Cotto: "I am a more mature fighter".........both on a personal and professional level -- for his Nov. 14 clash with Manny Pacquiao. Cotto offers intimate details of his training camp in Tampa Bay, Fla., and opens the doors to his gym for a look at his intense daily routine.........By Miguel Cotto
I am training very hard. The camp's going great. We are only three weeks away, or about 19 days away from the fight. What I do basically is run, I run a lot in the morning and then I rest. I train in the afternoon and then I rest again. On Tuesdays and Fridays I have a massage session. The rest of the time is about resting and trying to have a good time in the house.
We rented a house -- a big house -- and that's where we're staying. The gym that we go to is about 10 minutes away from the house.
My team consists of Joe Santiago, Brian Pérez, my father Miguel Cotto, my mother and no one else. My family and my kids have come to see me on two occasions, and now I won't see them until the day of the fight, when I will meet them in Las Vegas.
We rest all day Sunday and train from Monday through Saturday. When we have a chance, we all go out together. We visit the malls, the movie theaters. I was unable to watch the [Argentinian soccer derby] River versus Boca game last Sunday, but I always follow River [Cotto has become a fan through his trainer, Miguel Díaz, and River's fan club in Puerto Rico. Miguel has worn River Plate's jersey in the ring prior to many of his fights]. But I spend all my time practically between the gym and the house.
I chose Tampa because we trained here for the fight against [Joshua] Clottey, our last fight. We really liked it here, and that's why we're back. The weather is practically the same as in Puerto Rico. This is one of the reasons why we chose Tampa.
Many years ago I fought in Tampa in the pre-Olympic tournament. That was 10 years ago. Now, I am a more mature fighter, a fighter that has completely changed his style since his amateur days to my current professional days. I have changed a lot; I have grown, I have gained a lot of maturity, and I have established myself as a person. Those are the main changes that I've seen in me.
Miguel Cotto will fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 14.