Martinez >Prince Naseem and Cotto is less skilled than Barrera, but hear me out...

The Weight/Height and Chin disadvantages are a problem, but the Barrera gameplan was not only designed to get an effective offense going, but neutralizing the offense of the other fighter as well. My point in the comparison is to highlight how Barrera was able to get his own shots in and control the pace enough to make Naseem too reluctant to get his own offense going. With a Jab, a tight guard, and the right control of distance, Steward might have Cotto use this tactic to prevent Martinez from landing anything too significant. Martinez undoubtedly has one-punch KO power at the weight, but to prevent something from landing unseen or so clean to cause major damage would be part of the strategy. Left hook around the low right shoulder, circle left, jab, work the body when in close.

 

Thought I'd bump this thread after the Martinez-Barker fight. Though Barker wasn't elite, he still had decent enough fundamentals and timing with the jab to disrupt some of Martinez's rhythm.

Now, Martinez is one of my favorite active fighters, and I'm not out to bash him, but my original thoughts on how someone could "tame" Martinez with a textbook approach and intelligent pressure sprung to mind again last night. While I hope Martinez isn't getting too old before he has a chance to land some more big fights, I do thnk that if Barker could neutralize him to the extent that he did (I had him losing a good majority of rounds, mind you), then Cotto would have a shot, despite his stylistic and mental changes.

Again, I point back to Barrera-Hamed, and how Barrera was able to use patience and well-coordinated leads and counters out of a textbook guard and stance, in order to neutralize the much more athletic but technically uncommitted southpaw in Hamed-and doing so with a dominant left hand.

Thoughts are appreciated.

 

I think his confidence is growing a bit. Mayorga was not world-beater when they fought, but he came in fit and was a much bigger man. Cotto didn't fight a perfect fight, but he won nearly ever round and never shied away from exchanges, which he got the better of. I think that if Steward keeps building his confidence, he won't be too gun-shy to pull it off.

 

That is a good point, it is greater; do you mean more in just sheer weight, or the dimensions of height and reach?

 

:good Will do. You never know, the fight could get made.