NEW YORK ? Miguel Cotto will receive more than a title shot against Yuri Foreman tonight at Yankee Stadium.
The popular Puerto Rican fighter gets a shot to prove he?s not shot, too.
Cotto commonly is considered a damaged former champion because Manny Pacquiao pummeled him in his last fight, a 12th-round technical knockout defeat Nov. 14 in Las Vegas. That was the second brutal beating Cotto absorbed in 15 months, but Cotto?s TKO losses to Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito aren?t the only fights that concern Cotto?s detractors.
Even Cotto?s victories over Joshua Clottey, Zab Judah and Ricardo Torres in recent years were difficult, physical fights that left Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) battered and bloodied. Cotto consistently has proved to be one of the toughest boxers of this era, but there?s only so much punishment he can take before he?ll be unable to compete at an elite level.
?If I didn?t feel recovered,? Cotto said, ?if I didn?t feel good, I [wouldn?t] be here.?
Emanuel Steward, Cotto?s new trainer, was pleasantly surprised when Cotto, 29, was a much fresher fighter during training camp than Steward anticipated. Other than the late Arturo Gatti, Steward said he never has seen one fighter sustain so much damage during his career.
?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. ?Some guys, their coordination and reflexes are totally shot from the combination of the tough fights and emotions. But I did not see that from Miguel.?
Nevertheless, it isn?t a coincidence that Cotto?s first fight after his lopsided loss to Pacquiao will come against an opponent with eight knockouts in 29 professional fights. New York?s Foreman, an aspiring rabbi who trains in Paterson, is an intelligent, skilled boxer, but not a tremendous threat to knock out Cotto in their 12-round fight for Foreman?s World Boxing Association 154-pound title (10:15, HBO).
Cotto is nearly a 2-1 favorite, despite Foreman dominating Daniel Santos (32-4-1, 23 KOs, one NC) to win the WBA crown the same night Pacquiao clobbered Cotto. The 5-foot-11 Foreman (28-0, eight KOs, one NC) is a bigger man and has spent his eight-year pro career in the division in which Cotto will debut tonight, but the 5-8 Cotto has a much more impressive r?sum?.
Paterson?s Joe Grier, Foreman?s trainer, respects Cotto?s credentials, but feels Foreman (also 29) has less wear and tear on his body than the former junior welterweight and welterweight champion.
?I don?t feel that Cotto?s legs are as fresh as Yuri?s,? Grier said. ?He has to keep up with Yuri. They?re saying he has to jump on Yuri right away. If he does that, then he puts the pressure on himself the first half of the fight. He [had] better hope and pray he has enough left for the second half.?
Promoter Bob Arum, whose Top Rank Inc. represents Cotto and Foreman, expects a crowd of more than 20,000 for the first boxing card at the Stadium.
?Miguel has been such an entertaining, great fighter, and the question is how much did these two defeats take out of him?,? Arum said. ?I think probably less than one might imagine. I think he?s still a very fearsome, very good fighter. But we?ll see [tonight].?
