**Rematch:Dec 3rd, NYC, Cotto Vs Margarito Countdown....Poll Added**

Totally agree.

 

Cotto doesn't know how to clinch. One of the reasons he struggles if he's carried too fast. The mere fact that we're banking on Margarito being more shot tells a story. What if his eye holds up?

IMHO if even half of the Margarito in the Pacquiao fight turns up, then Miguel is in for a long night.

 

Absolutely true, which is why we've seen him pushing in the sparring videos, I expect. It's another way of achieving the same thing while keeping you in position to punch. It probably gives Margo less opportunity to maul too.

Clinching is ****ing ugly, Cotto's willingness to engage is what makes me like him so much. I had an argument with a guy about Cotto-Clottey today on Facebook. It was a close fight, but Clottey basically allowed Cotto to outbox him. He got out-thought tactically. Miguel hated Clottey clinching him, which led to the shoulder toss. He doesn't like being denied room to work, which is probably why he doesn't clinch himself.

If Cotto can even tie up one of Margo's arms when he comes in too close, he can completely change the fight.

The guy he's with looks like a sound technical coach.

 

I'm not really banking on anything. Cotto was a bit silly tactically in the first fight. He treated it as a showcase and didn't consider the long game in the fight. I think he's more considered and a lot less arrogant now.

I think Cotto had the skills to negate Margarito then AND has them now. Whether he can carry off the game plan, I don't know. But this is a winnable fight for Miguel, he just needs to keep his composure and stop Margo from working.

That little push-off looks like the major tactic - push, step around, fire the hook, step around.

 

Clinching might be 'ugly' and an annoyance as it breaks up the action, but it's a much needed tactic when you have the flaws Cotto has, and you're facing a real life jason in Margarito.

Cotto needs to break Margarito's momentum and give himself breathers in order to box for 12 rounds. Pushing Margarito won't do it, pushing uses up more energy and the mental pressure is still there. You've got to smother Margarito and dig to the body.

Miguel has two big flaws. He gases because he can't find breathers in fights. He loses something when he's going backwards and is not the same fighter when you back him up. He shows when he's tired. Every fighter gets fatigued but some can hide it and others can't, Cotto doesn't hide it well when he's fatigued, he shows it and someone like Margarito feeds off of that. You can always tell when Cotto is tired and struggling for his second wind, because he starts bouncing around and goes into a semi survival mode.

Another thing is, watch Cotto training (hitting the heavy bag or working the mitts). He doesn't train to a fight tempo. He does everything at the same pace. When he gets in the ring and the pace and tempo is faster then he's use to. This is one area i've seen his new trainer trying to improve. I've also been impressed with some of the footage of him working with Cotto. Let's hope it makes a huge difference.

The other flaw Miguel has is he doesn't mix offense and defense that well. He's either catching or throwing.

Margarito gave a whole lot of himself in the Pacquiao fight and absorbed an insane amount of punishment, so we'll see...

 

Miguel's comments...

 

It hurts, slip, because it's true... :verysad

 

Very good post and I agree with your analysis.:good

 

I thought he looked pretty much the same against Santos.

 

Slip&Counter has made some very good points in this thread, ones which I agree with and make me think Margorito is a slight favourite in this one. If he doesn't show too much residual damage from the Pacquiao fight, I can see him winning on points.

Though both men have had a very hard time of it since the first fight and are not necessarily the same fighters now, I can't shake the fact that Cotto boxed as well as he could in the first half of the 1st fight and still Margorito caught up with him. I've just got the feeling that stylistically, Margorito's relentless pressure is something that Cotto can't handle well enough.

His boxing on the back foot was beautiful at times from Cotto but he didn't really achive much with it, apart from picking up points. Though he was well behind on the scorecards, Margorito had actually done the better groundwork in the first half of the fight with his bodypunching. It is one of his most effective weapons when he drives opponents onto the ropes and I can see it being decisive again if Cotto is not forceful enough in trying to keep Margarito off.

For that, I'd like to see him doubling or even tripling his jab from the front foot. With Cotto being naturally left handed and having a pinpoint jab, he needs to make more use of it in this fight. With the concerns over Margorito's eye, it becomes an even more important punch for Miguel. He just has to work off that consitently and attack the body more than in the 1st fight and then this one could go in his favour.

As I say, if Margorito doesn't prove too shopworn I just feel like he will be the one able to dictate the fight on his own terms and probably win by points, as I feel at 154 his power is just solid no more no less. Cotto has a chance though but will need to fight differently to the first fight which he in fairness has the capability to do.

I really, really want him to win because though I can't lay claim to being a diehard fan of his, I do respect him probably more than any other current boxer out there along with Hopkins too . He's a great credit to the sport

 

Gonna watch the first fight now :good

 

Dear god I want Miguel to beat that ****ing muggy cheating ****. But I think marg has the beating of cotto again. Cotto cannot box going backwards for 12 rounds and expect marg not to catch up with him. Physically, cotto isn't quite strong enough to meet marg head on and back him up.

I hope I hope I'm wrong and that cotto has a master plan, but I think marg is too hard, tough and powerful. Relentless ******* that he is.

Great fight while it lasts, I'm going for a marg stoppage 7-9 rounds

 

It's an understandable pick, really. I'm fighting with my instincts over it - I know Cotto has the skills to do it, but can he maintain them over Margo?

 

Well I've just rewatched their classic.

This is a pretty bold statement but I think their fight in 2008 was the last genuine world title fight that got the hype and actually lived up to the billing and turned out into a classic fight. There has been other terrific fights since, but none this high profile that have matched it. For me, mid 2008 was probably the time I was most into boxing. Setanta were at their best and if the upcoming rematch is even half as good as that it'll be worth the first 6 months BoxNation subscription alone.

I honestly cannot make up my mind as to which was the rematch will go. I think you can justify a means to either fighter getting the victory. ie Cotto's better boxing skill and being slightly less past it against Margarito's size and strength, as well as his will and knowledge to win.

I am a massive Miguel Cotto fan and obviously would love the revenge. But back in 2008 I had huge respect and admiration for Margarito, especially after winning this fight. Obviously Antonio has now lost that respect but even as a big Cotto fan, I am going to anticipate and hopefully enjoy this rematch from a neutral point of view.

I know Cotto was stopped in this fight and rightly so but an alternative view is that he was only 4 minutes away from what would likely have been a really close and probably controversial and much debated decision.

2008 brought us two great high profile fights, this along with Pacquiao/Marquez II. Both close matchups with controversial endings, rematched in late 2011. I just wonder how likely it is the upcoming rematch between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito will also leave us with more questions than answers.

Really pumped for this fight already. Bring on December 3rd.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShDYy8MlacE[/ame]

 

It's tough to see reason totally sometimes with a fighter you follow closely (as I well know!) but unfortunately I think the reality is that cotto is a far more gifted boxer, marg is an animal. He will hunt cotto pick his moments, and wear him out. And for me this is where cotto loses the fight. I also feel the physical difference told last time and it will this time.
However I'd love to see cotto make a real go of it