Doesn't Cotto look soft physically?

it's amazing how many armchair warriors feel like they're experts on professional athletes' training and nutritional needs.

 

You made me crave for some Pringles now.

 

Ok, that would make sense as to why his upper body looked and tighter.... I wonder if his punch pop changed any as of a result. Look at the Gomez and Mosley fight in comparison to recent. His punches looked really sharp, fast, and explosive...not saying they aren't now,but in the Gomez/Mosley fight they were dynamite.

 

He doesn't need more strength against a smaller, less physical opponent. So, doing weights would be silly - he will have a lot more core strength than Manny just by virtue of being a physically heavier built man.

It looks like he's really worked on his fitness so he can weather the high pace that Manny will probably set in the first six rounds. He's punching with good form on the pads, getting in the right position and with the right distribution of weight. Come fight night, he'll be whipping out those shots every time Manny steps in, or whenever he gets Manny on the ropes.

Unlike with Hatton, Manny won't be able to move Cotto - so it's essential he stays off the ropes, cause if Cotto gets him there, he's getting hammered.

 

The Cotto camp are in no doubt Cotto is peaking at the right time and who's to say otherwise?

The other point regarding 145 lbs.. its Cotto's perfect weight. His sparring partners are saying he is actually hitting HARDER at 145 than at 147, kind of makes sense, he sometimes looked slugglish at the full weight. If Pac thinks the 2 lbs will make all the difference, well yes, in favour of Miguel!

 

Something seems really cloke and dagger about the catchweight situation and now roach saying the fight would go ahead at 147 with a penalty. I think manny comes into the ring as strong as cotto and muscles him on the inside. Pacquiao is an all together different beast to that which cotto has faced before. The closest thing to a complete package ATG fighter cotto has faced is mosley but he is past prime even though still great. I seriously think this is a bigger step up for cotto than it is for pacquiao.

 

Lets see what happens when Cotto lands- and starts pushing manny on the back foot...

 

This is poor analysis. Weight is nothing to do with strength and, let's be honest, Manny is a sharp-shooter, not a physical fighter. He hasn't got an inside game of any real note - unlike Cotto.

Cotto isn't cloak and dagger - this is what he does in every fight. His training is kept private because he doesn't want people to see what he's working on. He's too much of a professional to not honour the catchweight.

Your last point displays some wishful thinking. Manny hasn't faced a genuine threat since Marquez. Cotto's last fight was against a much better opponent than Manny's was.

Also, Manny has to deal with extra weight; a harder punching, more methodical opponent who won't give him as many opportunities to land; and a guy who's actually at or near his prime with the skill-set to really do him some damage.

This is a 50-50 fight, make no mistake.

 

He has looked smaller since after the Margarito fight. I think that he has tried to improve his stamina.

Those saying that he looks soft are crazy.

 

I mean cloak and dagger on freddie's part. Why ask for 145 when your going to let the other come in at his usual weight anyway. Manny moved up fight a very strong 140 lber who was lineal champ. He may not have been as able as clottey but manny was moving up. Manny will have plenty of oppurtunities to land on cotto. Clottey is good but he doesnt win and is an underperformer when it matters. Pacquiao has faced a better skill set than cotto in marquez, twice. With cotto i havent seen his flaws addressed as hes progressed unlike manny who seems to add something visibly new to his game every time out (by the way manny is still a sucker for a jab).

With regards to the physicality of manny, he manhandling hatton at times in the fight. Hatton couldnt get the punches off on the inside.

 

He looked in good shape, what are you talking about.

I am not worried about his conditioning, I am worried about their strategy and game plan. I think Manny will be too mobile and fast. Cotto is easy to hit and Roach will find a way to make sure it happens. All Cottos team has talked about is "manny has never felt power like Cotto's" but time has shown that depending on size and power against pac isnt a good strategy. You need to be a good counter puncher to beat him.