Cotto Needs new Trainer

did you just imply that margarito may have been on some sort of performance enhancer, mikE?

 

Once again, just like Fraud's little constituent dictatorship of 2006, you want to bend every rule and destroy every ethic in boxing, just to suit one fighter.

 

I was trying to slip that in so I would look smart if he ever gets busted down the line. haha

I hope he wasn't, I wouldn't bet that he was, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was.

 

I think Evangalista is fine. Cotto looked superb in the first 6 rounds landing combinations and picking his spots - his defense looked sharp as well. With the exception of laying on the ropes, it was a very good game plan. (Although in the beginning of the fight that looked like a non-factor as well)

The problem is that Cotto is simply not a very durable fighter. He was rocked and hurt in previous fights by smaller fighters - namely Chop Chop, Torres, and stunned multiple times by Judah. The only difference was that in those fights, Cotto's accurate punching and mental toughness was able to bail him out of those situations. Not quite so with Margarito.

Cotto's previous fight with Mosley, made everybody look past this flaw and placed the blame on the lower weight class (which is understandable since Mosley is a tough mofo, who can crack).

True his stamina is suspect, but it wasn't until he was hurt badly in the 7th round when Cotto started to wilt. When he saw that he could not hurt Margarito and that Margarito was only getting stronger, the fight was over.

 

That being said, I don't think anybody is as durable enough (or mentally strong) as Margarito to withstand the offensive onslaught that Cotto can dish out. I still rank Cotto favorably to beat the rest of 147 so long as Margarito didn't completely ruin Cotto's confidence.

Paul Williams IMO would be the most competitive fight given his durability and punch output, but he simply lacks the physicality that Margarito brings to the table. His skinny frame also makes me question his ability to take Cotto's body work and is equally as hittable as Margarito.

 

It's hard to fight any fighter that

starts off strong and gets even stronger the more you hit him.

 

I doubt they'd ever fight, but I'd make williams a clear favorite over cotto.

 

your not so subtle post was the first time this possibility this was brought to my attention. then I see that someone, somewhere made this accusation and a puero rican newspaper printed it.

i'll be glad when the lab results are in by this weekend and all this shit is proven false.

 

I agree.

Fact is, Margarito has acted like an unstoppable tank before (ask Cintron), but Cotto tagged the hell out of him so many times without causing any seeming damage that it reminded me of Salido/Guerrero.

I don't even know if roids can actually help your durability directly (F Vargas), but I suppose by helping your stamina, durability can be helped.

 

dsimon writes:

Good point about trainers but GD very few people are able to really fight well backwards. All the energy in the world would not have allowed him to escape Margarito the way he did in the early rounds all night. Cotto even counterpunched well, he just needs more power.

 

dsimon writes:

Absolutely. Bet the house on it.

 

...

 

the funniest part of the whole article:

The rumor quickly spread like a forest fire. Margarito's team eventually backtracked the rumor to a local radio station in Puerto Rico

but they're not bitter

 

There are no roids involved. Margarito had a great camp, and was 100% healthy. People forget Margarito's previous fights and the Cintron fights, and only focus on Williams and Clottey.

Fact is it is widely said he visibly overtrained for one (Williams) and it was well-known he wasn't 100% for the other (Clottey). That said, Clottey wasn't 100% either after the 4th.

When Margarito is 100% on point, he can be a beast. And most importantly, he was MENTALLY super-focused and intense for this one. He would not be denied.

That said, post-fight he was the most busted up I've ever seen him. His face looked terrible.

He DID take serious punishment, and he should take a long rest.

Lastly - Cotto neglected the body. Not necessarily because Margarito made it hard - Cotto purposely concentrated on the head because it was SOOO available - he wanted to flurry and leave; stick and move - that was his plan (which doesn't favor a body attack). That didn't help his cause any, especially against an opponent with such a good chin.

Peace.

 

Clinching at CENTER ring would help...

But what Cotto really needs to do is double and triple up on his damned jab and use tight lateral circles in the ring....and NOT back up to the ropes.

People say Margarito "forced" him there, and sometimes that was true, but there were plenty, PLENTY of times when Cotto backed there himself...it was his version/attempt to trap and counter and capitalize on Margarito's mistakes.

He did it vs. Abdullaev, N'dou, Mosley, Maussa...it's not new nor was it something Margarito exclusively forced him to do.

It's absolutely true that Margarito is more cagey, wily and smart than given credit for; especially inside. He loves to wing wide shots, but when he's pressuring you or had you on the ropes alot of times he does that to get the opponent to open up and set up his short, digging, vicious shots on the inside and up the middle.

Credit to Cotto that he was able to land as cleanly and accurately as he did...contrast that with Williams who was not able to land that cleanly on Margarito at all when Tony simply covered up.

Margarito is exactly the type of fighter made to beat Cotto. Boxers won't...nor will less powerful opponents, even with more skill. It's like Tszyu - the way to beat him is to run him over.

But like I said, I don't think Cotto helped himself by going to the ropes so much. That put him right at the end of alot of Marg's best shots - parried or not - and it allowed Margarito to get off even when getting hit.

Cotto should have employed tight circles at center ring. And in spots, tried to push Margarito back and/or force him to re-set. The few times he did this - Margarito couldn't adjust and was uncomfortable. Letting Margarito stalk you is a very, very tough fight to fight.

And use the jab, jab, jab MUCH more. When he used his jab, it had the effect of a power punch and stopped Margarito, who covers up and then resets to march forward.

Lastly...Cotto's body attack was simply absent. He needed to invest heavily in the body, especially early when Margarito hadn't yet picked up steam. Staying in tight circles at center ring would have allowed him to do that....and Tony doesn't react well there nor does he pivot and punch well at all.

I expected Miguel to fight off the back foot - I did not expect him to live on the ropes as much as he did...that is eventual suicide vs. Margarito.

Could better stamina help? Absolutely. Fighting center ring, using the jab much more, investing in the body will all take MORE stamina. That said, he'd conserve the energy he spent moving around so much.

And I'm not sure he can show that stamina against the pressure and sheer size and strength of Margarito, who imposed his will last Saturday.

Peace.

 

I'm glad he tested clean.

Margarito, at his best, is like some perfect prototypical Mexican fighter with his curvy punches, high volume, body work, and heavy hands. This is why so many people picked him against Cotto.

I agree about Cotto needing to go to the body, but even though I decided about 30 seconds into the fight that Margarito had a better than 50/50 chance to win, it was always possible that one of Cotto's clean punches would hurt him. That's what made it such an excellent, memorable fight.

Still not sure what Cotto's best strategy would be in a rematch. Margarito's gangly arms and volume make going to the body a dangerous choice. I'm almost inclined to think Cotto should man up and go toe-to-toe, throwing fewer, but making everything count and not wasting energy running away and resetting. Of course, if this strategy doesn't work, you're fucked because presumably Margarito can go toe to toe longer if he gets through it.

Definitely some rock, paper, scissors going on in my mind when you look at Williams, Cotto, and Margarito. Floyd is the pick over all of them, but would he run the trifecta? Perhaps not.

 

dsimon writes:

Some good points Donny. I agree that Cotto should have gone to the body more, thats true.

I don't know if you can keep your circles so tight against a winger though! Your punches have to back the man off after a tight circle, if they don't all the circular movement in the world will only put you going backwards. A reaaaaallly good counter puncher can do tight circles and stop a guy in their tracks with sheer suprise.. Toney does it, Mayweather on occasion (him and toney have that similar Michigan shoulder roll counter) and I have seen Roy Jones do it with pure handspeed (not counter punching).

Cotto is a good counter puncher but not that good. Cotto was doing ok squaring up and using head movement, but at a certain point he needed to clinch and not back up to the ropes. Cotto could learn to turn Marg on the ropes, but I bet that Marg is wise to that and won't let it happen.

The truth is thats why Cotto needs his body attack. When he abandoned it to stick and move he got caught in a deep problem: his punches could not affect Marg. End of story. He would have had to change horses midstream and attack the body, he didn't.

 

A new trainer would'nt hurt Cotto's future IMO.Even as he was popping Margo and moving...you could tell that's not his natural style of fighting...and it was taking a lot from him physically.There are guys out there who are much more at ease moving around the ring...Floyd,Spinks etc come to mind...with these cats,its almost instinctive to move in and out...almost a reflex action....Cotto needs to work more on that...he needs a conditioning coach...

He also needs to learn to clinch when he's taking a breather...that sitting on the ropes shit is suicidal against a plodder like Margarito...Clottey would also give him hell if they ever met IMO.

And then there's more subltle moves....like trying to punch at angles instead of straight on 1-2s.A hooker-cut is always a much more dangerous shot than a straight right-cross...because of the connect-angle...what it does to the neck-balance symetry...it twists the head at an awkward angle as opposed to a straight right or left jolt...think Buster Douglas-Mike Tyson 10th round...That was a superb hook turned into an uppercut...Mike's head nearly left his shoulders...Cotto was landing a lot of flush straight shots...but most were landing either on the forehead or side of the head...

But whatever trainer he goes with,it'll have to be someone very experienced....somebody who can read fighter styles...cause Cotto is nearly the finished article.