Roach: Miguel Cotto Fought The Wrong Kind of Fighter

By Rick Reeno

Trainer Freddie Roach believes Miguel Cotto (37-4, 30KOs) fought the wrong style of fighter this past Saturday night at New York's Madison Square Garden. Cotto challenged WBA "regular" junior middleweight champion Austin Trout (26-0, 14KOs), who won a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision.

Roach had no issue with the lopsided scores of 117-111 [twice] and 119-109, stating "I scored it the same way." Two of the Cotto-Trout judges, Steve Weisfeld and Adalaide Byrd, are going to score this Saturday's fourth battle between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Roach still views Cotto as a force at the junior middleweight limit. He felt Trout was the wrong kind of fighter, and felt the Puerto Rican star should have faced a banger - like a James Kirkland.

"I think he fought the wrong style of fighter. He fought a slick boxer. He was better off fighting a banger, someone he could hit," Roach told BoxingScene.com.