By Mark Vester
Reports coming out of Puerto Rico have said that WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto is busting up his sparring partners in camp, preparing for the Las Vegas war on July 26 with Antonio Margarito.
Cotto is using three main sparring partners and leaving them battered and bruised by the end of the day. The three man group is comprised of Dionisio Miranda (19-2, 18KOs), who is a 6'1 middleweight puncher, then 6'0 junior middleweight Hicklet Lau (20-17, 9KOs), junior middleweight Jose Varela (23-3, 16KOs), a 6'1 junior middleweight. The physical dimensions of the group are preparing for the much larger Margarito.
"He is a strong boxer and he puts the places his punches very hard, especially to the liver area, where he likes to hit the most," said Miranda to El Nuevo Dia.
Lau, who helped Cotto prepare for the fight with Shane Mosley, says Cotto is now a much better boxer.
"He is now a much better boxer. He worked to improve his boxing style and his physical condition. He fights very well with the style and the pressure that we apply on him," lau says.
Evangelista Cotto, uncle and trainer of Miguel, has the sparring partners emulte the style and workrate of Margarito during sparring sessions. He tells the paper that Cott's sparring partners have helped him win the big fights in the past.
"What we are trying to do is to adapt to the style of Margarito and that has gone well. Now we must see what happenes in the fight," Evangelista said.
Miguel Cotto is prepared to bring back victory to Puerto Rico.
"There have been 32 opponents in 32 previous fights and in the end the winner has been Miguel Cotto. And that is going to continue," Cotto said. "I don't have any doubt that I will adjust to his style and get the win on July 26."
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