"MOVE OVER TITO" By Jeff Mayweather

Move over Tito, make room for Miguel Cotto. Even though Miguel Cotto is only ten fights into his professional career, an avid fight fan who knows can see that this kid is someone very special. In this corner, Miguel Cotto.

Cotto is the "Truth" and if he stays clear of outside distractions away from the ring he will become a major star. His talents far exceed his boyish appearance; at the tender age of 21 he's for sure the safest bet out there in terms of young prospects being groomed to become world champions.

I first saw Cotto on tape in Top Rank's Todd Duboef's office. Mr. Duboef asked me to watch the youngster on tape and tell him what I thought of him. Top Rank had just inked him as one of the future stars of their organization, and what I witnessed I was extremely impressive.

This young man had it all; great balance, hand speed and very good punching power. But what I was most impressed by was how economical he was with his punches, he certainly didn't waste many of them. Since viewing him on tape that day, I have been fortunate to see three of his professional fights and he hasn't done anything to make me want to re-assess my original beliefs.

I got the opportunity to watch him work at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. He did not disappoint me or anyone who may share my opinion, as he systematically dissected wily veteran Juan Macias. Macias was bouncing back from a recent ten round loss to former Lightweight Kingpin José Luis Castillo. It didn't take long for Cotto to establish who was boss in the ring on this night.

He boxed fluidly, and also set down from time to time to display his punching power. He appeared to be right at home in the ring, never once changing his expression as he went about his duty of taking Macias to school. He showed why there is so much talk in the boxing circles regarding Miguel Cotto.

I know when there is something very different about a fighter. I experienced it first hand, watching my nephew coming up. I knew he would become an Olympian, I knew he would become an amateur star even before he knew it. I knew one day he would be Champion of the World and win multiple titles in various divisions.

What I once saw in my nephew I see again in Miguel Cotto. I remember running into HBO Commentator and Fight Analyst Larry Merchant in Tijuana, Mexico. We were at the Erik Morales vs Junior Jones fight and it was around the time Floyd Jr. was scheduled to fight Genaro Hernandez. Larry bumped into me on an elevator, and was quite adamant about why was my nephew already fighting for the title and especially against Genaro of all the Champions out there...

Merchant shared a story with me about some young promising prospect from Philadelphia who was rushed into a title fight and was ruined; never did that once promising fighter reach his full potential or fulfill the expectations bestowed upon him. Merchant even went as far as to imply whether the fight was being made because of the money.

I politely told Mr. Merchant that it didn't matter what he thought or anyone else other than me and Floyd Jr.'s dad. We made the decision because we knew something others had no way of knowing. Only if he was a member of the Mayweather family could he really know the full potential of this young phenom.

I witnessed the making of a fighting machine who at the tender age of four could already put together an eight punch combination on his father's command. I witnessed an eight year old kid jogging three miles a day, and at the end of his run chop down trees. People in the neighborhood thought this kid was crazy, as they would see him seemingly chasing a moving car. They didn't know Floyd Jr. was out for his morning run with Floyd Sr. leading the way in his car. Those are some of the reasons why only a person that had been there could know that this kid had been ready for a long time. The fight versus Genaro Hernandez was his destiny, and the first step towards his boxing legacy.

I see all those things in Cotto. I of course don't know what made him as talented as he is, I'm not a member of his family but I can easily sense that being Champion of the World is his profound destiny. He's that rare talent who comes a long every five or ten years. He appears as though he was born to do this.

Miguel Cotto is the best young prospect in boxing bar-none. No one else out there even comes close. He's in a class all by himself, and if you're looking for a future star, he appears to be the total package. Great balance, great hand speed, two-fisted power and a very precise and economical attack when tracking down his foe. He is definitely a pleasure to watch. A year and a half from now he should be Champion of the World, and I think once he becomes Champion he will reign for a long time, if he can maintain the weight. The Jr. Welterweight division is a talent laden division and I think by time Cotto challenges for the title the only real threat at beating him will probably be gone, and that is Kostya Tszyu. Actually, given the opportunity to improve over a year and a half time, may even spell doom for Kostya Tszyu as well.

Miguel Cotto is the real deal. I don't know his lifestyle outside of the ring, but I know he's a thrill to watch inside it. If he can avoid the pitfalls that come with being a young star in the world of Boxing, he has the potential to not only surpass Tito and become the best ever to come from Puerto Rico but one of the best in the world. He's still young and a lot of expectations and pressure is been placed on his shoulders; it can either make him stronger, helping him to become the star that everyone believes him to be or he could succumb to the pressure and the negative forces outside the ring and become nothing more than a great story to tell like the one Larry Merchant shared with me.

I feel he will become a huge star and I think he will make me look like I know what I'm talking about before his career comes to a close. Keep your eyes open and witness his journey through the World Ranks and then his rise to the Championship, it should be an entertaining ride.