Cotto-Pacquiao: How does the Brit Forum think this will go?

Pac stops him late but not because Cotto is 'shot' as some are suggesting. The weaknesses people are using as indicators for Miguel being on the slide have always been there. Pac should have no concerns about taking this fight at 147.

 

I kind of understand what you're saying.

I think it all comes down to whether Cotto's chin is on the slide too. There looked a couple of times when Clottey had him jarred the other nite. But Cotto ate all the leather Mosley landed on him and still persevered with his counter punching - is Pacquiao really that much faster or powerful than Shane? - I don't think so. Back to Clottey, Cotto had the cut giving him problems, blood in his eyes and restricted vision, so it's tough to assess his reactions, defence and ability to take a punch - without theat cut he would have fought a much different fight.

If it's fought below 147lbs, Cotto might be drained a bit - but I don't see why he'd take it at 142 if he anticipates a struggle to make weight. In any case he'd be 10lbs heavier on fight night - another huge difference. The only fighter Pacquiao has fought disproportionate in size has been Oscar and David Diaz - a couple of walking punchbags, not aggressive powerful punchers where the added weight will tell.

I picked Pac v Hatton and Oscar too - the difference is Pac will be much more wary of being the aggressor v Cotto. Cotto has the range and a damaging jab and straight - each time Pacquiao comes into range he will be constantly eating them and they won't tickle. Clottey had an awesome defence, but Mosley took a bit of battering trying to get in range and Cotto showed some impressive counter punching skills when he needed to. But Pacquiao is much smaller than Mosley and will have to come even further inside - very risky v Cotto IMHO.

Another difference with Hatton is that Cotto won't go chasing Pacquiao like a clown and his chin exposed. Maybe I'm glorifying Cotto too much, but I think his defence and counter punching skills are quite sound - a department in Hatton which was basic to the extreme. And the difference with Oscar is that Cotto is a warrior, not accustomed to being a punch bag. Oscar let Pac get on the inside and have him on the ropes - Cotto has good counterpunching skills, and good range - Pac won't get inside Cotto like that.

Also before the Hatton fight, many fans questioned Pac's ability to take a body shot. Well if he is vulnerable, Cotto will be working his ribs and giving him problems.

This will be the hardest fight of Pacquiao's career - I just see it being too much for him. If he goes up to 147, I dread the thought of Pac v Clottey or Margarito for similar reasons - he would get eaten alive.

 

love both fighters and whilst it's stupid to write manny off i think cotto will just be too powerful for manny especially if it's taken at 147 .

 

I can predict right now he'll say Cotto in 5.

Na just messing the last 3 Pac fights the guy has been an oracle.

 

Cotto KO. He's no Ricky Hatton.

 

cotto ko in 5-7 rounds.

 

Like I said before, the cut affected that fight - he had blood dripping into his lead eye and was struggling to see Clottey's punches coming.

Immediately after that incident he was on the backfoot, fighting a very cautious fight. He was protecting a bad cut, could not see punches coming, had delayed reactions from the punches he HAD taken - and tbf - that video was the closest Cotto came to getting KOd. he couldn't go for the KO (like Round 6) because Clottey has one of the best chins in boxing, is a powerful and durable athlete and it would have been way too risky. Against Pacquiao I can't see Cotto fighting on the backfoot like that, even with a cut like that...

Cotto was doing fine up until the cut IMHO - although I do agree he has not been his solid aggressive self since the Margarito fight.

 

The one thing he has over Shane is the footwork and defence at this stage. Shane is a slugger and always has been. A counterpunching game is easier to implement against him than Pacquiao, who is quicker of foot and showing a lot more head movement these days.

I have to disagree about Margarito by the way. I don't think Margarito would be anywhere near quick enough to get near Pacquiao, and Pacquiao is not going to slow down like Cotto did. All that strength and physical advantage is not going to matter a jot unless he can put it to good use. And I don't think Margarito has the kind of power in one punch that would put Pacquiao down so for me he's a long shot against Pacquiao. It would look like David against Goliath, but David comes out on top.

 

At 147 - 70/30 for cotto
At 140 - 70/30 for pacquiao
At 144 - 60/40 for cotto

 

Pac has got to be quite a bit faster than Mosley at this stage of their careers.

Pac looked way faster than ODLH and Hatton, freakishly faster even, I don't think Mosley would look anywhere near that fast.

I think he'd really trouble Cotto with his speed. Cotto looked slower than I've ever seen him in the Clottey fight.

 

Pac TKO 5 yes i said and i havnt been wrong many times with Pacman.

He is in the form of his life and boxing at speed and angles that even PBF defense would have trouble with.

Cotto has very poor foot and head movement like someone else said. He goes missing in rounds and i bet Pacman would start with such speed Cotto would be left gob smacked.

TKO 5 For Pac the only man i feel that might prove me wrong against Pac is PBF.

 

Without seeming like i'm hating on Cotto (because I'm not) but am I the only one who doesn't rate him that highly ?
I mean he's good but IMO he's no 'great'.
Before he got beat by Margarito he was being hailed on an almost 'second coming' level and I thought I was the only one not believing.
Now I will not criticize the fact he decided not to fight on, because I dont think thats in his nature and I think he genuinely HAD to stop. But I will criticize the fact that his defense is 'suspect' at the best, his movement is far for being on a level like PBF and Pacquiao, in fact Hatton has far better foot movement than him. He just hunts his opponents down with no head or lateral movement. A fighter like Pacquiao could pot shot him and move out of the way for 12 rounds easy, although I wouldn't see him needing the 12 rounds to do it.