The Panel pick their magical Miguel Cotto moments as he fights for the final time
Sunday 3 December 2017 08:27, UK
Miguel Cotto is about to step into the ring for the final time in one of the most memorable careers of our era.
The four-weight world champion and future Hall of Famer will bid farewell at his spiritual home, Madison Square Garden, New York on Saturday.
Cotto (41-5-KO33) is expected to defend his WBO light-middleweight title against Sadam Ali, who can join a stellar list of the Puerto Rican's opponents, that included Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Saul Alvarez, Sergio Martinez, Ricardo Mayorga, Shane Mosley, Paulie Malignaggi and, of course, Antonio Margarito.
On Saturday, I will be the same Miguel you have watched for the last 16 years. I am going to be a warrior and do my best for the benefit of my family, as always."
So we asked The Panel to pick out the one abiding memory of Cotto's rollercoaster ride and you can join in, by getting involved in the debate at the bottom of the article...
Kell Brook
Miguel Cotto is a serious warrior. He has entertained us for years and I would have loved to have shared the ring with him.
There has been that many, it would be hard to pick one out. He comes to fight, he's a warrior and he comes to entertain. To be honest, I could not filter one out and pick one.
Jamie Moore
The overriding memory is Cotto's rematch with Margarito. He boxed superbly, slowly beat and bashed him up, really taught him a lesson and I will always remember him standing in the middle of the ring with his hands in the air and a look on his face that just said: 'They're you go mate, that's what happens when it was all fair and square'.
I imagine at first Cotto was a bit bitter and didn't even want to give him another chance to make money out of him, but that competitiveness came through and he took the rematch.
David Coldwell
I was devastated when he got beaten the first time around and then obviously it came to light what Margarito was about, with the loaded gloves and everything when he fought Shane Mosley.
When they had the rematch, you knew what it meant to Cotto in those build-up shows for that fight. That look on his face when he got the win, it was just brilliant.
Carl Froch
The first one against Margarito showed what a hard, hard man Cotto is. Whatever was in those gloves, for him to get to the 11th round before taking a knee, was something plenty of fighters wouldn't have got close to.
As a youngster, his technical ability and his movement were so fluid, he was so relaxed and was a pleasure to watch. As he got older he just toughed it out and he showed that against Margarito - and in the rematch. Cotto was my kind of fighter.
Tony Bellew
I've got so many. I've idolised Miguel Cotto over the years. He's just an amazing fighter. There are many fights that I can draw upon.
The Antonio Margarito rematch was brilliant, but the Ricardo Torres fight sticks in my mind. The way Cotto got off the floor, I think it was two or three times, to score that fantastic knockout victory. Cotto is someone that all boxers should look up to.
Johnny Nelson
His performance against Martinez was vintage. I am sure plenty of people would pick the Margarito ones but this was Cotto at his best. Martinez was a class, smooth boxer who had emerged as the middleweight No 1.
It was always going to be style against style, yet Cotto rolled back the years and not only beat him in every department, he controlled him.
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