Miguel Cotto vs. Meldrick Taylor

I'll agree that Cotto wasn't the most durable at 140 lbs...and does the possiblity exist for him to be TKO'd? Yes, you have to say it does exist, but it is extremely unlikely outcome (IMO).
Corley wobbled him badly and Torres hurt and floored him...but Cotto rebounded and won (the Corley fight stunk a little honestly)...A high price would have to paid in the trenches against Cotto in order for Taylor to get the TKO win. Cotto demonstrated adequate speed, good combinations (and accurate), and brutal power against the 140 lbers. If Taylor stands with him (and he stood in with everyone) Cotto finds him, and often, with a hard body attack. Cotto would have been the best puncher at the weight Taylor ever faced. Given that, I feel Taylor does not get a TKO, or even a win. Chavez would hurt Taylor at times through out their brutal first fight, and Chavez while being very accurate and strong...did not have near the offensive power Cotto had at 140 lbs.

 

That's a fair assessment:good

 

Fair enough.
btw I'm picking that man in your avatar on April 19th:good

 

The bolded is where our opinions GREATLY differ.

Taylor gets a TKO due to constant workrate and landed shots. His power wasn't overwhelming with single shots, but his workrate was, and seeing as how he took Chavez's shots, I'd see it as no problem taking Cotto's shots.

Your little eye-rolling emoticon is more or less exactly how I feel about your post, being as you don't seem to realize how vulnerable Cotto was in terms of his chin and durability. It seemed every time he got hit clean he was rocked. Taylor would hit him often, while taking shots in return, but as I said, if he took Chavez's(who dewfinitely hit at least as hard as Cotto at 140, I don't know where the hell you get off saying otherwise) he could take Cotto's. Cotto, on the other hand, could most certainly not take the consistent beating Chavez took with the same stride as Chavez did.

I think you're confusing the 140 Cotto with the 147 version, in which case I'd agree with you.

 

I can see our opinions differ greatly on more than just one matchup.

 

I'll agree that Chavez definitely takes those shots from Taylor better than Cotto would at 140...But we'll just have to disagree on Cotto's power compared to Chavez's...IMO there is a disparity there...and the main thing is he didn't take Chavez's shots! (but that stoppage sucked though) I don't see from Taylor's track record that he stops Cotto at all.
Did that little emoticon make you mad? boo hoo.
For the record, Meldrick was one of my favorites back in the day. He fought with alot of heart.

 

That is what makes it fun. I looking forward to this fight no matter who wins. We need to start a classic opinion thread on it.

 

Not strictly at 140lbs. But overall as a package Cotto's a more adaptable fighter than Chavez. Yes, Chavez has the better chin and punches even better to the body. But Cotto can give his opponent different looks, something Chavez seldom done. And before you care to mention, Chavez could box a little, but just a little. For instance, in Cotto's last fight he played the matador during the late rounds. He was boxing on the backfoot behind the jab and looking to more or less avoid Mosley's blows rather than push the action himself. Chavez couldn't muster up such an approach during a fight. If you actually read my post correctly when I said Cotto was more complete, I wasn't specific at a certain weight. Infact I said Chavez would win at 140lbs as Cotto's punch resistance wasn't good.


Just because Chavez has achieved more and is greater how things stand, doesn't mean he's more adaptable than Cotto. I think Cotto is more adaptable and multi dimensional than Trinidad as well.

Yeah, good call.

Yeah, Cotto never had the experience and chin at 140lbs that he has now.

 

i always felt taylor was very adebt at beating bigger men. his first 2 rounds against terry norris was interesting. i actually could of scored it to meldrick easily if i didnt count the power shots in the 2nd round.

and as small in stature as he was he was a strong bulky guy with huge shoulder muscles if i remember add this with a natural talent of speed of hand and foot i think he could of beaten most 140 pound champions on a good night.

cotto is a not so talented fighter what he has is a lefty in a orthy position a decent jab (but at 140 pounds he rarely used it) he has a great inside game and a great left hook. he has the basics down very strongly and uses his main advantage...wieght.

now as you may know he wieght drains alot and i mean alot almost gaining 14 pounds if not more. he has clocked up to be a 160 pounder on fight night which is remarkable.

meldrick i think can outbox him outwork him and out blitz him. taylor has a good chin or at least b+ and can stay on the inside for long enough i suppose.

i would like to add that even though meldrick is short. he can box very well he only traded when he thouhgt he could beat you at it. also cotto's defence is poor he leaves his hands just apart from his face so striaght punches go down the pipe. and hooks (if you dare get close enough) can get round

mel i think wins by ud

 

You realise that those rounds where Cotto 'Played the matador' he was regarded as losing those rounds. Also watch Chavez vs Lockridge for an example of him playing the matador against a very good fighter in Lockridge. He had damaged his hand so was forced to box and use lateral movement. Chavez was much more multi-dimensional then some will have you believe.

 

Chavez wasn't great on the backfoot. He could go side to side and get behind the jab, but not for particularly long spells.

Cotto was losing those rounds, but Chavez couldn't show a fighter that kind of approach. Chavez's style was too tight and rigid for him to flow around the ring in a similar manner to Cotto.

 

The emoticon didn't make me mad in itself, just the idea that a pre-prime, shaky-chinned Cotto stops Taylor when Chavez couldn't, as well as thinking Cotto could withstand what Chavez took. Pretty laughable the way I see it.

 

Which is exactly why I responded the way I did, because this fight deals with a matchup at 140, not at 147. I read your post correctly.

True, but Trinidad is probably a worse matchup for him at 147 than Chavez at 140, even if he is more versatile. His style still plays into Tito's hands.

Which is the weight this matchup would be fought at.

 

Not necessarily. It's not like Cotto didn't display awesome recuperative powers in both of the instances where he was hurt. And, he boxed quite well against Abdellaev and Pinto at 140lbs, so if he elects to play the role of counter-puncher and forces MT to lead, then he would have had plenty of opportunity to land his own shots.

MT could box very well, but did like to go into the trenches and he did tend to rely upon volume rather than power to win fights. I say he takes the bait and pays the price in the later rounds. I don't see this being a blowout...and I could see Cotto scoring a late rounds KO.

So, the chance of Cotto winning is hardly a laughing matter, imo.

 

You can laugh all you want to, and I could care less about it. We'll just disagree on this one. It would be one tough fight.