Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
This past Saturday, June 7, 2014, Miguel Cotto made history by stunningly defeating former Middleweight kingpin Sergio Martinez in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden.
Now as the lineal champion of the Middleweight division, Cotto has many great options ahead of him as he is technically a free agent and it seems Golden Boy and Top Rank should get along swimmingly with the departure of Richard Schaefer as CEO of GBP.
Here are the top three fights that not only make dollars and sense, but will further what is now a legendary career for Cotto.
Leave a comment and let us know who you think Cotto should face next!
Gennady Golovkin
Photo by Sumio Yamada
Yes, the boogeyman of the Middleweight division. Gennady Golovkin is a showcase HBO fighter, he is also a champion in the division and he is declared by many as the king at Middleweight.
Unfortunately for Golovkin, as well known as he is to hardcore boxing fans and people in Europe, he does not cross that popularity over to the casual side of the fans in the United States.
If Cotto would take this fight and actually win, it would leave no doubt that he is the best Puerto Rican fighter ever to come from the island.
Canelo Alvarez
Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
Wilfredo Gomez vs. Carlos Zarate, Jorge Arce vs. Wilfredo Vasquez Jr., Salvador Sanchez vs. Wilfredo Gomez, the list could go on and on. The biggest and best rivalry in boxing is undoubtedly between Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Not only is it a very interesting matchup if Canelo Alvarez can get past Erislandy Lara on July 12, but also a huge money maker if it were to go down.
For Miguel Cotto, a fight against Canelo is easily a pay-per-view worthy fight. Canelo could move up from the 154 pound division as it seems he can hardly make that weight comfortably anymore.
Cotto vs. Alvarez would be a big night of boxing with two of its biggest stars matching up in a championship fight with a deep-rooted rivalry.
It cannot get better than that, unless…
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Photo by Will Hart/HBO
The only fight that would be bigger than Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez would be a rematch with the cash king of boxing, Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
Yes, Mayweather won a close unanimous decision over Cotto in 2012 for Junior Middleweight supremacy. Yes, Mayweather beat him convincingly.
But is this the same Cotto that fought Mayweather the first time?
An even better question, is it still the same Mayweather?
Some might argue that the Marcos Maidana fight took a lot out of Floyd and that he won’t come back the same. And some say Cotto has improved leaps and bounds with Freddie Roach in his corner.
I say, this fight would do big numbers in pay-per-view sales which is something Showtime and CBS definitely want after Mayweather’s lackluster numbers—not including his fight against Canelo.
This fight would pit two of boxing’s biggest stars—not named Manny Pacquiao—fighting against each other for the Middleweight title.
One caveat many people will argue is that 160 pounds will be too much for Mayweather.
If it does go down, it will be interesting to see Roach training a fighter against Mayweather once again, something he hasn’t done since Oscar De La Hoya’s split decision loss to “Money.”
