Boxing
Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer 7y

Miguel Cotto ready to add another belt to his Hall of Fame résumé

Boxing

Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto, the future Hall of Famer, is returning to the ring for the first time in nearly two years, but he has no plans to be there for long.

Cotto, idle since losing the middleweight world title to Canelo Alvarez by decision in their November 2015 megafight, will take on Yoshihiro Kamegai for a vacant junior middleweight belt -- the one Alvarez relinquished earlier in the year -- on Saturday (HBO, 9:45 p.m. ET/PT) at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

The fight is Cotto's first of a two-fight exit plan from being an active fighter. He reiterated his plan again this week that he will fight on Saturday, his first bout since signing with Golden Boy Promotions, once more in December and then retire from the ring to focus on his family and his promotional company.

In the co-feature, Mexico's Rey Vargas (29-0, 22 KOs), 26, who won a vacant junior featherweight world title by majority decision against Gavin McDonnell on Feb. 25, will make his first defense against Ronny Rios (28-1, 13 KOs), 27, of Santa Ana, California.

Whatever happens in the next two fights, Cotto will leave the ring with little to prove and a ticket to the International Boxing Hall of Fame punched long ago.

He turned pro in 2001 following an appearance for Puerto Rico in the 2000 Olympics and has had a storied career. He was the first Puerto Rican to win world titles in four weight divisions -- junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight -- and became a huge attraction.

He also regularly sought out the best possible opposition and faced the who's who of quality opponents, including Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Antonio Margarito (twice), Sergio Martinez, Alvarez, Austin Trout, Paulie Malignaggi and Ricardo Mayorga among them, and is regarded as one of the best fighters in Puerto Rican history.

But after such a long career, and many hard, grueling fights, Cotto said it's time to bow out.

"I think that 16 years is enough, and I have other things to do in my life," Cotto said. "You know, I'm taking care of my family better, and that is the biggest and only reason that I have to stop boxing and quit boxing and retire after Dec. 31st this year."

With Japan's Kamegai (27-3-2, 24 KOs), 34, standing in the way of another world title, Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs), 36, didn't want to reminisce much about his career when asked to identify his greatest performance or biggest win.

"I enjoyed my whole career. I believe that if anything from the beginning didn't happen in my career, I wouldn't have the career that I've had," Cotto said. "You know, I've enjoyed my whole career, and I don't want to point to any opponent, to any fight. I think that my whole career has been great for world boxing.

"I enjoyed everything. The victory against Mosley, the rematch against Margarito, but at the end of the road, I'm really proud of the kind of career that I've had."

Cotto is a significant favorite to beat Kamegai, who is a brawler known for slugfests with Robert Guerrero, Alfonso Gomez and Jesus Soto Karass (twice). But he does not have close to the resume, talent, skills or power of Cotto.

Kamegai knows he's the big underdog but is looking forward to testing himself against one of the modern greats.

"I'm honored to be fighting the famous Miguel Cotto," he said through a translator. "And I look forward to being on HBO again and having a great fight. I'm all prepared to put on a great, entertaining fight."

Though many expect Cotto to steamroll Kamegai, Cotto did not want to look too far ahead to his December swan song.

"First of all, I have to just think about Kamegai, and then we are going to do what we always do, you know? Then we're going to pick and choose the best challenger out there, and we are going to face him," Cotto said.

There is chatter that his final opponent might be former middleweight world titlist David Lemieux in a fight penciled in for Dec. 2 at New York's Madison Square Garden, Cotto's home away from home, where he has had so many of his biggest fights and been a hero to the large Puerto Rican community in the region.

During Cotto's nearly two years out of the ring, he did go through a training camp for a fight against James Kirkland that was scheduled for February but canceled when Kirkland suffered a broken nose in training camp. That led to Cotto and promoter Roc Nation Sports parting ways and Cotto signing with Golden Boy.

During his time off, Cotto said he had a chance to relax and enjoy himself.

"I just took my time off to be with my family and heal whatever I have to heal in my body," he said. "I arrived here [in Los Angeles] all ready to train [with Freddie Roach], and that's what we're doing here, just training, training, training for Kamegai.

"I've been here doing whatever Freddie wants me to do. Just preparing for the fight plan for Kamegai. I've been bringing the best of me every day, and that's all I can say."

Cotto's fight has clearly been overshadowed by the mega event taking place in Las Vegas on Saturday that is in direct competition with his bout -- when Mayweather will come out of retirement shooting for a 50-0 record against UFC superstar Conor McGregor, who is crossing over to boxing.

Cotto, however, said he didn't feel overshadowed. His fight, according to Golden Boy, is nearly sold out.

"I arrived here in L.A. at the beginning of July to start my training time. I've only come here with one thing on my mind and that's just getting ready for Kamegai, and I've been doing a great job here in L.A., and I have no time and no space in my mind to think about another thing," Cotto said. "I'm just ready for Kamegai. I'm just thinking about the Kamegai fight, and whatever or whoever has another fight on the same day, they have to think about their fight."

So this will be Cotto's penultimate walk to the ring. He is looking forward to it but also knows the end is near. He said there will be no changing his mind following the fight in December.

"No. The decision is already made," Cotto said. "I'm leaving on Dec. 31st, no matter what happens with my career."

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