Many boxing fans and pundits believed Miguel Cotto would never be the same following thrashings by Antonio Margarito in 2008 and Manny Pacquiao in 2009. Those critics sounded off again after Cotto dropped back-to-back bouts to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout.
Very few are touting Cotto's demise now, though, after his shellacking of overmatched Delvin Rodriguez Saturday night in Orlando, Florida.
Cotto returned to vintage form, raking Rodriguez with hooks to the body before slamming the door on his night with a powerful left hook to the head that forced the referee to end the carnage. Cotto's new trainer, Freddie Roach, said "Line them up," when asked whether Cotto was ready to face top-flight competition again.
"It was a great performance," Roach said. "Body shots broke him down and head shots finished him. Line 'em up. Cotto is ready to fight anyone."
Cotto is back with promoter Todd duBoef, and there are serious talks of him challenging Sergio Martinez for the middleweight title.
"We discussed this from the beginning when he decided to come back -- that we'd figure it out and make it work," duBoef said. "We have a relationship that is more than business. I think we're a really good combination. Look what he did tonight."
Cotto appears amped for the opportunity to face off with Martinez. "To be the first Puerto Rican to win titles in four weight divisions would be very tempting to me," Cotto said. "I have to talk to my team, but going for a middleweight championship would be [a goal]."
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum spoke positively about the possibility, so it appears all systems might be a go for Cotto to chase history.
"I think that fight would be a natural progression," Arum said. "That should be a goal to fight for the middleweight championship. It would be a great accomplishment and it would mean loads of money for him, the opponent."
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