I think Cotto would have lost a much more competitive decision; assuming he doesn't get lucky and land one too many bombs on Pac's dome in the heat of a firefight.
If their fight had been even remotely close, there may have been a point to this thread. But it was a complete domination, and despite all the usual General Forum melodrama about one loss "ruining" a fighter, Cotto of 2009 was NOT a very different or lesser fighter to Cotto of 2007. The Cotto that Pac fought had beaten Clottey while having one functioning eye, the Cotto of 2007 had struggled with a fighter that Clottey beat, Zab Judah. Pre-Margo Cotto always had trouble with fast powerful punchers and always had a suspect chin/defence, so Pacquiao would always, always have beaten him soundly.
Pac still wins. Cotto may be more confident but he still gets caught b/c despite the fact he can box... he chooses to fight the wrong fight over and over again. Cotto makes fights harder for himself. I think Cotto would of possibly got a knockdown with his old trademark left hook to the body he abandoned. He was head hunting against Margarito and Pac early. The old Cotto would look for body shots first and foremost.
Cotto landed some good left hook body shots on Manny when he had him against the ropes...Once Manny showed that he wasn't hurt...Cotto's confidence started going down the drain.
Cotto was a B level pressure fighter going up against one of the best offensive fighters of all time. He gets dominated at any point...Him being mentally broken by Margarito was just icing on the cake.
B-level? I don't think so. More like A-. But Manny is simply the better ifighter, and is too much of a warrior for Cotto to ever beat.
That was an extremely competitive fight until the knockdown at the end of round 4. I think Manny outworks him, but that shot was turned the tide in that fight, not Cotto's age.
Too much difference in speed, even against the 2007 Cotto. It might be a little less of a blow-out, but same guy gets the W.