Floyd Mayweather vs Miguel Cotto: Possible Opponents to Get Junito Back on Track

Miguel "Junito" Cotto may have lost to Floyd "Money" Mayweather by unanimous decision on Saturday night as expected, but he impressed many by hanging in there against the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Even so, Cotto is somewhat stuck in the middle now and could really use a big victory to advance his career.

Cotto hasn't been able to pass his two toughest challenges against Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao and he owns a loss against Antonio Margarito as well, so he is still looking for a signature victory of some kind. There is no shortage of quality fighters looking to face him next, though, so there is a good chance that he can put the loss to Mayweather behind him quickly.

Here are three potential opponents who would present great opportunities for Cotto to pick up a huge win and get back on track.

Saul Alvarez

While Cotto suffered a tough loss on Saturday night, 21-year-old Saul "Canelo" Alvarez had plenty to celebrate with an undercard victory over all-time great "Sugar" Shane Mosley. The win brought Alvarez's career mark to an astonishing 40-0-1 and he actually has more professional fights than Cotto despite being a full decade younger.

Canelo is a rising star in the sport and is somebody who can be marketed effectively. Because of that the boxing community would probably prefer that he stays undefeated as long as possible, but Cotto would likely love to have a shot at him. Such a fight would generate a ton of interest and a win would be absolutely huge for Cotto since most view Alvarez as the next great fighter.

The issue is that Alvarez and his camp may not be willing to go out on a limb quite yet, but Cotto would have nothing to lose in this instance so it makes plenty of sense for him.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Like Alvarez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is a young, undefeated fighter who would be a great challenge for Cotto. Not only does Chavez have yet to lose with a record of 45-0-1-1, but he is also the WBC Middleweight Champion. Cotto would certainly love to regain some gold and he wouldn't mind knocking down an up-and-coming fighter either.

The best part about this potential fight for Cotto is that he would figure to have the advantage. Chavez may be undefeated, but he has yet to score a truly impressive victory. There is no doubt that Chavez is an extremely promising fighter, but his record would seem to make him look better than he really is, and that is something that should be attractive to Cotto.

The Chavez camp may not feel as though he is ready to take on a fighter of Cotto's caliber, so there is some question as whether this bout could happen. It would be a great way for Cotto to bounce back from the loss to Mayweather, and it would give him some direction once again.

Sergio Martinez

This would seem to be the most likely of Cotto's potential opponents as Sergio Martinez is 37 years of age and is simply looking for money fights at this stage of his career. Martinez is currently the WBC Diamond and The Ring Middleweight Champion and is coming off some big victories against the likes of Paul Williams and Kelly Pavlik.

Martinez has an impressive career record of 49-2-2 and seems to be a very even matchup for Cotto. While both Alvarez and Chavez would be great challenges for Cotto, Martinez is a completely different challenge in that he is in the twilight of his career rather than on the ascent. Beating Martinez may not open as many eyes, but there is no doubt that it would benefit Cotto.

Cotto did well to bounce back from the Pacquiao loss by beating good veterans like Antonio Margarito, Ricardo Mayorga and Yuri Foreman, and Martinez could serve a similar purpose this time. Cotto certainly doesn't want to lose two in a row, though, so he'll have to tread carefully.