His best win is a 4-loss Mosley and he can't throw a right hand. Cotto was a VERY GOOD fighter, but will never be an ATG.
He'll never be an ATG. He's not good enough. But he can definitely be a HOF and in fact, I see it happening. He has accumulated some good names on his resume. Oscar is not going to let Canelo fight Golovkin, so in the meantime, Canelo is going to feast on whoever is there at 154lbs, as well as maybe drain a couple of middleweights. He'll get points for longevity and consistency before being owned by Golovkin.
That's been known for ages, he's never been the best in any division he's fought in. He's a good fighter, consistent, gotten the most out of his talent and clearly world championship material but he's never been a truly a top level elite fighter.
Definitely not an ATG, he'll scr@pe his way into the hall of fame though. He's a bottom-tier HOFer. In his prime he found himself in a lot of draw-ish kind of fights against the better guys he fought, except for Pacquiao of course, where he got legitimately hammered, and Margarito, who prolly was loading his gloves. He'll find his way into the Hall.
Cotto is a very good fighter. One of the best of his era in the LWW-LMW division, but he certainly isn't an ATG. Saying that, no one ever accussed him of being one. As for his HOF credentials, he is a shoe in for it. Maybe even a first ballot. When you consider some of the people in the HOF it is easy to see him getting in. Also, he has some good wins on his resume. Yes, some like Mosley, Judah and Mayorga were post prime and Martinez knees were ruined, but the importance of this, whilst not being forgotten, does lessen over time. Add in the fact that he was extremely popular, participated in many good fights and he is the first PR to win a title in four weight classes, then i can see him getting inducted in his first year of eligibility.
He's a HOF on popularity rather than achievement and has had arguably the most successfully stage managed career of the past 20 years. Yes there have been people who are more protected/luckier to win titles but I can't think of anyone who gets so much of a pass as Cotto in people not seeing his career for the smoke and mirrors that it really was. Capable but nowhere near as great as most would have you believe.
Cotto has had great longevity considering all of the wars, beatdowns, and difficult moments he's had to endure, but he's never been truly great at any weight class he's fought. A really solid all-around fighter, but was never truly great. He'll be a hall of famer, though, but definitely far from being an all-time great. The fights he needed to win to warrant that title, he lost pretty decisively.
He is a HOFer but I wouldnt say he is an ATG. He just hasnt had that string of huge wins. Same reason I wouldnt put DLH in that category either.
Nearly all of the titles he won were vacant. His run at 140 is less than stellar, he then loses to Marg, Pac and Clottey at 147 - Mosley is also in with a case for a draw - then dethrones a disabled and fairly average Foreman at 154, loses to Mayweather before getting his ears boxed off by the decent but in no way amazing Trout. Then comes the MW reign you were talking about. Never truly the number one fighter in any division he's ever operated at. What's so impressive about this guy again?