Originally posted by The Gambler1981
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I definitely thought was feeling the pace a bit against Cotto too, as Cotto's determination to cut off the ring and force him onto the ropes was taking a lot out of both of them. As the fight went on he recovered brilliantly and was clearly the stronger man going down the stretch.
He often controls such fights, where he's faced with an intelligent aggressor, with his footwork though. And I think part of the reason he ended up in uncomfortable situations against Cotto was because he wasn't quite sharp enough on his toes to wrong-foot Cotto and keep bringing the fight to where he wanted it. Again, that's understandable for a 35 year old.
Not taking any of the credit away from Cotto btw, he fought a smart and exceptionally disciplined fight on the night. But nevertheless there were little signs here and there that Floyd might not be quite as invincible as he once was.
A funny thing about sport is that a lot of the time, no one sees the end coming for great athletes and great teams. Sometimes a guy looks on top of the world and at that point in time, it can be almost impossible to believe that they would never be that good again. That's how it happens though, and the signs of deterioration can often only be detected with the benefit of hindsight.
I'm not saying Floyd is at that point yet, but you just never know. And as athletes get into their late 30s, the statistical likelihood of that abrupt fall from grace increases all the time.
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