By Mark Vester
When WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto arrived in Las Vegas, he was hit with a lot of questions regarding his loss to Antonio Margarito in July 2008. Cotto says the loss to Margarito is in the past. He doesn't even think about it. He views Saturday's fight with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao as a new chapter in his career.
"That fight [with Margarito] is in the past. I don't think about it and this is a new chapter in my career. I don't think about it all," said Cotto to Primera Hora.
Cotto knows a lot of the media is counting him out. He doesn't care about the opinions of others. He plans to come to the ring to take care of business. He is still not impressed by Pacquiao's big wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.
"On the night of the fight, it's only going to be the two of us and the referee. Nobody can come in and help Pacquiao beat me. We can only rely on our mental state and our preparation. Ultimately, that will define the fight," Cotto said.
"If you really start thinking about all of those years that passed since De La Hoya had previously made 147-pounds, I think it was six or seven years. The hardest part of his training camp was losing the weight and he felt weak by the time of the fight. That's why Manny looked so good."
Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has been critical of Cotto's young trainer, Joe Santiago. The Puerto Rican star sees no issues with his team.
"We all have the opportunity to grow. I'm not the same fighter that I was when I first started in this sport. I trust Joe Santiago and my whole team. We'll see after the fight, when we win, what Pacquiao's team will say about my corner," Cotto said.
Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingvester@gmail.com
