Cotto vs. Margarito II Results: Cotto Won, so What Is Next for Him Now?

Miguel Cotto finally was able to vindicate himself and free himself from the shadow of his loss to Antonio Margarito and with it he has not only cleared his mind, but set himself up for a huge payday.

The only problem is that he doesn't have much of a selection to choose from for an opponent.

Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto are fighting each other again, he has already lost to Manny Pacquiao, and it's a good bet that if Bob Arum, who promotes both Cotto and Pacquiao, can't make a fight with Mayweather against his biggest star, it won't happen for Cotto.

So what happens next?

Cotto most likely won't be willing to engage in another fight with Margarito and, in truth, the match has lost some of its luster because of how well Cotto dismantled him on Saturday.

One answer is that he could move up in weight to face Sergio Martinez for the middleweight title.  It's certainly a fight fans would love to see and something that would probably be an entertaining affair, but Cotto would give up size and power to the Argentinean champion.

That, plus the fact that in recent years Arum has done more fights with both of his fighters being on either side of the ring puts a damper on this potential matchup.  If made, it would be a shoo-in for an HBO main event and possibly a pay-per-view if the fight could be marketed correctly.

It isn't likely though, and without it Cotto is left with no other compelling fights at that weight.  

That isn't to say that there isn't any fight at that weight.  Cotto could face stablemate Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a fight that would generate money even if it didn't generate interest.  It's also his most likely fight and one that Arum will be more than eager to make, considering that if it happens he will walk away with all the profit and at least one star in his stable.

However, this article is about the best fight for Cotto as he comes off his win against Margarito and the truth is that a fight against JCC Jr. is the least fascinating match that can be made.

So it boils down to Cotto needing a fight at 154 and, at that weight, there is only one fight worth watching him in.

A showdown with the young Mexican star Saul Alvarez.  Alvarez is a breakout star in Mexico who is starting to make waves in America.  Unlike JCC Jr. he has earned the accolades he has.

Now that Cotto is coming off a win against a disgraced star like Margarito, he could easily face Alvarez and turn it into a major promotion.