Former three-division champion Miguel Cotto badly wanted a fight with middleweight beltholder Sergio Martinez so he could become the first Puerto Rican-born fighter to ever achieve four titles in four weight classes. Martinez has plans on impeding that goal, however, and his camp is predicting a knockout of the proud Boricua.
Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martinez set for June 7
Gabriel Sarmiento, Martinez's trainer, has no doubt about the outcome when these two proud champs square off. "We realize that issue of the injury, but we are confident that we'll arrive in the proper condition to fight," Sarmiento said. "Regardless, even if we're at 75 percent -- it's more than enough to knock Cotto out. Anyway, we know that we will be much better than that."
In addition to improving health, Martinez will enter the bout with fire in his belly because he thinks Cotto has big-timed him in the past as well as during the negotiations.
Sergio Martinez aiming to "punish" Miguel Cotto for disrespect
"I just want to get into the ring with Cotto so I can give him a beating," Martinez said. "All of the demands and hoops that they made my team go through to make this fight happen have shown me how he is arrogant and doesn't respect me and my accomplishments."
Cotto has denied Martinez's allegations of being rude to ESPN and their staff members, as well as accusations that Cotto refused to shake his hand. Martinez's adviser Sampson Lewkowicz said Martinez "will never forget that day" because Cotto "humiliated" him. "Now Cotto has a problem, this is very personal," Lewkowicz said.
Cotto is reportedly befuddled by that talk. "I've never had a falling out with him, that is not true," Cotto said. "We had no falling out of any kind. I would never do anything like that, I have always been a gentleman."
This bout is very important to both sides; should Martinez lose his days as a top flight draw may be over because of his age and repeated injuries. Cotto, if he were to lose convincingly would also suffer the same fate. If he wins, however, he will likely be in line for a megafight with Mexican star Canelo Alvarez.
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