Roach: I’m Not Going to Change Miguel Cotto Too Much

by David P. Greisman

Numerous men have worked Miguel Cotto’s corner, the latest being Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

Cotto’s first fight with Roach will be on Oct. 5 against Delvin Rodriguez. With their first camp together underway, Roach says he’s looking to bring back much of what Cotto had been known for before.

“His progress is great. His punching power is coming back like it once was. And he’s one of the best students I’ve ever had,” Roach said on a Sept. 20 media conference call.

Cotto is coming off two consecutive losses, both in 2012, one to Floyd Mayweather and the other to Austin Trout.

“We talked about maybe why he lost that [Trout] fight is he wasn’t busy enough,” Roach said. “I want to bring back that busy-ness, the punches to the body, the bread and butter that got him to where he is today. I’m not going to change him too much. He’s a great fighter as he is.”

Roach spoke of what worked well for Cotto in the past, including body work and incorporating his left hook into combinations to the body and head. He also noted that Cotto had a habit of getting lazy with his punches sometimes.

“We’re working on a lot of new moves also, and it’s working out really well,” Roach said. “His work ethic is unbelievable. I didn’t know there was a guy out there who works as hard as Manny Pacquiao, but I found a double.”

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