MIGUEL COTTO insists he was the worthy winner of last Saturday’s (November 21) epic clash with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Speaking on the La Perrera show on SalSoul 99.1 FM on Tuesday morning in Puerto Rico, the former WBC middleweight king said: “We have the fight recorded and if you see it 300 times, you’ll see the same thing: Miguel Cotto defeated ‘Canelo’ Alvarez”.

Cotto added: “I went out with purpose on September 25 to train to do the best in the fight. Those who saw the fight, saw the effort I made and I’m satisfied. What happened, has passed. Now you have to look forward with optimism and not be intimidated by this kind of thing.” The 35-year-old four-weight champion also downplayed the 10-year age gap between him and the 25-year-old Canelo: “The ten years difference was nothing, we did what we planned. We were very comfortable and I feel good about the way I fought and for my 35 years. I just do my job.”

Cotto’s sole reaction on fight night to the incredibly one-sided scorecards was “Wow!” He then went to his trainer Freddie Roach and said “are you ok? That’s all that matters.”

The Caguas native reaffirmed his decision not to pay the WBC’s $300,000 sanctioning fee that ultimately cost him their belt just four days before the fight. A situation that meant had he won, he wouldn’t have been their champion, but in the event of a Alvarez victory, ‘Canelo’ would be the new WBC champion.

“We turned our backs on the situation of paying $1.1million and to succumb to the whims of Mauricio Sulaiman (the WBC president). It’s simple, If I had chosen to do what the WBC wanted, I would have paid the $1.1million. Miguel Cotto does not need the WBC and the WBC does not need Miguel Cotto” he added.

(That figure includes the $800,000 ‘step aside’ payable to the WBC’s Interim champion, Gennady Golovkin, which allowed this fight to take place.)

Some have been vocal in their opinion that the Puerto Rican superstar should retire, but his fabulous performance in the fight, despite defeat, proved there’s still life in the old warmonger yet.

He has one fight left on his $50 million three-fight deal with Roc Nation Sports that he intends to honour: “We have one more fight that could be the middle of next year. We have a deal with Roc Nation to meet”. Until then he plans “rest and more rest until next year”.

And he’s more than earned that.

Cotto also addressed the social media criticism directed at his wife, Melissa Guzman: “We come from a country where taunting is the order of the day so I don’t have any problems with that. She is very happy, my children are happy, I am very happy with my lady and my house is full of happiness.”

“I only follow social networks for work, for boxing and I’m not concerned with those other things” said the veteran fighter in the radio interview.