Why do people always say that a fighter was not the same against opponents

Good thread.

People say stuff like that as a security blanket for whatever reason; maybe they don't want to give a fighter his due, or the fighter that lost is their favourite and don't want to come to terms iwth the fact they were in against a better man. Quintana would most likely lose to Cotto 9/10 based on their first fight, but he did well against Williams and reestablished himself as a big player in the welterweight division despite the loss. End of story really.

 

well a boxer is rarely the same from bout to bout. There are a ton of factors that can influence his performance. If a fighter is going through a divorce, had a bad training camp, is getting older, overlooks his opponent, is not motivated. All these factors and more can affect a boxer's performance.

but i disagree that Quintana was not the same against Cotto and Williams to the point where it made a significant difference. However sometimes it does.

 

The expression '' styles make fights '' should be considered here.
On the other hand, if you've ever competed in various sports, you know that some days, it just ain't working the way you wish it would, no matter what or how hard you try....

 

But Quintana vs Cotto for example, it was such an overwhelming beating that it's hard to believe that Quintana could ever have beaten Cotto.

 

For the first fight..Quintana maybe didn't have the experience yet to face a guy like Cotto.
I think Quintana would now be at a serious disadvantage because of the psychological aspect of the game. The body shots he received, were really vicious and I'm afraid that would stay in his head during a rematch. You can't be effective while fighting worried about what the other guy might do to you.....

 

Yeah, it depends on circumstance. Take Kermit Cintron, for example. I say the Cintron who fought Margarito was not the same Cintron who fought Matthysse, because Cintron was coming off a long layoff and hand surgery when he took on Marg the first time. Though you could argue, mentally he's always been the same. I also say the Graham Earl who was blitzed in one round by Amir Khan was not the same fighter who fought Michael Katsidis earlier in the year, because of the horrible beating he took from Katsidis. While Quintana on the other hand, was one fight removed from the performance of his career, having never taking a beating, and having no known injuries or difficulty leading up to the bout.

 

Good points you make there.

But considering Quintana was favourite going into the fight, he must have had all the confidence in the world at the time. If they fought again he wouldn't be as confidence knowing he got destroyed in their first meeting, so I really don't see Quintana ever getting redemption over Miguel Cotto. Let's not forget, Quintana wasn't even mentioned in the same breathe as Cotto until he defeated Paul Williams. Paul williams is not as fast or as powerful as cotto.

 

double post