| The perfect career-ending scenario for Miguel Cotto would be to avenge losses to Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao, and then to retire, says Manny Steward. WBA junior middleweight titleholder Miguel Cotto will take part in "two more big super fights and that's about it," the Puerto Rican beltholder's trainer, Manny Steward, told RingTV.com. "Cotto's going to fight Antonio Margarito and then a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, or maybe a fight with [WBC counter part] Saul Alvarez," said Steward, who will be working his third fight against Margarito. "Like I said, two or three fights. We've discussed it all, and those sorts of big super fights are all he wants." The 30-year-old Cotto (36-2, 29 knockouts) will seek revenge against Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs) of Mexico at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Dec. 3. Margarito handed Cotto the first loss of his pro career, dethroning him as WBA welterweight titlist with an 11th-round round knockout in July of 2008. Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) of the Philippines dethroned Cotto as WBO welterweight beltholder by 12th-round knockout in November of 2009. "The fight with Margarito is going to get him a million dollar purse, " said Steward. "And if he knocks out Margarito and redeems himself, it would be a good fight for him to get with Pacquiao again." Steward also likes the rivalry of Cotto against the 21-year-old Alvarez. A budding Mexican star, Alvarez will pursue his 34th straight win and his 12th knockout of past 14 bouts against Alfonso Gomez on the under card of a main event featuring WBC welterweight titlist Victor Ortiz against unbeaten Floyd Mayweather on Sept. 17. "Margarito and Pacquiao are both with [Top Rank Inc. CEO] Bob Arum, so those should be easy fights to make," said Steward. "And since those are the only two guys who have beaten Miguel, that would be the perfect scenario for him to go out on." Cotto's career includes having vanquished former titleholders Zab Judah and Shane Mosley, respectively, by 11th-round knockout and 12-round unanimous decision in June and November of 2007. In his debut with Steward, Cotto rose to junior middleweight for the first time in his career and dethroned Yuri Foreman by ninth-round knockout in the first-ever fight at the new Yankee Stadium in June of 2010. The win over Foreman answered some doubts from the critics of Cotto, among them, how much the three-time titlist had in the tank after having absorbed damage in the loss to Margarito, the split-decision win over Joshua Clottey in June 2009, and the loss to Pacquiao. Cotto is coming off of a 12th-round stoppage of ex-titlist Ricardo Mayorga, which was accomplished in March |
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