Sergio Martinez plans on sending Cotto into retirement on June 7th

By Boxing News - 05/13/2014 - Comments

sergio4454(Photo courtesy of Top Rank & DiBella Entertainment/Justin Lopez) By Dan Ambrose: WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KO’s) figures that the beat down he’ll be giving challenger Miguel Cotto (38-4, 31 KO’s) in their HBO pay-per-view fight on June 7th will send the 33-year-old Cotto into retirement after the fight and put a wrap on his long 13-year pro career when the two of them face each other at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Cotto’s career is limping along with now with him having been beaten in 2 out of his last 3 fights. He has a new trainer in Freddie Roach who has been giving him a lot of pep talks, and has him throwing a bit more to the body than he has in the recent past, but Cotto is still basically the same fighter that was out-boxed by Austin Trout and Floyd Mayweather Jr. recently.

“I know that Cotto is working very hard for this fight with Freddie Roach but there is no doubt in my mind that this will definitely be his farewell fight to what was a great career. We will have to see if Cotto can handle MY body shots.”

Cotto is really facing what could be another stoppage loss if Sergio is healthy for this fight, and if he doesn’t suffer another hand or knee injury. In Sergio’s last two fights against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Martin Murray, he’s had hand and knee problems that have hobbled him. That’s one of the reasons why Martinez wasn’t nearly as effective in his last fight against Murray than he otherwise would have been. But a healthy Sergio will be a nightmare for Cotto, both as far as his ability to punch and to move around the ring.

Roach’s plan for Cotto in this fight is pretty simple. He plans on having him attack Martinez to try and get to him with hooks to the head and body in hopes of scoring a knockout. Roach will have Cotto fighting Martinez the same way he did his last opponent Delvin Rodriguez, because Roach is under the impression that he’s rejuvenated Cotto after that win. I personally believe that’s the case. I just see it as Cotto having been matched up against a fringe contender that he was able to easily beat in Delvin Rodriguez, so he naturally looked good against him.

If Cotto does take a whipping in this fight, Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya says he’ll still match Cotto against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in his next fight. There are options available for Cotto, but I think a fight against Canelo would definitely be seen as the end game for Cotto if he were to lose that fight.



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