By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
LAS VEGAS -- Neither boxer, Jose Miguel Cotto, nor his first-time trainer, Joe Santiago, has had the best of luck in this gambling town.
The last time Cotto was in Las Vegas was in April of 2006, when he lost his bid for the WBA lightweight (135 pounds) title to Juan Diaz.
Santiago was last in Las Vegas in November as the trainer for Cotto's younger brother, Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 knockouts), who was dethroned as WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion by Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) following a 12th-round knockout.
But on Saturday night, the duo from Puerto Rico will be in the same corner when Cotto (31-1-1, 23 KOs) takes on 19-year-old, rising star, Saul Alvarez (31-0-1, 23 KOs), who is a winner of 27 straight fights, including knockouts in eight of his past nine fights.
"Vegas has not been a good place for us in the recent past, but you know, that's what can happen when you're in the big leagues," said Santiago, who has since been removed as Miguel Cotto's trainer, and replaced by Manny Steward. "But my job is to help Jose to be in great position to win, and we're ready, and we trained hard, and we're hoping to have a big win on Saturday."
Alvarez-Cotto will take place on the undercard of a clash between 33-year-old Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) and 38-year-old WBA welterweight king, Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) at the MGM Grand.
"We have the experience, we have a tough fighter, and we have been in this type of situation before," said Santiago. "We have the confidence of having a great fighter, and we know that we've done the work to prepare for a great win on Saturday."
Both Santiago and Jose Miguel Cotto are in action for the first time since the January death of Miguel Cotto Sr., who replaced his own brother, Evangelista Cotto, with Santiago for Miguel Cotto Jr.'s June bout with Joshua Clottey.
"There is definitely a sense of loss that my father is not here with me because he's always been so much a part of everything," said Jose Miguel Cotto. "But I will definitely fight harder knowing that he is still here with me in spirit."
Miguel Cotto successfully defended his crown against Clottey with a 12-round, split-decision, but was removed following Cotto's loss to Pacquiao.
Steward will be in Miguel Cotto's corner for his June 5 challenge for the WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) title belonging to Yuri Foreman, as the pair of 29-year-olds face off at the new Yankees' Stadium.
Jose Miguel Cotto is coming off of December's sixth-round knockout of Ilido Julio. In his past five fights, Cotto is 4-0-1, with four knockouts, including three straight stoppages.
"I didn't come here to be a stepping stone for anybody. This is an opportunity for me to, once again, show that I'm one of the best fighters out there," said Cotto.
"I came here to have a great fight and a great win," said Cotto. "I belong among the big leagues of boxers, and I will demonstrate on Saturday what Jose Miguel Cotto is all about."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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