By Johnny Barreto: For months, all I heard by these so call boxing writers was that Miguel Cotto was done as a boxer. Supposedly, Yuri Foreman was too big, too fast, too strong and slick for an old, shot and shopworn Miguel Cotto. Not only did they throw Cotto under the bus but they dared to question the heart of this true warrior. Well, Saturday was a day of vindication not only for Miguel Cotto but to all of his boxing fans too.

Foreman knew he was in a real fight once Cotto landed his first stiff jab. Yuri immediately got on his bike and the chase was on. Cotto kept pursuing Foreman all night long and systematically break him down until his knee gave up. Cotto, with the guidance of the Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward, was able to show great foot movement, mental focus and cut the ring like a samurai through the whole fight.

Despite all the wars and tribulations Cotto has gone through recently inside and outside the ring, the man deserves a lot of credit for his great performance at Yankee stadium. Yes, Foreman also deserves credit for his gutsy performance despite his knee injury. Foreman did show heart in the heat of the battle and we boxing fans will respect him for that. But we cannot deny the fact that Cotto was just the better men that night. To all of Cotto’s critics, never under estimate the heart of a true champion. This one is for you. He is back!