Was rewatching Judah Vs Cotto and saw Zab get off first and fast. The two low blows obviously hurt him but I’m not sure he would have won the fight even if Cotto didn’t low blow him. Thoughts?
You have to put some kind of asterisk on this one, just like on Trinidad's win over Fernando Vargas. When a blatant cheap shot(s) totally change the momentum of a fight, you can't just wave that away. Cotto was in severe danger during the first 3 rounds. He was almost out on his feet twice, and he was buzzed/wobbled a few other times and busted open too if I recall. If Zab never get's fouled I can easily imagine him teeing off with another straight left or left uppercut that drops Cotto before a finishing barrage. This is a fight that belongs in every 'underrated fights' thread. It isn't on par with Vasquez vs. Marquez II, and it kind of veers toward non-competitiveness in the later rounds, but it's still a blood and guts fight with a beautiful mix of styles: Cotto marching ahead like a terminator, pounding Judah's flanks, and Judah luring Cotto into traps and exploding with vicious left hands.
I think Cotto would of won anyway. The early Judah hype of a Whitaker with KO power was legit imo He had the talent of a Mayweather of Pacquaio but he lacked their testicular fortitude, pun intended. Maybe he didn't have the intelligence of a Mayweather to adjust. He didn't have the grit to overcome adversity and like Tyson became a front runner. In his early career he absolutely had the stamina to box for 12 rounds at a good pace. I do think he had more raw talent than Pacquaio. It shows talent alone won't keep you at the top in this sport.
