By dominating Dominican fighter Delvin Rodriguez on October 5th, Miguel Cotto announced his return to the main table in boxing's hierarchy, and re-established himself as a pay-per-view headliner.
There's been a lot of buzz surrounding Cotto and his future after the stunning decimation of Rodriguez, including several elite fighters, but Cotto might have his heart set on one man--Floyd Mayweather Jr.
"Miguel told me that if he were in the shape that he's in right now he would have won that fight,' Freddie Roach, Cotto's new trainer said. 'So I'm sure he would definitely welcome a rematch."
Roach also responded to a question from HBO's Max Kellerman about Cotto's readiness to fight A-list competition by saying, "Line them up." Despite his preference for Mayweather, and the paycheck sure to come with it, all signs point to Floyd battling Amir Khan in his next fight, scheduled for May 2014.
Two other opponents to come up frequently with Cotto are Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, Mayweather's latest opponent, and middleweight champion Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez. Among those two, Martinez is the likelier bet for Cotto.
Martinez is locked into a contract with HBO, and while Cotto is a "free agent," he has close ties with Top Rank and promoter Todd duBoef. Also, fighting for Martinez's middleweight belt would allow Cotto an opportunity to win a title in his fourth weight class, making him the first Puerto Rican pugilist to attain that level of success.
"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 concurs. "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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