Miguel Cotto is looking to end his already successful boxing career on a high note and switching it up and teaming with Freddie Roach should enable him to do that in his final three fights.
Roach has a storied career himself and has a knack of bringing the best out of the fighters he trains. Coming off two-straight losses Cotto (37-4, 30 KOs) had to change something up and he did just about the best thing possible teaming up with the hall of fame trainer.
In his first loss of the two Cotto gave Floyd Mayweather Jr. a good fight, but despite leaving “Money” looking as bad post fight as he has in recent memory, he still lost via unanimous decision. In Cotto’s last outing he was out-boxed by Austin Trout and made it clear that changes were indeed needed.
Not to take anything away from Cotto in the Mayweather bout, but the reason he had more success against Money than Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is that Mayweather was less defensive-minded than against Cotto than he was versus Canelo.
Delvin Rodriguez (26-5-3, 14 KOs) is Cotto’s next matchup and although he is not a big name to the average boxing fan, he is a solid opponent.
Rodriguez’s last 10 bouts haven’t gone his way much, as he has a record of 4-4-2 and is in desperate need of a win. Beating Cotto would be the signature win of his career, but losing could put his career in jeopardy.
Even though Mayweather has only has a rematch with a fighter once in his career in Jose Luis Castillo, Cotto’s name has been popping up in conversations about who Mayweather should fight in his remaining four bouts on his Showtime contract.
With a solid showing against Rodriguez and a another win against a quality opponent such as newly crowned IBF champion Carlos Molina or even a rematch with Austin Trout, Cotto may just find himself ending his career against Mayweather making one last mega payday.
