By Mark Vester

The pride of Puerto Rico, Miguel Cotto, says that Antonio Margarito will need to be at his best to beat former three-division champion Shane Mosley on January 24 at the Staples Center in California. When asked for his opinion on the fight, Cotto told Jose "OnFire" Aguirre of BoxingScene.com that unless Margarito is at his best, Mosley will win the fight. Cotto won a close decision over Mosley in 2007 and was stopped by Margairto in eleven rounds last July.

"I don't know, both guys are tough boxers. If Margarito doesn't come in the same shape that he was in for my fight, he will probably lose this fight. Shane is a good boxer," Cotto said.

Cotto said the loss to Margarito hurt him at first, but he got over it after a few days. He admits that Margarito was the better man that night, and he wants to prove himself in the ring on February 21 in New York's Madison Square Garden.

"I felt a little sad because of the loss. I never had this kind of experience since I turned professional. Two or three days after the fight, I understood that he made a good fight, came in good shape for the fight and I felt comfortable with the way I lost. It was his night. He was better than me that night. After the fifth or sixth round, my legs didn't respond to me. I tried [to hit his body] but he prepared well to not receive any body punches. I don't think I lost anything in that fight. I feel great and you will see what Miguel Cotto can do," Cotto said.

When he returns, Cotto will face Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO welterweight title. He knows the boxing public views Jennings as a soft opponent, but he expects an opponent who is coming to win.

"People said the same thing about [Alfonso] Gomez. He came to bring a good fight. He came to win. He didn't come to take a loss. He came to try to win and I know Jennings will come and try to win in the same way. I've been a world champion for the last four years and it's great for my career to come back in a title shot. I just want to prove that I'm still one of the best boxers in the world," Cotto said.

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