Miguel Cotto (Photo : Reuters)
After pummeling Australian Daniel Geale with a fourth round TKO victory in his middleweight title defense on Saturday, Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) green-lighted the match with Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) by telling HBO's in-ring announcer Max Kellerman "let's do it," in response to whether he is ready to face the Mexican or not.
"Before that, I want to spend some time with my family and enjoy them again, but then it's back to L.A. and training for Canelo," the 34-year-old brawler quickly added sheepishly.
Throughout the interview, Cotto praised his new coach, Freddie Roach, who he said was the reason why his recent career resurrection became possible.
ESPN's Dan Rafael pointed out that Cotto didn't lose a step after resting for almost a year since knocking out pound-for-pound elite fighter Sergio Martinez in June 2014 to capture the middleweight belts.
After two straight disheartening losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout in 2012, many boxing pundits were projecting that the end has come for the illustrious career of arguably the best Puerto Rican boxer of all time. Bleacher Report's Jeremy Herriges even wrote that "Cotto should retire" after the beat down from Trout.
But Cotto won't have any of that.
The 14-year veteran of 44 fights had managed to string together three consecutive victories since then, all via notable fashion, to revive his reputation once more. After Saturday's win, Cotto's name is once again included in the same conversation with the likes of Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, and fast-rising and heavy-hitting puncher Gennady Golovkin.
However, the four-division champion's focus is now on Alvarez.
Canelo himself is coming off an impressive knockout win over American James Kirkland early last month. With both fighters tune-up bouts shelved, there is nowhere to go now but to face each other in the ring.
