Fibroso
06-04-2010, 01:26 PM
Cotto finds spirit despite tragedy
By GEORGE WILLIS NYPost
Last Updated: 10:25 AM, June 2, 2010
Posted: 1:52 AM, June 2, 2010
It seems to be business as usual for Miguel Cotto -- another big fight in New York City, another title on the line.
But there will be something different when the popular Puerto Rican steps into the ring against WBA junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman Saturday night at Yankee Stadium. It will be his first fight without his father Miguel Cotto Sr. in the building.
The patriarch of the Cotto family died on Jan. 3 from a heart attack suffered while traveling down a highway in Puerto Rico. The elder Cotto, 57, battled severe asthma for much of his life and likely suffered the heart attack while struggling to breathe.
Former WBA Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto
His father's sudden death came less than two months after Miguel Cotto suffered the second defeat of his professional career, a brutal loss to Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas. Cotto was battered throughout that bout, as Pacquiao landed at will, turning Cotto's face into a bloody mess.
Cotto Sr. was there for his son then, just as he was during other difficult times. Don Miguel, as he was known, had assumed a more integral role in his son's boxing career, picking up the pieces after an ugly falling out in April 2009 between his son and his brother, Evangelista Cotto, who had served as Miguel Jr.'s trainer since he turned pro. The rift between the family members remain unresolved. Don Miguel and Evangelista had not spoken to each other since that time.
"It is a tragedy that we weren't able to sit down and fix things," Evangelista said in the days after Cotto Sr.'s death. "It is very sad, it is an incredible pain ... for me, my suffering is doubled."
There were questions whether Miguel Cotto would retire from boxing earlier this year. He not only had been decisively beaten by Antonio Margarito and Pacquiao, but had tough fights in defeating Shane Mosley and Joshua Clottey. Then his father died unexpectedly.
Cotto admitted to going through an "extremely painful" time in the days after his father's death. But now he finds comfort in knowing his father's spirit remains with him.
"He is not here physically," Cotto said recently, "but he is still by my side, and he's going to be with me the night of the fight."
Also by Cotto's side will be his new lead trainer, the veteran Emanuel Steward, who was brought in to replace Joe Santiago, who was the lead trainer for the bout with Pacquiao. Santiago remains as an assistant, but it's Steward who is running the show.
Steward has worked to improve Cotto's balance when throwing punches, but even Steward isn't sure whether his fighter is mentally back from the defeats and the loss of his father.
"Any time you are coming in with a fighter that has some very rough fights, you are concerned with the physical damage as well as mental damage," Steward said.
Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) insists he's ready to resume his career and win a world title in a third weight division. Against just about any other opponent, he would have the majority of the crowd behind him having fought six times previously at Madison Square Garden since 2005. But Foreman (28-0, 8 KOs) is an observant Jew from Brooklyn by way of Israel and will enter the ring as the hometown hero.
"We trained hard to put on a good show on June 5," Cotto said. "I don't know what is going to happen on that night. But I'm pretty sure when it is over, I'm going to be the winner of the fight."
By GEORGE WILLIS NYPost
Last Updated: 10:25 AM, June 2, 2010
Posted: 1:52 AM, June 2, 2010
It seems to be business as usual for Miguel Cotto -- another big fight in New York City, another title on the line.
But there will be something different when the popular Puerto Rican steps into the ring against WBA junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman Saturday night at Yankee Stadium. It will be his first fight without his father Miguel Cotto Sr. in the building.
The patriarch of the Cotto family died on Jan. 3 from a heart attack suffered while traveling down a highway in Puerto Rico. The elder Cotto, 57, battled severe asthma for much of his life and likely suffered the heart attack while struggling to breathe.
Former WBA Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto
His father's sudden death came less than two months after Miguel Cotto suffered the second defeat of his professional career, a brutal loss to Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas. Cotto was battered throughout that bout, as Pacquiao landed at will, turning Cotto's face into a bloody mess.
Cotto Sr. was there for his son then, just as he was during other difficult times. Don Miguel, as he was known, had assumed a more integral role in his son's boxing career, picking up the pieces after an ugly falling out in April 2009 between his son and his brother, Evangelista Cotto, who had served as Miguel Jr.'s trainer since he turned pro. The rift between the family members remain unresolved. Don Miguel and Evangelista had not spoken to each other since that time.
"It is a tragedy that we weren't able to sit down and fix things," Evangelista said in the days after Cotto Sr.'s death. "It is very sad, it is an incredible pain ... for me, my suffering is doubled."
There were questions whether Miguel Cotto would retire from boxing earlier this year. He not only had been decisively beaten by Antonio Margarito and Pacquiao, but had tough fights in defeating Shane Mosley and Joshua Clottey. Then his father died unexpectedly.
Cotto admitted to going through an "extremely painful" time in the days after his father's death. But now he finds comfort in knowing his father's spirit remains with him.
"He is not here physically," Cotto said recently, "but he is still by my side, and he's going to be with me the night of the fight."
Also by Cotto's side will be his new lead trainer, the veteran Emanuel Steward, who was brought in to replace Joe Santiago, who was the lead trainer for the bout with Pacquiao. Santiago remains as an assistant, but it's Steward who is running the show.
Steward has worked to improve Cotto's balance when throwing punches, but even Steward isn't sure whether his fighter is mentally back from the defeats and the loss of his father.
"Any time you are coming in with a fighter that has some very rough fights, you are concerned with the physical damage as well as mental damage," Steward said.
Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) insists he's ready to resume his career and win a world title in a third weight division. Against just about any other opponent, he would have the majority of the crowd behind him having fought six times previously at Madison Square Garden since 2005. But Foreman (28-0, 8 KOs) is an observant Jew from Brooklyn by way of Israel and will enter the ring as the hometown hero.
"We trained hard to put on a good show on June 5," Cotto said. "I don't know what is going to happen on that night. But I'm pretty sure when it is over, I'm going to be the winner of the fight."