed a convincing victory over Delvin Rodriguez by the way of a knockout last October.
The Cotto-Martinez fight will be at the catch weight of 159 pounds, a weight that is ideal for Martinez but not so much for Cotto, who will have to add a few more pounds to make this weight.
Cotto being for a long time in the welterweight category class has made his name by fighting the very best of his time that also has helped him earn very good money.
Martinez has made a very successful career so far as a light middleweight and now a middleweight but his opposition was far less competitive than the one Cotto has faced and so far has earned much less money.
Beyond that there is no question in my mind who is the favorite; Martinez not only has the edge but also the much needed skills. I would easily put him in the top 5 of boxing today.
Cotto is very experienced and has been in a lot of wars throughout his career but he has some limits on his skills. He can still beat many tough opponents but with elite opponents like Manny Pacquiao, and Mayweather and now Martinez. Cotto cannot do much.
Against a healthy Martinez, I believe Cotto has no chance. Martinez is too fast even if at times tends to let his hands down and become an easy target. For both the motivation is here and that makes this fight very interesting.
Cotto can make history by becoming the first Puerto Rican to win a world title in four different weight classes, while Sergio Martinez can prove to all that he still has it. If he wins this fight, there might be some excellent options for him, such as Gennady Golovkin or Pacquiao.
So in June 7 at Madison Square Garden in New York City expect a battle from 2 very reliable fighters.
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