Bert Sugar’s old school breakdown: The triumph and heartache of Miguel Cotto.........

Cotto will outpoint Margo this time IMO. Cotto is on the decline now his weakness, pressure has been discovered. At 140 he could smash through people, but either to increased class of opposition once he'd got to 147 or just that he didn't carry it, but Cotto lost a bit of pop once he'd moved up.

Then, the transition. The lates rounds of the Mosley fight was when we first saw the complete switcharound from merciless destroyer who will take bombs off class punchers and keep on coming to a more conservative and smarter technical boxer.

He knew he couldn't quite make it of he was always engaging. Either through his tank or his skin, Cotto couldn't keep the pace up. Margo knew this. Pac also knew this.

Clottey, whether he knew it or not is also a (much more) flawed fighter and barely attempted to mount an offence. Margo could do it second time, but Cotto may well be able to pull off his stick-and-move shtick against a Margo who has also suffered two brutal shellackings, has been banned, and in his only fight back where he hasn't been battered, fought someone of much less stock than the opposition Cotto will have faced in the lead-up.

Cotto could well outpoint Toni this time IMO. I'd rather see him bow out with a complete outclassing of Chavez Jr, which would also see him get one last big payday.

He is a fighter who seems pretty much universally adored. Just a shame him collapsing under pressure made itself known to him, because he was truly ferocious as a Terminator-esque fighter. Sadly he doesn't quite have 'it' to pull off the variety he pulls off now, doesn't quite have the poise, if you keep plugging away the old fighter emerges, the guy you hit with ease, only, he can't quite give it back anymore. He has to get increasingly survivalist as the fight appears to lean ever more towards the other guy (a few rounds of Clottey-Cotto made me nervous for sure, until Clottey froze) and only show flourishes of his past brilliance. As I say I think that's mainly because Cotto lost a bit of pizazz from the championship rounds of the Mosley fight (ironically the first time I really really bought into him as a potential 'great) and he wasn't quote able enough to pull off the transition from beast into cutie.

But Miguel is a smart man and I think he will bow out before givng us any more distressing nights, one guy it's never been nice to see get bashed up.

 

Eh?

1. Carlos Ortiz
2. Wilfredo Gomez
3.Felix Trinidad

 

Exactly. The article has a source that puts Trinidad at number 2.

 

What are you on about Sir?

 

Sugar mentions his book had a list of the greatest pr fighters, with Trinidad at 2

 

I'll spoonfeed it to you.....

 

Well to be fair that question didn't interest me so I didn't read the answer

Anyone disagree with my top 3?

 

Cotto looks like a big fat ****, in recents pictures which i've seen him in.

If he is beaten in his next fight, its his own fault.

Mayorga, looked like a fat waster aswell to be honest.

 

All of this killed me. The lamentive tone of the last line in particular :good

 

Good read. Cotto is one of my favourite fighters who I feel dosent get the credit he deserves sometimes. Great fighter.

 

No. I think the order of 1st and 2nd is more debatable than the names of the 2 boxers involved.

 

Yeah, I think Ortiz and Bazooka are a lock.

 

Benitez
Ortiz
Gomez

 

Even though i'm a big Cotto fan and i do believe foreign substances were in Margarito's gloves the night he beat Cotto. I have to be honest, i think the Margarito of the Pacquiao fight would've still beat him. Cotto just cannot outbox on the backfoot for 12 rounds and sustain the type of intense pace Margarito sets. I think Margarito is just a bad match-up for him because he'll make him gass and then take advantage.

The problem with Miguel is he does not fight through fatigue that well and he becomes very easy to hit once he gets to that stage. He's also not as combat effect when he's on the backfoot.

Under strenuous activity everyone gets fatigued, the problem in boxing is you can get knocked out. Every fighter gets tired. But some fighters don't get their second wind quick enough and can't hide it when they're gassed, Cotto is one of those fighters. This is when he goes into survival mode. His body language changes and he slows down, it's just the way his lungs are. This is why Margarito gives him hell everytime IMHO because Cotto can't punch with full force and resorts to a lot of feinting, bouncing and posturing without keeping the opponent off.

Now, Margarito could be done after that Pacquiao beating, in which case Cotto will have a better chance. But if he's not and he can still take what he has to and get his game started, then Miguel would be in for another tough night.

 

HOW THE **** DID I FORGET WILFRED BENITEZ?!?!?! I'd have him at 2, Bazooka Gomez at 3 :good