Better Puerto Rican Fighter Prime Felix Trinidad vs Miguel Cotto?

[Thread Stealer]

One fight I thought that Trinidad adjusted well was the Vargas fight. Everyone talks about how Vargas only lost because he got too brave and tried to slug with Trinidad, but that's bull****.

Vargas dropped Tito in round 4 and completely dominated round 5. I think it was after the 5th when his corner told Tito to jab more to set up shots. Tito started going to the jab more, and hurt Vargas with a straight right late in round 6. For the next couple rounds, Vargas tried to box and use the ring, but Tito kept catching him with hard straight right hands over and over again. Eventually Vargas tried to trade with Tito in round 9, and got some good work done, but more than paid the price.

It was a subtle adjustment, simply jabbing more and getting the timing down for the straight right hand, but it worked.

[Fox McCloud]

maybe. but vernon was/is never gonna be as skilled as de la hoya. mayorga was able to land on a prime vernon. trinidad is taller , better skilled and hits a lot harder than mayorga. vernon gave shane problems because of the styles matchup and his length. trinidad was a natural welterweight who in his prime demolished much bigger middleweights NOT named bernard hopkins. bernard is trinidad's only loss in his prime. a welterweight losing in his prime against the longest reigning middleweight champion and HOFer is not that bad.

Shane Mosley would likely disagree about the skill levels of Oscar and Vernon.

Mayorga was able to land on a prime Vernon who needed 3 surgeries to fix his jab shoulder, and Vernon all-out brawled with his ass in the first fight. As long as he didn't do something ****** like that with Trinidad, he likely wouldn't suffer the same type of loss that he did to Mayorga.

And you are acting like I am just needlessly discrediting Trinidad. The first thing I said was, "Help me understand how he is good", because I do realize that he obviously did something to win all of those big fights, but I just really haven't figured out how a one-dimensional power puncher with no backup plan won so many bouts.

[oldgringo]

maybe. but vernon was/is never gonna be as skilled as de la hoya. mayorga was able to land on a prime vernon. trinidad is taller , better skilled and hits a lot harder than mayorga. vernon gave shane problems because of the styles matchup and his length. trinidad was a natural welterweight who in his prime demolished much bigger middleweights NOT named bernard hopkins. bernard is trinidad's only loss in his prime. a welterweight losing in his prime against the longest reigning middleweight champion and HOFer is not that bad.

Part of the reason Mayorga was able to do what he did was because of his cast iron chin and his unpredictability. The guy was the epitome of a nightmarish Welterweight fight for most. He could take your best while winging punches from places you hadn't seen before. He could also hit a little bit himself at his best.

Forrest would have an entirely different set of things to worry about with Trinidad. I just wonder if they'd be harder for him to handle.

[Thread Stealer]

I know he had good accuracy and timing... that is the only way a power puncher can be recognized as good. They have to be able to connect with that power. He reminds me of Chavez, but just... not as good, or even close to it.

Chavez is more like Cotto to me, than he is like Trinidad.

Both Chavez and Cotto's money punches were left hooks to the body, but they had a wide variety of shots. They both had effective (not great) defenses, with Cotto's peak-a-boo defense and Chavez slipping shots and rolling with them well. Both of them were very methodical in their pressure and could box too. Chavez was more of a pressure fighter who could box, while Cotto is more of a boxer-puncher/counterpuncher who can apply pressure.

Tito had more one shot power, as he could greatly change the momentum of the fight with just one shot. He was losing the 4th and 5th rounds against Vargas but the straight right hand turned things around in the 6th. Reid was all but done after the left hook in the 7th, he just took a beating after that.

[NYCHeavyHitz]

"Roy, I gan nack joo ow.".

Trinidad is cool, but he was never that great to me.

[Left Hook Tua]

Shane Mosley would likely disagree about the skill levels of Oscar and Vernon.

Mayorga was able to land on a prime Vernon who needed 3 surgeries to fix his jab shoulder, and Vernon all-out brawled with his ass in the first fight. As long as he didn't do something ****** like that with Trinidad, he likely wouldn't suffer the same type of loss that he did to Mayorga.

And you are acting like I am just needlessly discrediting Trinidad. The first thing I said was, "Help me understand how he is good", because I do realize that he obviously did something to win all of those big fights, but I just really haven't figured out how a one-dimensional power puncher with no backup plan won so many bouts.

like i said before. vernon is a bad style matchup for shane and his length gives shane problems. some guys are just like that for some fighters. norton against ali. marquez against pacquiao. barrera against junior.

vernon uses his length to keep opponents away not moverment. movement is what gives trinidad problems not length.

a lot of guys called one dimensional fighters do great. mike tyson was called one dimensional. manny pacquiao and david tua are called one dimensional. it's because their strengths overshadow their skills. trinidad had scary power and a good chin. those 2 attributes right there can get you very far in prizefighting.

[No-mas-tias]

3 fights ago would've said Tito but Cotto has shown great boxing skills, Tito's achilles, plus Cotto has shown a very good chin at 147 so I would say it's a toss up.

[Left Hook Tua]

3 fights ago would've said Tito but Cotto has shown great boxing skills, Tito's achilles, plus Cotto has shown a very good chin at 147 so I would say it's a toss up.

cotto's chin has been very good at 147. i know it's the weight drain like some say but when i saw him rocked by torres and others makes me wonder how he can take a trinidad hook. tito's boxing skills are not as bad as it looked later on in his career.

[RisAri0]

If or when Cotto beats Margarito, I'd say he's slightly better....BUT..

to pit them both against one another, 2 primes at welterweight...I'd say Tito catches Cotto hurt on the ropes, that power would be too much for Miguel..

[BROOKLYN CESAR]

Cotto has a long way to go to catch up to Tito!!!

Tito was awesome to watch!!!