By Jason Kim: It’s doubtful that Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KO’s) will be fighting very much longer, because he’s already wealthy and is running out of big-named opponents for him to fight. In addition to that, Cotto has taken a boatload of punishment during his nine-year pro career. Cotto obviously can’t keep taking these beatings one after another without something short circuited in his body or head. This is why I think Cotto is probably within a year or so from retirement and it might be better if Foreman wins.

Foreman is probably going to be around a lot longer and still likely fighting five years from now at 34. Can you say the same thing for Cotto? I think Cotto is nearing the end of his career and with Manny Pacquiao gone and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in another one of his two-year min-retirements, there’s not a whole lot of fighters for Cotto to take on unless he wants to fight a rematch with Antonio Margarito (doubtful), or take on tough fighters like Paul Williams and Alfredo Angulo.

I don’t see Cotto being put in with either of those fighters and I think it would be disastrous for him if he was to even consider doing so. Sergio Martinez, the WBC junior middleweight champion, would be good fight for Cotto, but I think Miguel would lose badly to Sergio. I think that would still be an excellent fight for Cotto before retiring. WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto would be another good fight for Cotto before he steps away from the game, but Berto needs to raise his game a little more and beat some quality fighters to make a Cotto-Berto fight a big money maker.

Never the less, none of this will make any difference if Cotto can’t beat Foreman tonight. Cotto is like an old car with a massive amount of miles on it. You just don’t know whether it’s capable of taking a long trip that involves a lot of hard driving like the kind that Cotto will be forced to deal with against Foreman. This is a fight that Cotto would have excelled at years ago, but now, I just don’t know.

Cotto has taken too many punches and too many beatings in the last two years to the point where you can no longer predict what he’ll do in the ring. However, if Cotto beats Foreman impressively, then he’ll have gone a long ways towards revitalizing his career and will be in the running for some good money fights against Manny Pacquiao, Margarito, Mosley or maybe even Mayweather if he sticks around.