By Edri K. Aznar
AFTER Miguel Cotto suffered his first defeat at the hands of Mexican banger Antonio Margarito, a lot of people believed that he was never the same fighter he once was.
However, Cotto believes that 11th round stoppage by Margarito last year has not haunted him and that he has moved on from that devastating loss.
“That fight (with Margarito) is in the past.. I don’t think about it and this is the new chapter of my career. I don’t think about it at all,” said Cotto in a report posted at boxingscene.com.
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Cotto’s face was bloodied in that fight after enduring the brutal blows from the heavy-handed Margarito.
However, Margarito was discovered to have used illegal hand wraps in his next bout, a loss to Sugar Shane Mosley, and that raised questions whether his victory against Cotto was aided by something similar.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, has been waging a war of words with Cotto’s camp and he has consistently said the 29-year-old Puerto Rican boxing icon will be knocked out by the pound-for-pound king in their mega-fight this Sunday (RP time).
However, Cotto is unfazed by Roach’s predictions and is confident of a win over the 30-year-old Gen. Santos native.
“On the night of the fight, it’s going to be the two of us and the referee. Nobody can come in and help Pacquiao beat me. We can only rely on our mental state and our preparation. Ultimately, that will define the fight,” said Cotto, who will be defending his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown.
Roach has also criticizing Cotto’s corner, especially young trainer Joe Santiago, for their lack of experience.
Roach feels that it will be instrumental on the outcome of the battle.
“We all have the opportunity to grow. I’m not the same fighter that I was when I first started the sport. I trust Joe Santiago and my whole team. We’ll see after the fight, when we win, what Pacquiao’s team will say about my corner,” said Cotto.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on November 13, 2009.
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