Expect an Easy Win for Miguel Cotto
As many people seem to have hopped off the Cotto Express bandwagon after he took a bludgeoning against Margarito, then went on to lose by TKO in a lop-sided affair versus P4P king Manny Pacquiao, so too have many hopped on the bandwagon of Yuri Foreman.
But despite a strong performance against Daniel Santos, Foreman’s resumé lacks a pedigree anywhere close to Cotto’s.
As many wait and wonder whether Cotto’s heart has been taken from him, or if he is too physically battered to perform at the elite level he has in years past, the speculation as to whether Cotto even stands a chance in this fight with Foreman. Let me just clear the air: This is ludicrous. Madness, even. In less surreal times, people would view this is a tune-up fight for Miguel. Sure, Foreman can box. But he has no power, and has not faced the same quality of opposition.
Foreman has a nice story and a likable personality. A Brooklyn fighter by way of Israel by way of Belarus when it was part of the USSR, and later picked on by Israeli classmates for his Soviet origins. I support any and all fighters who work hard and have a passion for the game, and he typifies this sentiment. It is rumored he and his friends taught each other boxing in dirt lots in Israel, and that he was told to go fight the Arabs to prove his mettle. He did just that, sparring in a Palestinian gym, and earning the respect of the Arabs he encountered. He went on to become a national champion boxer for Israel, winning bronze at the 2000 National Golden Gloves.
In fact, my good friend’s daughter is in fact trained by his trainer Joe Grier at the Trinity Boxing Club in Manhattan, so you would think I’d have to root for the hometown favorite. His performance against Santos was impressive to be sure, and the footwork was due in part to Santos coming in nearly 20 pounds over the Middleweight limit. The credit belongs with Yuri for executing on his game plan, but don’t expect Cotto to come into the fight out of shape at all. If anything, he will be performing at a more natural weight than his last catchweight battle with Pacquiao at 145.
But the simple fact is that Cotto is a game fighter with another ten to fifteen fights left in the tank. He’s 29 years young (just like Foreman) and while many of his fights have been all-out wars, he’s only fought 238 rounds in his career. More than Foreman, sure, but less than Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Joshua Clottey, Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Ricky Hatton, Antonio Margarito, and the list goes on and on. Meanwhile, Yuri Foreman is a scarcely proven light middleweight who has had more experience as a sparring partner for fighters like Zab Judah than he has as a champion of the world.
What Cotto needs is a solid win to get his self-belief back. The move to hiring Emmanuel Steward as his trainer is a great first step. Many will say, at 29, what new things can Steward hope to teach Cotto? Well, besides strategy and technique, look for Steward to get back to basics with Miguel. He should and likely will be focused on assessing Cotto’s mental state, his physical focus, and dedication. If Steward doesn’t like what he sees, I expect him to make it known.
This is a fight for Cotto to lose, in my opinion. And I don’t see it happening. Foreman might have good movement in the ring, but it won’t give Cotto fits. He will cut the ring off, shift the fight to his style, and after feeling out Yuri’s power just bring the fight closer and closer until his premiere body work breaks the Rappin’ Rabbi down.
I predict a middle round stoppage, with Foreman getting caught flush after some brutal Cotto body work, and on the canvas wondering if he may have jumped into water too deep and turbulent to handle. Cotto will continue his career rebuilding, and this is a safe fight as far as I can see. Whether I’m insane or right on the money will be evident this Saturday night, June 5, as the two square off at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx in front of more than 30,000 fans.
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