By Miguel Rivera
Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez, who was a world champion at featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight and super lightweight, said he is ready, willing and able to return to the ring to fight Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico - if Cotto agrees to come down to welterweight.
And Marquez wants the fight to take place in a neutral location - ruling out any possibility of fighting Cotto in New York City.
Marquez, 43 years old, has not fought since May 17, 2014, when he defeated former champion Mike Alvarado by unanimous decision.
Since last year, Marquez has expressed his willingness to fight Cotto, the first Puerto Rican fighter to win world titles in four different weight classes.
"If Cotto is willing to go down to 147 pounds, I'm ready to fight, but if not, then we're not going to do the fight," Marquez said.
Márquez ruled out the idea of the fight taking place in the Madison Square Garden of New York.
"For me it would be like going to Cotto's house and the best place to have that fight would be in a neutral place," Marquez explained.
"We do not want to disappoint anyone. If I lose or win (with Cotto), it would be against a great fighter... it would be a good, competitive and close fight."
Cotto has also been fighting an ongoing stint of inactivity. He's been out of the ring since November of 2015 in Las Vegas, where he lost a twelve round decision to Saul "Canelo" Alvarez at 155-pounds. He was scheduled to fight again on February 25 in Texas, against junior middleweight contender James Kirkland, but the entire event fell apart when Kirkland withdrew with a fractured nose only two weeks before the fight.
Going to the welterweight limit would be tough and not likely for Cotto. He last fought at the welterweight limit in 2009.
Márquez has a record with 56 wins, 40 before the limit, seven defeats and a draw. Cotto, 36 years old, has won 40 times, 33 inside the distance, and only suffered five defeats.
