Miguel Cotto will outclass Andre Berto EASILY. The same Andre Berto who was dropped hard by Cosme Rivera on FNF, the same Berto who barely squeaked out a win against Luis Collazo then ducked the rematch.
Manny Steward will put together a gameplan that will allow Cotto to exploit all of Berto's weaknesses. For example, Berto does not have an inside game at all. He looks to clinch on the inside everytime. When he reaches out to initiate a clinch he will be exposing himself to Miguel's best weapon - the left hook to the body. Once he has eaten a few of those left hooks to the body, Berto will be content fighting on the outside. Unfortunately for him, Cotto has the superior jab by far.
This will be a fight that Berto will be beaten, bloodied, and ultimately broken by a better fighter with a better trainer, and a better gameplan. Miguel Angel Cotto TKO8 over Andre Berto at 147 or 154.
I left out Marquez - Diaz because it's a PPV fight. As a boxing fan I'm interested, but be honest...is a fight between two fighters both coming off losses truly PPV worthy? I know their last fight was "fight of the year" but since then Juan Diaz has lost to Paulie Malignaggi...Paulie FREAKIN' Malignaggi! The Baby Bull is going to get his ass handed to him. He's a pressure fighter with no power. Sorry, it's not going to be a war this time. Expect Diaz to cut up early. El Dinamita TKO4
Something tells me Angulo declining to fight Martinez has something to do with a potential EASY IBF title grab vs Bundrage. Similar to Haye ducking at title fight with V. Klitschko for a much easier title fight vs. Valuev.
I agree. This is an extremely underrated fight. I actually plan to DVR the Dawson vs Pascal fight on HBO and watch the Kim vs Vazquez fight LIVE on FSN. I like Ji Hoon Kim to win the IBF lightweight title with a late KO. The kid is relentless, 11 straight knockouts dating back to 2006. Potential match-ups with Katsidis, Marquez would be all-out wars.
It is time for Berto to fight a top welterweight. He has run out of gimme fights. A fight with a Kermit Cintron or Joshua Clottey level opponent will give us an idea where he fits into the grand scheme of things. Without a signature win Berto can forget about the marquee fights he wants against Pacquiao or Cotto.
Berto has only himself to blame for failing to eliminate Shane Mosley from the Pac-Man sweepstakes. I completely understand him pulling out of the fight following the earthquake in Haiti, but he had a second opportunity to fight Mosley. Berto allegedly priced himself out of the fight and negitionations fell apart. Mosley went on to fight Sergio Mora and looked horrible fighting the Latin Snake to a draw.
Say what you will about Kermit Cintron, this guy has consistently fought the best opposition available. Despite two TKOs to Antonio Margarito, the guy had the balls to get in the ring with Alfredo Angulo, Sergio Martinez, and Paul Williams.
Now what would Andre Berto's record be if he fought a prime Margarito, Angulo, Martinez, and Williams? I'd say 0-4.
Emanuel Steward is a living legend. He's developed some of the best talent the sport has ever seen. He has resurrected the careers of fighters who where thought to be shot. While Freddie Roach is a very good trainer, he will never reach the level of respect in boxing circles that Steward commands.
It's obvious that you have not been watching boxing very long. Name ONE great fighter that Freddie Roach has developed from amateur to the professional ranks....I'll wait.
There is nothing, and I mean nothing like the spectacle of a big fight. It could be a blowout, but what if it's fight of the year? What if this is the first fight of a trilogy? Who want's to be the so-called boxing fan who didn't see it live. Get yourself a 12 pack of Tecate and submit your rebate for $25 cash back. Then it's only $29.95 or ($39.95 in HD).
If you don't care to watch the fight...why are you on a boxing forum talking about it?
How can you hate on Cotto?
How can you hate on Miguel Cotto? With the exception of Paul Williams, Miguel Cotto will have fought ALL of the top welterweights of the 00's. He is a true throwback fighter. When he says, "I'll fight whoever they put in front of me" he means that sh*t. He always comes to fight and he is not afraid to go down swinging. What more can you ask of a prizefighter?
Is Mayweather the superior talent? Of course. But is a perfect storm of events that may lead to Floyd's demise in place? Possibly. The combination of inactivity, advanced age, over-confidence, and outside distractions for Mayweather could be exactly what Cotto needs to pull the upset.
Floyd Mayweather by unanimous decision will be the popular prediction come May 5th, but we're all addicted to this sport because anything can happen.
Antonio Margarito is a solid opponent for Manny Pacquiao. He's a three time welterweight champion with a load of experience versus top level talent (Sergio Martinez, Kermit Cintron, Paul Williams, Miguel Cotto, & Shane Mosley).
While I believe he's past it based on his last fight, did we not think the same thing about Mosely after his fight with Mayorga?
I'm taking Manny by a unanimous decision, but the size difference between the two is reason for concern. If Margarito's chin holds up, he could very well walk Manny down.
Correction: Cotto will overwhelm Chavez like he did Alfonso Gomez. Trust me, Bob Arum has invested a lot of money into marketing Chavez Jr. After close calls against D level opposition, Arum is cashing out Chavez Jr. in a PPV event before he loses to a lesser opponent.