Freddie Roach said before Miguel Cotto lost to Canelo Alvarez that when the time was appropriate, he would discuss retirement with the legendary fighter from Puerto Rico.
The time has come for Cotto?s trainer to have that difficult discussion with him.
Cotto could continue his Hall of Fame career, because a sizable portion of his huge fan base will want to see him fight again. They appreciate all the memorable moments he has given them during a 14-year pro career in which he became the first fighter from Puerto Rico to win world titles in four weight classes.
But what, other than milking more money out of them to watch far less meaningful fights than the one he just lost, would be the point? How many reputation-restoration projects can one career withstand?
Top Rank Inc., Cotto?s former promoter, helped reestablish Cotto?s credibility following an 11th-round technical knockout loss to Antonio Margarito in July 2008 by making fights against Michael Jennings and Joshua Clottey. Cotto won both bouts to earn a huge payday for fighting Manny Pacquiao, who stopped Cotto in the 12th round of their welterweight title fight in November 2009.
Subsequent victories over Yuri Foreman, Ricardo Mayorga and Margarito in their grudge rematch moved Cotto in position for the biggest fight of his career: a unanimous-decision defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May 2012. He also lost his next fight to southpaw Austin Trout in December 2012, but Cotto hired Roach after the Trout fight and they resurrected Cotto?s career once again with wins over Delvin Rodriguez, then-WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and Daniel Geale.
Cotto cashed in by making at least $15 million for facing Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) in a 12-round fight that was reasonably competitive, yet hardly the epic encounter many fight fans and media members expected.
There?s no need for a rematch because Cotto clearly lost. He deserved better than the 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111 scorecards submitted by the judges, but Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) is embarrassing himself by claiming he won.
Cotto remains capable of beating B-level opponents, but at 35, he couldn?t possibly have the desire to rebuild his reputation for the fourth time in seven years.
Even if he did, the potential for future pay-per-view fights comparable to his lucrative losses to Pacquiao, Mayweather and Alvarez no longer exist.
As difficult as it might be, it?s time for Roach and Cotto to have that talk.
