An impressive win over James Kirkland could be the catalyst for Cotto to open his own negotiations for another catchweight battle with Canelo following his one-sided defeat to the Mexican in late 2015.
Fully believing he won the fight despite three wide cards, Cotto is hoping to nail down a second helping of the most lucrative pay-per-view offering of recent times, not involving Floyd Mayweather.
“I’m here for the best fights and the best fighters out there so if Canelo Alvarez wants to fight, to clear what happened November 2015, they know where to find me,” said Cotto.
“It was close. We orchestrated the plan in a perfect way and we believe that we were the winners of the fight.
“I’m going to do the same as always with Freddie Roach. We’re going to work hard and have a game plan in mind. We’re going to work for James Kirkland.
“I’m committed to this fight. I’m committed to look the best possible for February 25. Freddie is in charge of my camp. Freddie is the captain of the boat. I trust him and I know I am going to be ready for February 25.
“It’s good to be back. It’s good to be sweating. I know that Freddie has everything set for our training camp. I rested a lot. I healed. And now I am ready to fight.”
Cotto would need to put Kirkland away in fine style to show he’s made improvements despite another long layoff as fans would have to be convinced the Puerto Rican could compete in better fashion should they meet again.
“This fight is going to be the newest chapter in my career. I’m going to take it. I’m going to handle it in the best way possible.
“I’m going to do my best first with Freddie in the gym and then the night of the fight to make my family proud. I can’t control my legacy. I can’t control what people say about me after I retire. All I do in life is for my family and my kids. That is going to my legacy – what they think about me.”
