Miguel Cotto is known for being a stone faced iceman in most interviews or press appearances, but The Fight Game's Michelle Beadle managed to get a few smiles and even a chuckle or two out of the Puerto Rican superstar, as she sat down with him to discuss his career and his upcoming November 21 fight with Canelo Alvarez.
Speaking about Alvarez's youth, Cotto doesn't necessarily see it as an advantage for his rival, saying, "When I was his age, I believed I could beat the world. And I was wrong."
Cotto (40-4, 33 KO) has openly contemplated retirement, or at least an exit strategy, in the past, but right now he's just focused on what's going on and what could come next, as he clearly feels sort of reborn under the guidance of trainer Freddie Roach.
"I said before I want to retire before I turn 30. I'm 34 right now," Cotto told Beadle. "I don't know. All I need to do is compare myself with the MIguel from 2011, 2012, and the Miguel since Freddie, is the best Miguel I ever met."
Speaking with host Jim Lampley back in the studio, Beadle remarked that Cotto was most excited when he talked about his partnership with Roach.
"It's amazing to watch a man in the boxing world sort of come to life and just light up a little bit when he's saying, here I am, I've made a drastic change in how I do everything with Freddie Roach, and it's changed everything," Beadle said. "And this wasn't hyperbole. He really, truly believes that Freddie Roach has come into his life and changed the entire game for him."