Cotto vs a Prime Tszyu: Who Wins at 144?

[Radical Rat]

It's a pity Kostya never came back after Hatton. He always hinted that he wasn't finished, perhaps he's not. Although I very much doubt he will come back, I'd love to see it.

[BennyST]

Yeah, I think Kostya would have this one in the bag. Tszyu was brilliant against any fighter in which he could get set. Hence, the reason why he never lost to a fast, slick boxer or in any controlled pace fight. Hatton was able to use his smothering, dirty, rough wrestling tactics to keep Tszyu from getting set and Tszyu just didn't have the stamina anymore to really pull out of his comfort zone and push for it. Too old.

Cotto is a measured pressure fighter. He doesn't smother, and doesn't rush in. He actually stands in the kill zone waiting for the moment to press and go for the body etc. Against Tszyu this type of fight would be suicide. Like it or not, if Tszyu hit Cotto with his right or left Cotto wouldn't fair as well as he did against all the other fighters who hurt him and Tszyu was one of the best finishers in his time. He wouldn't let Cotto off like others did.

Tszyu was also quite hard to hit to the body and in his prime had rather good defense...his head movement especially was underrated. Whereas Cotto is quite open to the right hand, either straight or uppercut as he holds his hands right up in front of his face and out a bit.

Tszyu also had the ability to out-box or simply out power Cotto. He had the skills to keep Cotto out on the end of his punches and catch him coming in.
I would go with a mid rounds KO after Cotto gets caught with a big right hand and severely wobbles him, then finishes it when Cotto tries to grab and hold on.

[BennyST]

It's a pity Kostya never came back after Hatton. He always hinted that he wasn't finished, perhaps he's not. Although I very much doubt he will come back, I'd love to see it.

It was a pity. He was a great fighter but I think it was probably the end for him. He had been talking of retirement for a while before the Hatton fight and how he simply didn't have the hunger to really get up for fights anymore. He was able to be properly motivated for the Mitchell 2 fight because of all the trash talk Mitchell kept hounding him with and it really riled him up. Unfortunately for Mitchell. It would have been great to see him in one more big fight. With De La Hoya, Mosley or Mayweather maybe.

[wmute]

you're right, cotto pressure's intelligently. cotto / tzuyu - at that weight, i'd be better suited to answer this question after a couple more cotto fights.

Your right. He pressures better. Hatton is a messy ass pressure fighter. He's ugly, his style is ugly, and the only reason he really beat Tszyu was cause Tszyu thought he was really that far behind that should just quit rather than get hugged to death for another rd or 2. Whatever it was. On the other hand, Cotto has EFFECTIVE pressure. He lands murderous body shots and painful hooks to the head. I think his pressure would murder Tszyu's body and take him out in the later rounds. The only way I'd see Tszyu winning is with a big right hand. At 140lbs, it could happen. At 147lbs, I don't think so.

You guys need to think before typing...

Hatton's success in this fight was smothering Zoo, wrestling and in general making sure he would always be too close for Zoo to unleash his right. It was not so much the pressure which did it, as the range.

Cotto cuts the ring well, blocks punches better than Hatton, he is bigger, he is almost ambidestrous up close... but he does not do the above, and he is slower on his feet. This means Zoo would have a much better chance of keeping Cotto where his right hand is more damaging.

[wmute]

It was a pity. He was a great fighter but I think it was probably the end for him. He had been talking of retirement for a while before the Hatton fight and how he simply didn't have the hunger to really get up for fights anymore. He was able to be properly motivated for the Mitchell 2 fight because of all the trash talk Mitchell kept hounding him with and it really riled him up. Unfortunately for Mitchell. It would have been great to see him in one more big fight. With De La Hoya, Mosley or Mayweather maybe.

Yeah... throw in all the injuries, and I think you have a very reasonable retirement.

[BennyST]

Yeah... throw in all the injuries, and I think you have a very reasonable retirement.

Yes, exactly. His body was starting to come apart at the seams. I remember meeting him briefly and talking about his training. He said some things were starting to get much more difficult than usual and that while he was still able to do all the same stuff, he couldn't do it with the same intensity and gusto he used to do it with. I sometimes think he needed one more big fight to go out with. Then he would have had the respect he deserves and be remembered for his whole career, not one loss to a semi decent fighter that he should have beaten.

[Motofan]

Tszyu puts Cotto to sleep.

[crillz]

I think Cotto would win, his ability to Box has always been shown ever since he got hurt by Ricardo Torres and Demarcus Corley, he may have held and turned but he broke free and did his job, his ability to both Box and **** gives me the hunch that Kostya wouldn't have made it, I think he would have been KO'ed the way Vince Phillips got him, Hatton hits hard and there's no doubt but against Cotto it's a different kind of power and pressure, he doesn't hit or hold he more like hits and hits then moves.. maybe I just bit my tounge by screaming KO, I'll admit I jumped the gun on that but at least by decision I can see Cotto coming off with the win and maybe a knock down..

Kostya was a strong opponent and I would never want to discredit him like that, he will always be a great to me but I think Cotto always had the skills he demonstrated against Mosley it's just he never had such a physically gifted opponent in him to force them out in in such an impressive way, I think Kostya would have too but eventually the punches would have added up and Cotto would have won buy a comfortable margin.. of course this is ONLY opinion and I could be VERY wrong..

[crillz]

Yes, exactly. His body was starting to come apart at the seams. I remember meeting him briefly and talking about his training. He said some things were starting to get much more difficult than usual and that while he was still able to do all the same stuff, he couldn't do it with the same intensity and gusto he used to do it with. I sometimes think he needed one more big fight to go out with. Then he would have had the respect he deserves and be remembered for his whole career, not one loss to a semi decent fighter that he should have beaten.

great post..

[aussieboxer2320]

tszyu would destroy him at any weight he was an absoulote freak with his brilliant timing and explosive power, remember, cotto took 11 rounds to finish a past his best zab judah (after he had weakened zab with low blows) while tszyu knocked a prime judah out cold in 2 rounds, tszyu by a fairly quick KO