to the point where the improved skills will make Miguel a better fighter than the pre-plastered Miguel?
I hope Steward can, but I doubt. Cotto has been in a quite a few tough fights in his career. Those have to be adding up.
He can make him a smarter fighter... But physically he's lost an edge. Steward can help him lengthen his career by fighting smarter fights and taking less damage.
lack of a quality trainer to implement and plan strategy as well as someone to give sound advice in the corner. Cotto now has that so its a defenite improvement.
Cotto just doesnt have the confidence he used to have. Going in and throwing hard bombs, now hes a more defense first kind of guy and with that mindset Steward can help prolong his career by teaching him the basics of just boxing and moving. Technically he may be better but overall the old cotto was a destroying machine.
It would be a real challenge, but yes. I think so. If he can rebuild his mental confidence, which he is gradually doing, then he won't be gunshy. His boxing skills are already comparable to what they were before. With both things improving, he can actually get wins I don't think he would have been able to get before.
You don't fully comeback from a fight like that, Cotto left a piece of himself in that ring that night
cotto was never great at defense. steward is a good addition to his career, but, i think it is too late. he cant beat guys who are fast like pacquiao. those days are over
I never really thought it was his skill level that was failing him. Beginning with Mosley we really noticed Miguel slowing down in the second half of fights.. I'd trally like to see him doing some high intensity training. He needs to bed going balls to the walls in training, he's always just so laxed. If he was as fresh in the 10th a in the 1st, he could still accomplish a lot.
Good point. Also Steward said initially that he was focussing on correcting Cotto's bad habits...that he had virtually been training himself the past years. So, yes I believe there will be differentiating improvement and Margarita will get a thorough ass kicking!!!