Miguel Cotto Media Day

By Miguel Maravilla

Puerto Rico’s four-division, six-time world champion, WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion and Future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto (41-5, 33 KOs) held a media workout Monday at the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, California, as he prepares for the final fight of his career against Sadam Ali (25-1, 14 KOs) on Saturday, December 2nd at the “Mecca of Boxing” Madison Square Garden, in New York City live on HBO.

Here is what Miguel Cotto along with his trainer Freddie Roach had to say.Miguel Cotto: “I am grateful for boxing for what it has done for me and my family. I owe a lot to boxing and I have no regrets in my career. I appreciate my whole career, it was a tough career.”

“Sadam Ali is a good boxer and a great fighter. We will do our best,”

“The preparation has been good. Freddie and I worked hard and ready for this fight. Freddie has changed me in the ring and also as a person,”

“I am not sure what is after boxing,”

Cotto also talked briefly about the hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico.

“I trust everyone that we will overcome. We as Puerto Rican’s can bring Puerto Rico back!”

Freddie Roach: “We are mixing itup with a younger generation fighter. We have to take this fight serious. That’s why we have been training hard with solid sparring. At the end of the fight, I won’t cry but I will miss him after that. I rate him as one of the great Puerto Rican fighters.”

Also present at Monday’s media day was NABF Bantamweight Champion Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (17-0, 7 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Columbia as he gets his shot at a world title against WBC champion Rey Vargas (30-0, 22 KOs).

“It’s an honor to be fighting at Madison Square Garden. I have prepared really well. I feel good and ready. This is a world title fight. Vargas likes to use his height to his advantage. He’s a good fighter with a difficult style but we are ready for him. This is my moment,”

Southern California local favorite Ronny Rios (28-2, 13 KOs) of Santa Ana, California will battle Deivis Julio (19-3, 11 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout that will be featured on the RingTV.com livestream.

“This Camp was good. We stood in the gym after the last fight. It’s a plus fighting on this card. Fighting at the Garden is a dream come true and I can’t wait for this fight.”

Opening up the live stream is Ireland’s #1 ranked best amateur boxer Aaron “Silencer” McKenna. “I am a really aggressive fighter but I can also box,” he said. “My goal is to one day become world champion. Follow my journey.”