By Dan Ambrose: Former four division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez (56-7-1, 42 KOs) has been out of the ring for almost two years since his last fight in 2014. It’s thought that the 42-year-old Marquez may never fight again, and if he does it will be for a final farewell fight to end his long 23-year pro career.
Marquez’s long time trainer Nacho Beristain says he’s not ruling out Marquez coming back and being capable of fighting former WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. Beristain thinks it’s possible.
Cotto’s trainer Freddie Roach likes the fight. We don’t know how Cotto feels about fighting Marquez. It would be his call if a fight like that were to go ahead.
“I do not rule out [this version of Marquez] being capable of fighting against Cotto,” Beristain said to Fox Deportes. If [Marquez] returns to the ring, I don’t think it is unreasonable to do it with an opponent of that level. It would be a good fight, given their styles.”
Cotto vs. Marquez would be a good fight for the fans. It’s a fight that makes a ton of sense for both fighters. If they don’t face each other, then they would likely need to take lesser opposition for less money. Cotto will probably wind up facing Canelo next year in a rematch, but it would be in Cotto’s best interest to stay busy for at least one fight in 2016.
It would look bad if Cotto just sat out of the ring for over a year waiting for a payday rematch against Canelo. Cotto is in a tough spot if he doesn’t face a name like Marquez. If Cotto fights one of the good middleweights or junior middleweights, he’d likely lose. I can’t see Cotto beating Peter Quillin, Jermall Charlo, Andy Lee, Jermell Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, Erislandy Lara or Daniel Jacobs. Those guys are too big, too strong and too young for him.
Marquez last fought in 2014 in beating Mike Alvarado. Marquez injured a knee in winning a 12 round decision. He’s been out of the ring ever since.
Marquez and Cotto are both 5’7”, and have excellent punching power. Where they are different is in the weight category. Cotto is put on a lot of size since starting his career out in the light welterweight division 15 years ago in 2001. Cotto now fights at the low 160s, and he’s really a junior middleweight at this point, even though he’s been fighting at middleweight since beating an over-the-hill Sergio Martinez in June of 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSn3wWoKz-k
Cotto was carefully matched for that fight and for his subsequent title defense against Daniel Geale, a fighter that he been recently blown out in 3 rounds by Gennady Golovkin. In Cotto’s last fight, he fought a big middleweight in Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and lost a close 12 round decision to him in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Canelo is big enough to fight in the super middleweight division, so you can’t blame Cotto for losing to him. Fighting a guy that looked like he was weighing in the mid-180s on the night of the fight had to have been difficult for Cotto.
“[Marquez] has never closed the door [on fighting again] and he’s made no decision to retire from boxing,” said Beristain. “I have not spoken with Juan Manuel for three months, but I know him and he’s never had any problems with inactivity.”
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