By Mark Vester
The most well known veteran trainers in Puerto Rico saw no real changes in Miguel Cotto as they watched him stop Yuri Foreman last Saturday to win the WBA junior middleweight title in Yankee Stadium. There has been some hype that Cotto is a "new" Cotto because of his new trainer Emanuel Steward. Veteran trainers in Cotto's country do not agree.
The trainers saw Cotto looking a lot better than in some of his recent fights, but still looking like the same fighter.
"I saw no change. What I could see is that he had a more effective jab, but other than that he was the same old fighter," said José "Che Che" Sánchez, coach of the junior flyweight champion Iván Calderon, to Primera Hora.
José Bonilla, trainer of Carlos Quintana and others, saw Cotto in the same light as Sanchez.
"Honestly, I did not see anything new or a different fighter. The thing is, Cotto is a complete boxer and the best evidence is this is the things that he's accomplished and the level that he's achieved," explained Bonilla. "During your road as a professional, you can lose a few things, and maybe by working with Steward he can recover those things."
Felix Trinidad Sr., father and trainer of Felix "Tito" Trinidad, told Primera Hora that he saw the fight as a good clash of styles for Cotto, but the same fighter was in the ring.
"It is a question of styles, because perhaps in another fight, with another type of opponent, the jab was would not function as well," Trinidad said. "In general, I saw the same old Cotto. Emanuel Steward prepared him well for this fight. I believe that helped with his concentration to execute the fight plan."
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