Cotto: I'm still on the up

Miguel Cotto has brushed off suggestions that his defeat to Antonio Margarito last year has affected his confidence.

The 29-year-old was previously unbeaten but surprisingly lost his WBA welterweight title to the Mexican in a brutal encounter that was stopped in the 11th round.

Cotto returned with an easy victory against over-matched Briton Michael Jennings, before struggling to a narrow points victory over Joshua Clottey, despite putting the Ghanaian on the floor early in the fight.

However, the Puerto Rican fought much of the fight with a bad cut following a clash of heads and while he now approaches the biggest fight of his career against Manny Pacquiao on November 14, Margarito has since lost to veteran Shane Mosley.

Not only that, the Mexican was subsequently banned after being found to have 'loaded wraps' following the loss, something that, while never proved, could have affected the outcome of the Cotto fight.
Losses

"A loss is a loss," said Cotto. "Nobody knows for sure if he uses it (heavier wraps) with me or not, just Margarito and his team.

"But it makes me feel better about the loss. Boxing fans are knowledgeable. They are the judges."

Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has said that a fighter's first defeat is the toughest to recover from, but Cotto countered: "Why don't you ask Manny that question because he has had three losses - I have had just one.

"My commitment is with myself. In my last fight I could have stopped the fight (because of the cut) but I decided to stay in the ring because of my commitment to myself and my family.

"Sometimes when you lose, you win. Since Margarito great things have come to my career. Where is Margarito right now and where is Miguel Cotto.

"I'm preparing for 12 rounds and nobody is going to know what will happen until the night of the 14th.

"It is the most important fight of my career, but we'll have to see on the 14th if he is the toughest guy I have fought in my career.

"Manny looked good against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, but I'm not Oscar or Hatton. Manny chose the right time to fight Oscar."

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