Better Boxing Skills - Pacquiao Or Cotto?

Pac IMO has more demensions, more tools and ability, but Cotto IMO is just more polished and has the cleaner "technique" from a boxing standpoint.

Cotto is more of a "Classic boxer" and with the AM background he has more of that "clean, smooth" style. Were PAC is a great fighter and a very good boxer like Cotto....PAC's style is more raw. He doens't have that AM background and didn't have that classic style that many boxers have.

Who has the better skills? I'd say PAC....not from a visual stand point, but from a performance stand point. If it was only about who looks better in terms of technique I'd say Cotto.

 

Cotto by a long shot. It's not even close.

 

Pac's "D" is top notch. If he can make a sharp shooter like JMM miss as often as he did you can't say he has "shitty" defense. Of course his reflexes are on anther level and that helps but his foot work creates offensive opportunites along with his quick hands.

 

So does JMM have shitty "D" too.....some forget that JMM was pretty busted up against PAC too. JMM was only able to land 32% on PAC when he average in the low to mid 40's on average.

PAC's offesne is better than most in boxing. He darts in and out effectively by setting up his offense with his jab and footwork. PAC's style is one that is constantly moving so his balance isn't always the best, but it's effective b/c he's able to avoid offense with good head movement and again......Reflexes.

Cotto visually has the better technique and is more sound. With his AM background he's got all the basics and fudementals that as boxing fans we are use to.....but PAC is a better boxer...he just doesn' have that classic boxer style. But he's more effective. Alot of that has to do with his natural talent and gifts but no one can blame PAC for what he was born with.

I will say this......If PAC didn't have the talent and the natrual ability that we rarely ever see, then with out a doubt Cotto woudl be the better boxer....but it is what it is...PAC is the more dominating and the better fighter. Cotto is not like JMM. He's got tehcnique like Juan, but he's not the boxer JMM is. JMM is a better boxer than PAC, Cotto is not.

 

i think cotto can box better moving backwards and to the sides and manny is really good at using angles and throwing combinations. cotto is the better defensive boxer and manny is the better offensive boxer.

 

Anyways, Cotto looks like the more skillfull of the two..(posture, stance, flair, deliberate) but when engagement occurs, Cottos flaws surfaces while Pac skills shines, he employs his corners instructions to the T, and gives great angles.

And who ever said pacquaio doesnt throw straight punches lol..that left hand is as straight and devastating as anything in the history of this sport.

 

After Hopkins, Marquez, and Floyd I would say that Pacquiao is the most skilled fighter in the sport. More than Donaire, JuanMa, Cotto, Mosley, Rafa Marquez, Israel Vasquez, Kessler, Wlad, and all those other guys.

The only thing Cotto does better than Pac in terms of skill is his jab and his left hook and that because he is a left handed fighter in an orthodox position, so its comes more naturally. And even the hook is a toss-up. As we've seen Pac has pretty much mastered his right hook. Pac uses his jab as a range finder and to set up his other punches. Alot of people didn't notice but the knockout of Hatton was set-up with the jab. Pac was jabbing Hatton alot in that fight and then he feinted a jab and KTFO Hatton with the overhand left. But still Cotto's jab is much better than Pac's

Footwork is Pac, not even close. Cotto often backs himself up into vulnerable positions and doesn't use angles very well on offense. Pac can move out of danger 10x better and his feet are always in perfect position when throwing combinations unless he is fighting a supremely skilled fighter like JMM, where he has less success but still has some. Check out the jab-jab-left that Pac threw on ODLH where he started the combination standing in front of Oscar... He throws two right jabs while moving to his right, Oscar raises his guard in front to block the jabs and then Pac pops him with a straight left from the left side of his guard.

Guard, not even close. Pac blocks alot of punches and thats the reason he is barely ever hurt. One of the most underrated aspects of his game. Cotto keeps his left hand low and tries to parry punches with an open right glove but it really doesn't work well at all.

Upper body movement? Cotto ducks into uppercuts from SlowMo Antonio Margarito, Pac is the hardest fighter to time in the entire sport.

Straight? Pac can lead the with straight left, throw it behind a hook, or a jab, can double pump his straight left while moving to the side. Pac's straight left is the most skillful punch in the entire sport. If you still think its just speed then you're kidding yourself. Timing, accuracy, technique. Speed and technique go hand in hand anyways. The straighter punches get there faster. Meanwhile Cotto's straight right hand is powerful but his technique on it is nothing special.

Counterpunching? When is the last time Cotto threw a counterpunch? Pacquiao countered the **** out of Hatton and I was rewatching Pac vs JMM II last night and Pacquao countered him more than a few times. Pac kinda looked like Hopkins-Taver in the 10th when JMM lunged in and Pac countered him with an overhand left while he ducked under.

Combination punching is also clear cut for Pac. People used to think Pac can't throw combo's without his left until they saw the Diaz fight. He even threw the Mike Tyson right hook/uppercut combo.

anyways, its nearly a shutout. At this point in his career Pac's skills are elite even by all-time standards. He can pressure, counter, or pot-shot in any round. He can do it all. Cotto takes some oumf off his punches when he is fighting on the backfoot and leaves himself open when he is putting on the heat or when the heat is on him.

 

I think this is a no brainer. Pacquiao is touted to have revolutionized boxing thru his aggressive but defensive style and him being matched up with bigger fighters than him is due to his over the top skills. The reason why to me this match is equal, is because Cotto (like any other WW) is bigger than Pacquiao, his size compensated making the fight a level playing field.

 

:blood:rofl

 

Great Post Philla, Nacho mentioned this timing part in one of his interviews

 

:deal Co-sign and great perspective.

 

In my opinion, David Diaz is as limited a fighter as Alfonso Gomez is and Pacquiao did not look as good as Cotto did when he faced him. Not even close. Boxers on that level are supposed to make elite fighters look good. It's a great chance for them to showcase their skills. I repeat, Pacquiao has knocked out fighters, hurt fighters, even humiliated them but never has he looked as good as Cotto did that night. Cotto was doing everything beautifully. He looked invincible.

 

I picked Cotto for better boxing skills. I believe he has the better fundamentails . I do think Paq has a very unorthodox style that makes him so good. His speed and power are incredable. I think this fight is a win win for the boxing fans. Just to throw a thought in the discussion. I believe Cotto was picked by the Paq. camp for two reasons,

1) I believe the two hard fights against Clottey and A.M. might have him on the decline.

2) because Cotto is a orthodox fighter they can study his fights and look at his bad habbits in the ring, and make a game plan accordingly.

Just a thought. I think Mosley was not picked because he is very unorthodox and hard to predict. He would be a more dangerous fight.

 

Pac was in the olympics as well fyi... just to carry the Philippine flag in Beijing.

 

This had to be THE longest nutt-hugging post I have ever read on this forum.

Usually I spot a nut-hugging post and just stop, but made me giggle a bit here and there and I tried to see the logic in this spotty ass post.

You have many points made here, but again fail to see that all the credit your giving Pacquiao for his "skill" all comes mainly from his speed.

If Pac wasn't fast, he wouldn't be ****.

Seriously...Im not sure how this **** is being debated.

This question is about as easy to answer as

Who is more skilled Calzaghe or Kessler?