Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto's win over Delvin Rodriguez was his first since 2011. Reuters

On Saturday, Miguel Cotto got back in the win column with a victory over Delvin Rodriguez. Now, the 32-year-old is looking ahead to his next opponent.

Cotto took care of Rodriquez in easy fashion, knocking him out in the third round. The victory came following back-to-back losses for the boxer against Floyd Mayweather and Austin Trout. After losing two straight title bouts, Cotto wants a shot at another belt.

"I'd like Sergio Martinez straight away before someone else gets him,” Cotto’s trainer Freddie Roach told Boxing News. “It's a great fight and I believe Martinez would be the perfect opponent. There's also the attraction of Miguel becoming the first Puerto Rican to win world titles at four weights.”

Martinez, 38, holds the WBC Middleweight title, and is considered among the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. The Argentinian star last defended it against Martin Murray on April 27. Cotto has a 38-4 record, and has held titles at Light Middleweight, Welterweight and Light Welterweight.

Roach isn’t the only one who wants to see Cotto vs. Martinez happen. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum also wants the fight to become a reality.

“Well I think the best fight for him (Cotto) would be, if at 154 or something like that, against Sergio Martinez,” Arum told BoxingScene. “I think he has a good shot. I think Sergio’s gone back a little, and I think Miguel is really terrific. And I think now that he’s with Freddie, you’ll see how good he really is.”

Cotto was expected to beat Rodriguez, entering the fight as a -600 favorite. However, Roach believes he can get the most out of the boxer against the best the sport has to offer. Cotto has had trouble against top compeitition, losing to the likes of Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. While Mayweather won’t likely grant Cotto a rematch as he searches for his next opponent, Roach isn’t so sure the result would be the same.

"Miguel is ready to go against Mayweather," Roach said after Saturday's fight. "He is in the best shape of his career. He returned to the style that he needed to go back to, and as Miguel said last week, if I had been in his corner for his fight against Mayweather, he would have won."

No matter who Cotto faces next, he could prepare by sparring with Pacquiao. Pac-Man knocked out Cotto in the final round of their 2012 bout, but Roach described the two as “good friends.” Pacquiao is set to face Brandon Rios on Nov. 23.

Boxing