Miguel Cotto plans to retire after two more fights
by Scott Christ on Dec 3, 2009 3:33 AM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
28 comments
Reaffirming his long-held desire to retire from boxing by the age of 30, Miguel Cotto told Primera Hora that the plans aren't changing, and that he expects to fight twice in 2010 and then hang up his gloves.
Cotto (34-2, 27 KO) turns 30 in October 2010.
"That's ten months, so one, maybe two fights, and I'll retire completely from boxing."
He's also got a couple of opponents in mind. Former lightweight champion and current shot welterweight Jose Luis Castillo's name came up again, and Cotto said he was open to fighting him upon his return, which is likely to be in June, and will probably wind up being on the weekend of the Puerto Rican Day Parade, a weekend he usually fights in New York. This year, it might even be possible to team Cotto-Castillo, for instance, with Top Rank's big idea at featherweight, a could-be-classic scrap between Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa.
Cotto's also open to the idea of going up to 154 pounds to challenge Yuri Foreman for the WBA title. Foreman dominated Cotto's fellow Puerto Rican, Daniel Santos, on the Cotto-Pacquiao undercard. Were Cotto to win a title at 154, it would give him major titles in three weight classes. He would really be quite small for the weight class. Against Foreman, for instance, he'd be giving up four inches of height and five inches of reach.
I don't know what it is, but Cotto's the rare sort that I think might be totally serious about early retirement, and possibly even staying away for good and never returning for more cracks at glory the way Felix Trinidad has done. Cotto's never been a boisterous sort, never seemed terribly concerned with his legacy or the perception of himself among the boxing media or public.
And I don't mean to question Cotto's dedication or passion or anything like that -- quite the opposite, really, I'm a huge Cotto fan. But there was a quote from the great Marvin Hagler where Hagler said, "If they cut my bald head open, they'll find one big boxing glove. That's all I am. I live it." Cotto doesn't seem to be a guy like that, at least on the surface. For a guy who could be so vicious and coolly calculated in the ring, he's always come off as someone who has the mindset of having a job to do, so he does it, rather than a guy who has to fight because that's all he can do, or all he wants to do. That's total armchair psychology and probably amounts to little more than a hill of beans in this crazy world. Just how I've always taken Cotto's general demeanor.
Anyway, I hope he comes back really strong and stays a while longer than he plans to, because I love watching him fight, and he's the sort of fighter you miss when he's gone.
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He’s one of my favourite fighters to watch after Pacquaio and PWill I’ll be sad to see him retire if he does go through with this(which I am hoping and thinking he will not).
I think first he needs to work out how much of a draw he is after the Pac fight and then pursue some good fights. He’s a great fighter and I can only think of a handful of fighters that could beat him.
If he plans to only fight two more times I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a Margarito rematch and a PWill showdown. Shane Mosley could also be bought into the equation though I think that fight would end in the same way.
I'm not surprised
I knew this was going to happen. It’s a mental set back that was sustained after that Margarito fight. Cotto is shelled shocked and he knows it but I respect him for at least accepting that problem. Unlike other fighters that know that they can’t perform at a high level anymore but yet in still continue to fight…ie. Roy Jones Jr.. 1st round TKO, that crazy.
What he will do know is probably go hard at his boxing promotion company and work behind the scene. Knowing when to get out is actually most fighters problem, I respect Cotto for that. One thing Mayweather said before he took a break and retired was that " I will retire boxing “FIRST” before it “RETIRES” me.
To be fair Cotto has said he want so to retire aged 30 since before the Margarito fight.
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Dec 3, 2009 12:00 PM EST up reply actions
Hagler had other options
He was a huge celebrity in his adopted home country of Italy, and was able to become an actor there. And it’s not like Hagler really retired because he wanted to. He became disenchanted when he couldn’t get big fights, and then was robbed against Leonard.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I’ve always had the same impression of Cotto having the “mindset of having a job to do” (and, contra HB, he has exhibited that same mindset his entire career, both before and after Margarito). It really does say something about him that he has always been one of the most determined fighters in the sport, even while motivated more by duty than by passion. I think Jim Lampley would say that’s the sign of a “high character” kind of guy.
Actually, Hagler is kinda like Cotto
In a sense that he was disciplined enough to stay retired and retired before something bad happens to him, you know… =)
Hagler also once said a lot of what drove him was his perceived lack of respect from the media. I think Marvin did his thing, proved himself, and then said, “That’s enough.”
Bad Left Hook
"If bulls**t was poetry, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini's name would be Shakespeare." -- Dennis Rappaport
by Scott Christ on Dec 3, 2009 12:34 PM EST up reply actions
I get it
float Yuri’s name so you can coast off of his massive popularity. Cotto seems to care about his long term health, so I doubt we’ll see him in the ring with the Krusher anytime soon.
I don't know what these small men like Manny and Cotto are thinking
when then utter Yuri’s name as a potential opponent. Do they not love their families?
by The Boxer Rebellion on Dec 3, 2009 12:48 PM EST up reply actions
I'd favor Foreman pretty heavily there
on that whole ‘styles make fights’ basis. He’ll struggle when he meets someone who’s good at fighting on the inside and can bring effective pressure, but I actually think he can outbox most boxers.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Also he hits like David Haye.
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Dec 3, 2009 4:10 PM EST up reply actions
Seriously though I do agree with Yuri being damn good at outboxing boxers in most potential matchups.
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Dec 3, 2009 4:11 PM EST up reply actions
Do they not love their families?
That put a huge smile on my face. Thanks.
by black dragon on Dec 4, 2009 10:06 AM EST up reply actions
You know, I think Cotto might have it in him to become a pretty good trainer someday. We don’t think of him as being a good communicator, but that’s in English. He has a lot of traits that would be good for a trainer.
1. Calm and unflappable, immune to mind games
2. Strong technical background (went to the Olympics)
3. Orthodox, but also knows how to fight in more than one style
4. Has demonstrated an ability to make mid-fight adjustments
5. Personable, but at the same time, doesn’t take crap from anyone
Plus he already pretty much trains himself
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I was thinking the same thing actually. As young as he still is it’s hard for me to picture him in the corner already, but that could be something he’s very well suited for.
Bad Left Hook
"If bulls**t was poetry, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini's name would be Shakespeare." -- Dennis Rappaport
How about now? Why take the risk?
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 3, 2009 12:39 PM EST reply actions
Say Manny-PBF gets made
and Mosley beats Berto. Cotto-Mosley 2?
by The Boxer Rebellion on Dec 3, 2009 12:51 PM EST reply actions
Maybe. I’m sure Shane would like to avenge the loss. Cotto-Clottey II since both work for Top Rank. But it sounds like they’re talking bounce-back opponent (likely Castillo from what we’ve heard so far) and then a challenge. If he’s reinstated, Arum will try for Antonio Margarito, but it won’t happen.
Bad Left Hook
"If bulls**t was poetry, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini's name would be Shakespeare." -- Dennis Rappaport
I know he doesn't want to fight him again
for a lot of very legitimate reasons, but boy, nothing would be a more fitting end to Cotto’s career than to put Margarito on his ass.
by The Boxer Rebellion on Dec 3, 2009 1:59 PM EST up reply actions
I expect that he’ll stick to his word and won’t fight Margarito, but if he could get a very favorable split and feels confident that he could KO a non-cheating Margarito I’d like to see him go for it.
Cotto-Margarito was the fight that made me a boxing fan, I came out of it a huge Cotto fan and I’d like to see him avenge the loss.
I think he would tear Margarito to shreds in a rematch.
Doug Fischer wrote in his most recent mailbag that in his training camp for the Mosley fight, Margarito got beaten up by his sparring partners consistently. It seems that Cotto may have damaged Margarito in their first fight even more than Margarito damaged Cotto.
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