Cotto turns down offers, decides to sit out for rest of year
WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto’s legal advisor, Gabriel Penagaricano, has confirmed that Cotto will sit out for the rest of 2010 after evaluating available opponents. Cotto was set to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in December but the fight
fell through.
Penagaricano said that Cotto had two offers on the table following the Chavez fight retracted by Top Rank. Top Rank, who promotes Cotto and Chavez, felt the battle between the two on December 4 was too close to the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito HBO pay-per-view
which will take place in mid-November.
In replacement Cotto was offered fights with Kermit Cintron and Vanes Martirosyan. After careful consideration, Cotto decided there wasn’t enough financial or other motivation to accept, and so determined to remain inactive until other fighters become available
in 2011.
Penagaricano also said Cotto’s decision was not affected by a recent right shoulder surgery.
"With the departure of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Miguel knew that the other potential candidates were not on the same scale. They did not meet Miguel's expectations and he understood that it was best to take the rest of the year off and then return at some
point during the first couple of months of 2011. Miguel would prefer to wait for an attractive fight. Unless there is a super-attractive fight, which we don't foresee at this time, then we don't see Miguel fighting until 2011."
Though Cotto has only two losses to his name, against Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao, many believe he has deteriorated significantly in recent years. There are even those who have claimed he should retire.
At the same time, the claim that there are no prospective opponents ‘worthy’ of Cotto comes off as dubious to many. Andre Berto, for instance, who has not defended his title since May 2009, appears a good match for Cotto. The bout would allow Cotto to
redeem himself for recent loses, and would undoubtedly by Berto’s most noteworthy fight.
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