Just watched Margarito-Clottey...

Yeah, I got the fight too, and watched it recently. Honestly, Tony looked uncomfortable using that style and it seemed evident that he really needs to have his feet planted to punch. And I think he realized the style wasn't going to work after round 5 or so when he changed his tactics.

 

Let's see, we ripped Quik a new one for saying what Clottey did to Margo is impossible to use as a measuring stick for the Cotto fight, but somehow what Margo did to Sebastian Lujan is highly relevant?

 

Margo TKOs Cotto in 11

 

If Miguel slips on a ring ad and breaks an ankle.

 

dont compare cotto to clottey when it comes to defense. Clottey has the FAR superior defense. Dont expect cotto to avoid shots the way joshua did. His defense, and just about everything else is extremly underrated. I believe clottey knocks cotto out.

 

basically what bigreg said.

 

100% right. It's so easy to look for one fight to use as an example.

 

You are not telling us anything we don't already know. Margo starts slow and he looks bad. That's the bottom line. He HAS to come out fast against Cotto if he expects to win. He has to be just as aggressive and sharp as he was against Cintron. He cannot let Cotto bank those first 4-5 rounds.

The Clottey fight was difficult as they were coming in with bad sparring, a long layoff and injuries to both the ankle and the wrist on the right hand. Sure Clottey had a bruised knuckle, but that wasn't why he slowed down. He slowed down because you can only burst speed punching so many times before you start getting tired. He has the same issue as Zab Judah although much more defensively responsible.

I for one do not expect Cotto to blow his tank in the first half of the fight. Cotto has speed but he's not Clottey kind of flashy speed. Plus defensively he is different. He doesn't cover up as well as Clottey does. Even with Clottey's superior defense he was worn down by the 9th and looked ready to go before he started to backtrack his way around the ring.

Margo believe it or not is one of those hot and cold fighters. He fights at the level of his opposition. If he underestimates a guy he ends up in a tough fight. But he still tries to pull it out. He greatly respected Cintron and Daniel Santos and I think he beat both of them (of course Santos got the decision).

Cotto is a real legitimate guy and Margo knows it. He knows he has to live up to the moment and I think he will.

 

Yeah, Margarito pretty much has no chance against Cotto. Not because of the Clottey fight, but because of every one of his fights. He has always been a one-dimensional, slow, sloppy, B level fighter who's not a big puncher and has no defense. He's going to be brutally owned. The only time he's been in there with a real puncher was against Cintron, but he didn't get hit by anything big because Kermit couldn't create the correct distance to land huge shots on him. Yes, he has a very good chin, but he won't be walking through Cotto's shots and Cotto's body attack will wear him down by the mid-rounds.

It's going to be a brutal, brutal fight for Margarito.. his skin cuts pretty easily and he's going to be taking an insane amount of punishment from a guy who delivers it better than anyone.

 

Long layoff
Injuries
Bad sparring

how many excuses are there?

 

As many as you clowns make for poor Clottey's bruised knuckle.

It goes both ways. :yep

 

Bruised knuckle or not though, IMO Margarito was going to win anyway. Fighting in spurts like Clottey does would never work.

 

Margo tucks his elbows very well to defend against body attacks. As tall as he is he fights very small. Watch the Clottey fight again and also the Lujan fight. Margarito is not open downstairs as you guys play him out to be. Sure this leaves his chin more exposed but he takes chin shots better than anyone in that division.

Cotto will have to drop his guard to attack Margarito's body with any sort of consistency. And that will leave him open to that uppercut and the right hand. Cotto does not have Clottey's reach or speed to invest heavily upstairs without ending up in some back and forth exchanges. Neither does he fight at anything other than a methodical pace. Which suits him against the likes of Judah but as Mosley showed, his methodical pace can be broken down with pressure.

Just watch how Margarito blocks body shots and comes back with the big uppercuts. Cotto has that waiting for him if he plans on any sort of body attack. And I highly doubt he'll take those uppercuts without some trouble.

Far as I can tell it is Cotto who cuts easier than Margarito. Margarito was stopped by Santos on cuts caused by a headbutt. Not a punch. That can happen to anybody.

 

This was something most of us expected before the fight. Knowing that he was having some issues with both Baldomir and Gutierrez tells you that he'd have that same demon surface against Margarito. Granted he looked spectacular for 4-5 rounds, but it's a 12 round fight. You blow your tank halfway against a guy like Margarito you are asking to be beaten.

 

All I know is this...

I am very curious as to how Cotto will react if he finds he can't hurt Margarito. He's really only handled that situation once, vs. Mosley, where he gave away a good portion of the later rounds after landing a hell of a lotta leather clean on Mosley.

Now Mosley is a different beast (and a HOF fighter), but still. Margarito can take a shot like few can. If Cotto doesn't play the boxer in this fight or goes in with the wrong mentality, he could very well get shocked. Margarito will be the second toughest test of his career.