Miguel Cotto is Well Worth the Price of Admission
By Shaun McComas, Max Boxing (May 5, 2012) Doghouse Boxing
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Miguel Cotto

For the past five years, there have been very few pay-per-view events that have lived up to the price of admission. Floyd “Money” Mayweather may talk a good game leading up to tonight’s fight via HBO’s “24/7” and other media outlets but he has never been known for being particularly entertaining inside the ring. Manny Pacquiao’s latest PPV outings vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey could be viewed as less thrilling compared to his previous PPV outings vs. Erik Morales and a younger and fresher Marquez four years ago. Both of these players are the clear leaders in the clubhouse in terms of PPV buys because they have gained the greatest crossover appeal throughout the sport. However, it is the third PPV king in boxing who consistently delivers the thrills and the drama within the ring, demonstrating the essence of the warrior spirit. For the last decade, that man has been Miguel Cotto.
 
Many within the boxing public were first introduced to Miguel Cotto in his championship-winning effort against Kelson Pinto in 2004. His performance against the former Brazilian champion received praise as he blitzed and dismantled the much taller foe with the use of his brilliant left hook to the body. His next HBO outing against DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley introduced everyone to the vulnerability that makes Cotto such a great TV product. After having knocked down Corley earlier in the fight, an extremely aggressive Cotto blindly ran into a left hand, proceeding to do the drunken chicken dance for the remainder of the round. After dusting himself off, he roared back in the fifth and stopped Corley, albeit in a very premature fashion, thanks to referee Ismael Falu. In the same year, in his second fight after displaying shaky whiskers, Cotto faced the hard-hitting Colombian Ricardo Torres in a 2005 “Fight of the Year” candidate. Throughout the course of this fight, it was a back-and-forth affair that saw both combatants touch the canvas, a first in Cotto’s career. While thrilling, the seven-round affair ended in a TKO win for the champ, this Arturo Gatti-type performance only served as fuel to the fire for both his fans and detractors. It also made him a staple among the premium cable channels.

 

Exciting fights against the likes of Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah continued to add to the Puerto Rican’s popularity as a prizefighter. The 2007 bout against Sugar Shane Mosley served as a blueprint for how he’s dealt with larger opponents since moving to welterweight. The first eight rounds of that fight saw Cotto and Mosley fighting in the center of the ring and exchanging body punches, uppercuts and hooks. After the eighth, Cotto employed a counterpunching, in-and-out style that seemed to serve him well. It was at that moment where he made the silent agreement where he felt fine trying to win his fights on points as opposed to stopping his opponent. He employed the same tactic in his 2008 bout against a prime Antonio Margarito, a great fight which Cotto won early but as soon as fatigue began sinking in (along with the possible illegal wraps), Cotto could take no more and decided to throw in the towel in the 11th. The drama surrounding the potentially illegal wraps served as a great storyline for the rematch and subsequent victory vs. Margarito last December.
 
Many fans insist Cotto is a shell of his former self since his first professional loss but it still did not diminish his greatest talent, creating excitement in the ring. In his second fight back from his first career loss, he faced a very tough out in Joshua Clottey. After having knocked down Clottey with his shotgun left jab, Cotto received a deep gash over his left eye for his troubles as a result of an accidental headbutt in the third round. Even with an eye that was slowly morphing into hamburger, Cotto bravely fought on toward earning a very close split decision victory. In his TKO loss to Manny Pacquiao, he came out of the corner with guns blazing over the first four rounds until the Filipino buzz saw knocked him down for the second time in the fight. After that, Cotto tried playing counterpuncher until the fight was mercifully called off in the final round. A lack of strategy combined with obvious technical deficiencies in his fight game were exposed more so in this fight than in his previous loss.
 
Since the introduction of Emanuel Steward and, more recently, Pedro Diaz, Miguel Cotto has begun to employ better movement and angles, improved defense, educated fight strategies and is less economical with his right hand (as he is a natural southpaw). So what can we expect from the fight this upcoming Saturday at the MGM Grand? Essentially, every single trainer, fight scribe, television personality and fight fan is stating that Cotto has the same chance of winning as Wile E. Coyote has a chance to finally catch the Road Runner. Not this guy.
 
First, if there is anything Miguel Cotto has developed which may prove to be most difficult for Mayweather is his left jab from his power hand. Heck, Oscar De la Hoya almost got a decision against “Money” due to his jab. True, he is much taller and larger than Floyd but a good jab is very difficult to counter. Second, other than Jose Luis Castillo almost a decade ago, no other fighter has really effectively gone to the body against Mayweather. If the Cotto jab becomes a valuable weapon early on in the fight, it should allow him to get inside on Mayweather and quite possibly land couple of solid body shots. The body punching may indeed make this a more stationary version of the pound-for-pound champ, slowing down and rendering him impatient at the success of his opponent, thus creating more openings. Third, Cotto may lure Mayweather into having to go on the offensive. There is no doubt that Floyd is one of the best counterpunchers in the past 30 years. His makeup is not that of an offense-first fighter and Miguel, being a very capable counterpuncher himself, may benefit in forcing Floyd to punch first. Finally, he may be past his prime but Cotto has performed well against fast and elusive boxers before. Although Mayweather is indeed a master in his own way, Cotto’s improved defense makes him much harder to hit cleanly. If that’s not enough, Cotto might be the hardest puncher Mayweather has faced in recent years with the exception of Sugar Shane.
 
Do I think Miguel Cotto is going to win? My heart says yes- but my head says no. However, I do feel it is going to be a very competitive affair where Mayweather may be roughed up by the end. Unlike his last several fights, the Fighter Formerly Known as Pretty Boy is not going to look so pretty during the post-fight interview. I am calling for a majority decision in favor of Floyd Mayweather with both fighters getting seriously buzzed during the fight. If, for whatever reason, Cotto does pull off the victory, I will be mildly surprised and completely ecstatic as a fight fan, unlike others, possibly likening this upset to Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson. At the end of the day, I know it will be a very entertaining main event which I will gladly pay to see because of the dramatics and thrilling action Miguel Cotto has a history of displaying inside the ring, unlike the brash talk and sparse action we have become accustomed to experiencing that accompany any Floyd Mayweather bout.
 
Feel free to email me at smmccoma@gmail.com with your thoughts and opinions.

This Article provided to Doghouse Boxing by © MaxBoxing.com

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