Just Rewatched Cotto-Margo & Plaster or Not, He is to Cotto what Marquez is to Pac

I1T2BOX · Dec 2, 2011

Bogotazo said: ↑

I just finished watching the fight mere minutes ago and I came away with the impression that Cotto only has to correct a few key points to survive.

-Use lateral movement to control the punching angle and avoid being pressured, and do so while weaving out so as to not catch or run into any punches. He did this in spots, but should have practiced it more instead of retreating to the ropes. It's more efficient in terms of his stamina, and more effective defensively. His trainer seems to be stressing this, along with intensifying his conditioning in doing so.

-Keep proper balance without ever letting the head cross past the lead foot; this is a fundamental rule that if ignored will allow him to get caught with uppercuts like he did in the first. Cotto was slipping a very very high number of punches, even late in the fight, but it was the uppercuts that shifted the momentum and left him vulnerable to further combinations. He has been working on this with Steward, and it seems to be carrying over into his exercises with his new trainer. Feet underneath you at all times with a mixed guard protecting your chin, as opposed to an imbalanced crouch and a leaky raised peekaboo.

-Tighten up the defense on the inside. Cotto's shown a pretty good defense on the inside with movement, parrying, and blocking, and so he just has to be a little more responsible in doing so this time around.

Basically, with more lateral movement, there will be less vulnerability in a closed space. With less vulnerability in a closed space, there will be less uppercuts and unseen punches landed. With less uppercuts and unseen punches landed, the more time Cotto can dedicate to a solid and effective guard during inside exchanges before restarting in the center of the ring. The angles are the key to preserving his technical advantages, and he's looked to have been working them non-stop.

In eliminating his own few but vital weaknesses, he maximizes his own strengths, and can resume the technical masterclass Cotto was laying on Margarito in the first half of the fight and even moments of the later rounds as well.

Marquez is a very adaptive counter-puncher who can identify multiple weaknesses and nullify a multitude of strengths, whereas Margarito's pressure can only cave the absence of certain fundamentals. Remove those negligent absences and you take away Margarito's openings without much chance he can concoct some new stylistic challenge round to round with his ring IQ. While I agree pressure (specifically Margarito's tall, unyielding pressure) has always troubled Cotto, the metaphor of a stylistic foil doesn't apply as Cotto is more versatile and able to correct his flaws than Pacquiao could ever be against a rhythmic technician like Marquez.

Cotto can steal Margarito's few keys from him and shut the door; Pacquiao can try to do the same to Marquez in different ways, but Marquez is a key-maker. Big difference there.
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Quality Post:good

Miguel seemed very effective when engaging in flurries, altho I belived he over-comited on combinations too early in the fight and should have worked behind the jab more. This along with pivoting/lateral movement is KEY but I cant look past the insignificant amount of bodywork miguel did during that fight.It was practically non existent.

Bogotazo · Dec 4, 2011

I1T2BOX said: ↑

Quality Post:good

Miguel seemed very effective when engaging in flurries, altho I belived he over-comited on combinations too early in the fight and should have worked behind the jab more. This along with pivoting/lateral movement is KEY but I cant look past the insignificant amount of bodywork miguel did during that fight.It was practically non existent.
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It was there tonight man. :happy

divac · Dec 4, 2011

Bogotazo said: ↑

It was there tonight man. :happy
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Margarito's eye shutting early had zero to do with the happenings hey Tazo?

Bogotazo · Dec 4, 2011

divac said: ↑

Margarito's eye shutting early had zero to do with the happenings hey Tazo?
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It was swelling a bit early on but Cotto was boxing beautifully. Cotto had an answer for every offensive maneuver Margarito attempted, and was nearly always capable of maintaining the fight in the center, even showing some unexpected strength to push Margarito back. His balance was better, his lateral movement was better, his guard was tighter, his punches were well-timed, crisp, and accurate. Sure Margarito's eye was a problem by the 7th, but it wouldn't have happened without Cotto's hard shovel jabs and left hooks landing on it repeatedly and with the added force of Margarito's disrupted incoming momentum.

Plaster...Sad · Dec 4, 2011

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Auracle21 · Dec 4, 2011

Cotto!!! redemption!!

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Just Rewatched Cotto-Margo & Plaster or Not, He is to Cotto what Marquez is to Pac

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Just Rewatched Cotto-Margo & Plaster or Not, He is to Cotto what Marquez is to Pac

I1T2BOX Boxing Addict Full Member

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divac Loyal Member Full Member

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Plaster...Sad Guest

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