by Chris Cella
Former champion Miguel “Angel” Cotto (37-3, 30 KO) has shown throughout his career that he is a class act inside and out of the ring, never one for trash talking to build up the hype of a fight or to bring his opponent down, but rather a humble boxer who is all about training hard and going in there to do what he has to do to be victorious.
Next Saturday, December 1, at Madison Square Garden, when Cotto goes to battle with Austin “No Doubt” Trout (25-0, 14 KO) for the WBA world light middleweight title, he will have the same stoic demeanor on his face as he always does when he steps between the ropes, looking to recapture his champion status.
“Trout has been a world champion and he deserves his recognition,” said Cotto.
“I know why I accepted this challenge. All fights are different and every fighter is different, but I’m training hard like always and I’m ready to show that to everyone on December 1.”
Through his 40-fight career, Cotto has fought wars with some of the best in the game, including Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosely and Zab Judah, to name just a few.
Cotto has dominated as a light welterweight, welterweight and light middleweight, winning and defending his titles countless times, and with a win over Trout he can not only further solidify his place in boxing history, but also add another piece of hardware to his already extensive collection.
Despite coming into this match the challenger, Cotto will go to work in front of tens of thousands of adoring fans who come out to support their fighter each time he fights at the Garden. In his seven fights within the grand arena known as “the Mecca of boxing,” Cotto has never been beaten, and has emerged from the ring a champion each time.
In preparing for the bout against the undefeated champion, Cotto has worked diligently with trainer Pedro Diaz and his team to be ready for whatever they face next Saturday night.
“Training in Big Bear was great and we accomplished all the goals that Pedro had for us,” said Cotto.
“Everything so far is going just as he planned. I’m feeling great. Pedro has been a great addition to my career and for our team. Everyone saw the results with my fights against Margarito and Mayweather. Now, we’ll see how I perform against Trout.”
At 32-years-old, Cotto seems to get progressively better each fight, and despite losing in his outing against Mayweather Jr., he gave the undefeated star one of the toughest fights of his career.
Cotto’s ability to adapt inside the ring and execute his fight plan is a major reason for his ongoing success and progression as a prize fighter, and the assortment of tools he has in his arsenal will certainly present a hard test for the belt holder Trout.
The battle for the WBA world light middleweight championship will be televised live next Saturday, December 1 on Showtime.