MIGUEL COTTO’S trainer, Freddie Roach, is confident his charge will come out on top in his clash with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on November 21.
Since teaming up with the Puerto Rican in 2013, Roach has trained Cotto for his past three wins, the second of which earned him the WBC world middleweight title he will defend against Alvarez.
Looking ahead to their November superfight, Roach feels Cotto, 34, has too much for Canelo, 25, who last fought James Kirkland, stopping him in three rounds in May.
“He [Canelo] has been in there with everybody. I think his last fight, it wasn’t a very high calibre opponent; and then someone told me, ours wasn’t either. And I said, no, ours was; ours was a former two time world champion [Daniel Geale],” he said.
“I think this is a big step up for him and I think that Miguel will take him to school. I think we’re just too smart.”
Some feel ‘Canelo’, a big light-middleweight, will have a significant power advantage over Cotto, who began his career at light-welter.
Roach however disagrees: “I don’t think he’s stronger than us to be honest with you, and I don’t think that’s a factor in the fight. I think we’re stronger than him. I think we’re the better puncher, and we will show on fight night.
“But we will come up with a big game plan like we did in the last three fights. Miguel is a really hard worker and he’s very dedicated. Me and him, we do work very well together and I expect this to be one of the greatest fights of all time.”
