Miguel Cotto will make his much-awaited return to the ring against Delvin Rodriguez in what could be a make-or-break fight for the fabled Puerto Rican boxing warrior on Saturday at the Amway Center in Orlando Florida.
Cotto, three-division world champion, will treat his showdown with unheralded but dangerous Rodriguez as a must win after sufferibg back-to-back setbacks at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout last year.
There's no secret that the Puerto Rican slugger is still looking to stay relevant in the light middleweight division. But for him to keep going, Cotto must avoid to take more punishments in his next fights.
Throughout his boxing career, Cotto has engaged in so many brutal fights. His bloody confrontation against Antonio Margarito, Manny Pacquiao Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and Paulie Malignaggi only suggested that Cotto has absorbed tremendous beating over 42 fights.
New Chapter of Cotto
In an effort to revive his boxing career, Cotto decided to split with his long time trainer Pedro Diaz in July and hire four-time Trainer of the Year winner Freddie Roach. Five years ago, Roach was in the opposite corner when he took a 12-round TKO loss at the hands of Manny Pacquiao.
Now, Cotto wants to learn from one of the best minds in boxing, so eager that he meticulously follows every tip to the letter.
"Freddie took the best from me and the best from him, that's what we did in training camp," Cotto said after Thursday's final news conference, according to ESPN. "I need a person who can see what I can't do inside the ring, people who can tell what I have to do in the most correct way. That was Freddie."
Roach, who will also in Pacquiao's corner when he makes his comeback fight against Brandon Rios, was also happy working out with his new prized fighter that he even called him one of the best students he ever had.
"Miguel is a great student," Roach told the press before Saturday's fight. "His work ethic is unbelievable. I am looking forward to Miguel fighting with us for the first time. His progress is great and his punching power is coming back to where it once was. Miguel has been one of the best students I have ever had," said Roach.
Live Stream Information & Fight Card
Fight Card: Miguel Cotto (37-4; 30 KOs) vs. Delvin Rodriguez (28-6-3; 16 KOs) - Super Welterweight (154 lbs)
Terence Crawford (21-0; 16 KOs) vs. Andrey Klimov (16-0; 8 KOs) - Lightweight (135 lbs)
Fight time: 9:45 p.m. ET / PT - (HBO)
HBO Pay-per-View will cover the Cotto vs. Rodriguez fight starting at 9:47 p.m EST at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. Blow-by-Blow commentary is available on @DanRafael ESPN. while free live streaming is available here.