Three-time world champion Miguel Cotto is confident he can handle the move up to light middleweight tomorrow and take Yuri Foreman's WBA belt to become a three-division title-holder.

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican will aim to bounce back from defeat last November to Manny Pacquiao when he challenges the New York-based Israeli in the first title fight to be staged at the new Yankee Stadium.

And with Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward in his corner for the first time, Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) said he would take progression from light welterweight to welter to light middle in his stride.

"I'll be better than ever," Cotto said before the final pre-fight press conference this week.

"I can eat more but also I feel more comfortable. I'm working with more energy, more passion for the work at the gym, doing everything for the whole time."

Steward, who can count Thomas Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya and Lennox Lewis among his former world champions at the Kronk Gym in Detroit, said he had been impressed with Cotto's attitude.

"I have never trained Miguel before but all I can go by are the comments from the people in the gym since we are training in the exact same gym where he trained for the Pacquiao fight," Steward said.

"The people that are watching say he looks totally different from what they have seen before."

Israel's first world champion Foreman, 29, will be making his first title defence since defeating Daniel Santos on the Pacquiao-Cotto undercard in Las Vegas.

Studying to become a rabbi, the Belarus-born boxer's adherence to Orthodox Judaism will mean the fight does not get underway until 11.15 p.m. local time as he is forbidden to travel before Sabbath ends at sunset on Saturday night.