Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Mayorga: Miguel Cotto's Journey

Miguel Cotto sparred 12 full rounds today. It has been almost two years now since his last devastating loss against boxing’s pound-for-pound king, Manny Pacquiao.

Cotto had a great training camp for his upcoming fight on March 12. He had the best trainer and the best corner with the legendary Emanuel Steward.

However, there’s always that looming feeling of emptiness. No matter how he tries to make everything complete, there is always something left...

Cotto looks to the corner and sees some familiar faces. But it is always his late father’s image that he misses more.

This March 12 is not just an ordinary fight. This is war—a fight against a devastating puncher with a familiar power that has felled Cotto twice in his career.

Ricardo Mayorga, the trash-talking Nicaraguan, may be unconventional with his other foot on its way out at 37 years old, but he can still punch. His power seems to stay, even if his legs seem to fail him every once in awhile. Maybe that’s the reason Ricardo is still fighting now. He lacks the footwork, and his punches are wide and awkward, but he remains dangerous.

Miguel Cotto knows that, and that’s why he is not taking this fight lightly.

There is a lot of upside with Steward in his corner. However, doubt still lingers. How well can he take Mayorga’s power? How well can he handle pressure?

Mayorga is nowhere near a comparison to Pacquiao’s ring generalship or Antonio Margarito’s loaded hands, but coming to the fight, he will be the bigger fighter with bad intentions. He knows how fragile Cotto is, like a scarred warrior who will be slowly opening up his wounds once he tastes his power.

It was always Cotto’s father who had been there for him, a fixture with every fight, every war Miguel went through. It was hard in his first fight without his father against the light-hitting Yuri Foreman, but he slowly continued to move on.

On March 12, this will be Miguel Cotto’s ultimate test. This will again be a fight against a devastating puncher, a fight with only one punch that could clearly spell the fight’s momentum. There won’t be that familiar face egging him to move on and at the same time ready to catch him the moment he fails again.

Cotto knows that even without his late father, he will be with him in his heart. Even with his family and closest friends with him, this time Miguel Cotto rides his own journey.