Now, I'm not saying it will be a dull fight, but it is my personal opinion that it wont surpass any of the Vazquez/Marquez fights, the Pac/Marquez or even Casa/Katsidis fight. But it WILL be a damn good fight.
The more I think about what is at stake here for Cotto, the more I realize that he will be coming into this fight the most cautious he has ever been. He has the most to lose of the two and is on the verge of reaching super stardom (or the highest any boxer can reach not named Floyd or Oscar). He recently inked a deal with Ecko clothing, his popularity is rising in the Hispanic community, anytime Floyd is mention, Cotto is usually in the same sentence. Obviously, Cotto is concious of what he could lose if he loses to Margarito.
So, is Cotto REALLY going into this fight like he did against his previous victims? Is he REALLY going to trade sledge hammer shots with one of the grimiest construction workers in the game? I dont think so.
The Cotto camp understands that Margo has the ability to hurt Cotto. The Cotto camp understands that Cotto may not have the ability to hurt Margarito. As a trainer, you wouldn't tell your fighter to go in the ring and attempt to establish your position by trying to beat a power puncher with the work ethic of Paraponera ant at his own game right? We all saw how Cotto fought the second half of the Mosley fight. I think he realized he wasn't going to be able to hurt Mosley with the body work he was doing so he started to Box Mosley more. Dippin and dodging, stickin and moving.
I feel that we will see a Mayweather-esque performance by Cotto on this night. Pero antes que me tiren al leon, I also think that Cotto understands the magnitude and benefits of making a statement against Tony. I see Cotto making his presence known by systematically landing some hard, hard punches on Tony with murderous intent. His game plan will be not to fall into a brawl with Tony, but to epitomize the meaning of Boxer/Puncher. He's going to be moving, using the ring to keep Tony off balance making sure Tony doesnt set and begin doing his work. Cotto will land some combinations from time to time, but he will seldom stay within the vicinity Tony feels comfortable to work in. This doesn't mean Cotto will avoid the temptation, the urge to break what is considered unbreakable. He WILL try to check Tony's chin and if he sees a crack in that diamond, he will go in for the kill. If he finds that Margo's rib cage and liver are vulnerable, we will see a Cotto who is willing to take the risks because taking down the man who was once considered "the most feared man in boxing" would elevate his status to mythic proportions.
Basically, Cotto will want to show that he is classes above Margarito and the majority of the Welter Weight Division. His goal will be to show versatility, but in an exciting fashion. Unfortunately though, it wouldn't be as exciting as Cotto standing toe to toe with Margarito, but I think it will be more than worth the $50 or so bucks PPV fans will be shelling out. I've lost my train of thought for now so I am not gonna finish the post.
The more I think about what is at stake here for Cotto, the more I realize that he will be coming into this fight the most cautious he has ever been. He has the most to lose of the two and is on the verge of reaching super stardom (or the highest any boxer can reach not named Floyd or Oscar). He recently inked a deal with Ecko clothing, his popularity is rising in the Hispanic community, anytime Floyd is mention, Cotto is usually in the same sentence. Obviously, Cotto is concious of what he could lose if he loses to Margarito.
So, is Cotto REALLY going into this fight like he did against his previous victims? Is he REALLY going to trade sledge hammer shots with one of the grimiest construction workers in the game? I dont think so.
The Cotto camp understands that Margo has the ability to hurt Cotto. The Cotto camp understands that Cotto may not have the ability to hurt Margarito. As a trainer, you wouldn't tell your fighter to go in the ring and attempt to establish your position by trying to beat a power puncher with the work ethic of Paraponera ant at his own game right? We all saw how Cotto fought the second half of the Mosley fight. I think he realized he wasn't going to be able to hurt Mosley with the body work he was doing so he started to Box Mosley more. Dippin and dodging, stickin and moving.
I feel that we will see a Mayweather-esque performance by Cotto on this night. Pero antes que me tiren al leon, I also think that Cotto understands the magnitude and benefits of making a statement against Tony. I see Cotto making his presence known by systematically landing some hard, hard punches on Tony with murderous intent. His game plan will be not to fall into a brawl with Tony, but to epitomize the meaning of Boxer/Puncher. He's going to be moving, using the ring to keep Tony off balance making sure Tony doesnt set and begin doing his work. Cotto will land some combinations from time to time, but he will seldom stay within the vicinity Tony feels comfortable to work in. This doesn't mean Cotto will avoid the temptation, the urge to break what is considered unbreakable. He WILL try to check Tony's chin and if he sees a crack in that diamond, he will go in for the kill. If he finds that Margo's rib cage and liver are vulnerable, we will see a Cotto who is willing to take the risks because taking down the man who was once considered "the most feared man in boxing" would elevate his status to mythic proportions.
Basically, Cotto will want to show that he is classes above Margarito and the majority of the Welter Weight Division. His goal will be to show versatility, but in an exciting fashion. Unfortunately though, it wouldn't be as exciting as Cotto standing toe to toe with Margarito, but I think it will be more than worth the $50 or so bucks PPV fans will be shelling out. I've lost my train of thought for now so I am not gonna finish the post.
Comment