Fight a decent C+ or B- Fighter to get your confidence back... Then there is only ONE NAME HE NEEDS TO FIGHT: ANTONIO MARGARITO...MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!
get an experienced trainer. in training, he should not be the Boss. and get a good quality sparring fighters while training. he should be okay.
hes a good fighter unfortunately for him he faced the best! so there is a chance for him to become better. hatton cotto/ JMM cotto
I think he needs to get a new trainer that has experience...Some1 that can tell him what he is doin wrong in training and in fights (I like the idea of Nazim or even maybe Stewart). Stay at 147 and maybe have 2 or 3 confidence builders before taking on a top 10 fighter again. At 29 he still has what it takes to be better.
His first move should be to take a small vacation and recuperate. The man has been in some wars and he needs to let his body heal. Second, he needs to get himself a real trainer, a world class trainer. It is obvious to everyone that Cotto trained himself for the fight with Pacquiao. Santiago was trainer only in name. His corner offered nothing to help Cotto. Not that it would have made a difference in the outcome, but I think if Cotto had the right trainer, the fight would not have been so lopsided in the later rounds. He needs a trainer that will help him patch up those defensive flaws and get him back to his "A" game level. I say the man to get Cotto back on track is Nacho Beristain (Emmanuel Stewart is also a good choice, but the spanish speaking Nacho would be a better choice as Cotto's first language is Spanish, not to mention Nacho is great at developing counterpunchers) Once he is healed and has the right trainer, he needs a fight to rebuild is confidence. I hear that Hatton may want to fight Cotto. I say Cotto fights Ricky Hatton. I see Cotto easily defeating Hatton. After Hatton, he could fight. After that, he could try to fight Isaac Hlatshwayo for the IBF welterweight strap, but the man he needs to fight after Hatton is Antonio Margarito. Cotto needs to put that nightmare to sleep once and for all. So, a short vacation, a new trainer, and wins over guys like Hatton and Margarito would put Cotto right in the mix again.
Cotto cannot beat Margo. I don't think that handwrapping-beat-me thing can still be an issue as Pac already confirmed that Miguel can be pressured and beaten. If Margarito can handle Cotto's power, then the latter will always be in trouble.
If he want's to retire with another beatdown, I say challenge an angry, Hungry Margarito. Worst case scenario for Cotto, IMO.
If i were Cotto id probably stay the hell away from Margarito. If the guy is a cheat, he will do whatever it takes to beat him again, if he isnt a cheat, he will still do whatever it takes in the ring to prove himself again. Cotto is mentally damaged from the first fight and he needs at least half a year off to heal and a new regime before he even thinks about coming back.
He needs six months off, with only roadwork to build his fitness, then a couple of fights against middling WW competition. He needs a trainer like Naazim Richardson or Nacho Berenstein, simply because they develop the specific abilities needed to beat the given opponent, and develop a game plan that will do the job. With either of those guys, he'd have been less likely to start slugging because they'd have told him: no easy knock-out, you're not going to over-power him or trade with him. Keep it simple, keep the exchanges short, then back off and make his chase you. He had the tactics spot on in the first four, then he got clipped and he came apart. He can still be a titlist against the majority of WWs out there. But he's not in the class of a Mayweather or Pacquiao.
I didn't say that. The point is, Margo is simply a bigger guy who can pressure and handle Cotto's power. He can always beat the Puerto Rican, cheating or not.
Arum already said a rematch with Margarito is in plans whether he wins or loses, that's what Margarito wants. Knowing Margarito he never cared to even mention any of the six guys that whopped his ass with plaster in his gloves yet he's all peanuts for glory to a group of worthless janitors. Did Margarito call out Pacquiao or what?, I thought they said Margarito will be in the crowd, maybe they didn't show him to avoid boos and spits though I know he has no morals and will be attending anyway hoping the smallest possible opponent available wins.
Was just about to ask the same question. For me i wouldn't be suprised if a fighter decided to retire after punishment like that. For his own health and for his families sake also. But it being Cotto i cannot see him retiring, he is a warrior. I for one would not like to see a fighter of Cotto's caliber retire. Also, fighting Hatton after that scrap could be a mistake, it would be another heavy, brutal war and i don't think he should go straight into another. A fighter with similar style to Malinaggi, would be a good test for him. Maybe get the technique back and confidence in his punch power. Could be a Learning step to work with a new trainer. But another war would not do him any favours.
Needs to fight a couple of B rated fighters to get hos confidence back and see where he stands and then, if that goes well, a rematch with Margo. He's been in some wars, and has take two hellacious beatings. I hope he's not now truly damaged goods.