Hall of Fame Trainer Freddie Roach isn’t going to settle for a win on points when his new-found talent Miguel Cotto collides with Mexican star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada
Despite Cotto being stripped of his WBC belt prior to his showdown with the Mexican boxer, Roach wants his fighter to deliver Alvarez’ first knockout loss in his career. The young Mexican star has lost once in his pro career against unbeaten Floyd Mayweather but he has never been knocked out in his pro career. “It’s going to be a great fight, and we are looking for a knockout in this fight, and we will be the first to knock out Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs), and I can’t wait to get this one on its way,” Roach said. Roach was at Cotto’s opposite corner when his top fighter Manny Pacquiao knocked out the Puerto Rican in the 12th round of their title fight. After his loss to Pacquiao, Cotto has made an impressive return by winning three straight fights that included a rematch against Antonio Margarito. Then he lost to Floyd Mayweather in 2012 followed by another loss to Austin Trout via a unanimous decision. In 2013, Cotto fired his trainer and hired Roach in an effort to revive his sagging career. In his first fight under Roach, Cotto was a picture of a rejuvenated fighter when he dispatched Devin Rodriguez via TKO in the third round. Suddenly, Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) recaptured his lost glory when he disposed Sergio Martinez in the 10th round to bag the WBC, Lineal and The Ring Middleweight titles. His victory was followed by another TKO win against Daniel Geale of Australia last June. ?Our chemistry is the best thing we have with each other,? Cotto said. ?It makes our relationship and our fights together the way they have been for us,? he added. Roach, who is set to start training camp for Manny Pacquiao’s farewell fight, is giving Mayweather a choice of either Pacquiao or Cotto if he so decides to shoot for his 50th record-breaking fight. ?I would love for [Cotto] to win this fight by knockout, call out [Floyd] Mayweather and then end it,? Roach said. ?He always tells me ?If I had you in my corner when I fought him I would have knocked him out.? He tells me that story all the time,? Roach said. For his part, Alvarez said: “I am very prepared for this fight. I have full confidence in my trainers and their approach to this fight. People can expect a great fight that will be talked about for years to come. “Canelo is a strong, intelligent fighter, with a lot of heart and that will show on fight night. I know he will raise up his hands in victory for Mexico,” said Chepo Reynoso, Manager and trainer of Canelo ?lvarez. “We are very well prepared for this fight. Canelo is a strong fighter who is getting better every day. On fight night there will be fireworks in the ring, added Eddy Reynoso, Alvarez’s head trainer. While Cotto has shown visible improvements under Roach supervision and guidance, it cannot be denied that the Puerto Rican star is at least a decade older than Alvarez and in most cases the younger fighter prevails especially if the fight drags to the late rounds. At 25, Alvarez is in his prime and is not just a strong hitter but a skilled and a well-experienced fighter, having fought 45 opponents since turning pro in 2005.
