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Hall of Fame trainer, Manny Steward, said that he plans to be with Miguel Cotto "for at least his next four fights" -- this, after having worked for the first time with Puerto Rican star for his June 5, ninth-round knockout that dethroned WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion, Yuri Foreman, at the new Yankee Stadium.
"Miguel told me to sign up for the next four fight with him," said Steward, "and that he would run them by me, so that I could pick them."
Fighting in his highest weight class ever, the 29-year-old Cotto earned $2 million to Foreman's $750,000, this after delivering a left to the body 42 seconds into the ninth round that crumpled Foreman to the canvas.
There, Foreman, of Brooklyn, remained, as referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stepped in to wave an end to the action.
In victory, Cotto earned the WBA junior middleweight crown to become the sixth Puerto Rican fighter to win a fourth title over the course of three weight classes.
Cotto never bled from his left eye, as he did, profusely, during three of his previous four bouts -- a July, 2008, 11th-round knockout loss to Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs), June's 12-round, split-decision victory over Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KOs), and November's 12th-round knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs)-- all of which occurred as a welterweight (147 pounds).
There was no adversity in Cotto's corner, despite his working with the third trainer of his past five bouts in Steward. And there was no sense of mourning during this, Cotto's first bout without his father and advisor, Miguel Sr., who died in January.
"We had a good comraderie and a good relationship. Our whole thing was like having one, big salza party. That's what the entire training camp was about," said Steward. "And afterward, we went back to the hotel and we were doing the salza in the hotel. Lots of people. The whole team."
Steward has in mind the men he would have Cotto fight next.
"If I could select his next three or four opponents, they would maybe be Manny Pacquiao, Antonio Margarito and then, maybe the winner of the fight between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and John Duddy," said Steward, referring to
Chavez (40-0-1, 30 KOs) and Duddy (29-1, 18 KOs), who will meet in a nontitle, middleweight (160 pounds) bout at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Tex.
"But let me make this clear: I'm not choosing the opponents. Miguel might have a different idea, but I would like to see him fight those guys. I think his confidence would be a big difference in rematches against Pacquiao and Margarito," said Steward.
"It would be picking up where we left off with this new style, which is really his old style of the way that he used to fight," said Stewawrd. "Throwing combinations and doing what he used to do -- dancing and throwing punches and moving. It would be just going back to what he used to do."
"Miguel told me to sign up for the next four fight with him," said Steward, "and that he would run them by me, so that I could pick them."
Fighting in his highest weight class ever, the 29-year-old Cotto earned $2 million to Foreman's $750,000, this after delivering a left to the body 42 seconds into the ninth round that crumpled Foreman to the canvas.
There, Foreman, of Brooklyn, remained, as referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stepped in to wave an end to the action.
In victory, Cotto earned the WBA junior middleweight crown to become the sixth Puerto Rican fighter to win a fourth title over the course of three weight classes.
Cotto never bled from his left eye, as he did, profusely, during three of his previous four bouts -- a July, 2008, 11th-round knockout loss to Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs), June's 12-round, split-decision victory over Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KOs), and November's 12th-round knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs)-- all of which occurred as a welterweight (147 pounds).
There was no adversity in Cotto's corner, despite his working with the third trainer of his past five bouts in Steward. And there was no sense of mourning during this, Cotto's first bout without his father and advisor, Miguel Sr., who died in January.
"We had a good comraderie and a good relationship. Our whole thing was like having one, big salza party. That's what the entire training camp was about," said Steward. "And afterward, we went back to the hotel and we were doing the salza in the hotel. Lots of people. The whole team."
Steward has in mind the men he would have Cotto fight next.
"If I could select his next three or four opponents, they would maybe be Manny Pacquiao, Antonio Margarito and then, maybe the winner of the fight between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and John Duddy," said Steward, referring to
Chavez (40-0-1, 30 KOs) and Duddy (29-1, 18 KOs), who will meet in a nontitle, middleweight (160 pounds) bout at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Tex.
"But let me make this clear: I'm not choosing the opponents. Miguel might have a different idea, but I would like to see him fight those guys. I think his confidence would be a big difference in rematches against Pacquiao and Margarito," said Steward.
"It would be picking up where we left off with this new style, which is really his old style of the way that he used to fight," said Stewawrd. "Throwing combinations and doing what he used to do -- dancing and throwing punches and moving. It would be just going back to what he used to do."
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