Clarification: Cotto The Boxer

[abadger]

'Cotto the boxer' is definitely a new opinion. I've watched it appear on these boards over say the last year. Cotto has appeared to be improving, but his fans now talk of him as a 'do everything' boxer with excellent speed, power, technique and aggression. The reality is that Cotto is a good pressure fighter who has added a little patience and tactical astuteness to his game. We sometimes tend to forget that all elite level boxers tend to have good baseline boxing skills underpinning whatever their own particular strength is, and we shouldn't get carried away when they demonstrate them.

I think this 'Cotto is complete' idea actually has little to do with Cotto himself and much more to do with his status as Mayweather's number 1 challenger. We have started looking at Cotto and asking ourselves not "what does he do?" but "how does he match up to Mayweather?" and it leads us to seize upon small areas of his game and blow them up into key features, because if he didn't have them, then how could he beat Floyd?

I'm pretty sure that when Cotto does finally get into the ring he will be made to look quite one-dimensional, maybe even more than Hatton did. I predict a fairly easy decision for Floyd, with Floyd not having to extend himself a great deal, which say what you like, he did against Hatton. It will look like the Oscar v Floyd fight, but won't be as close.

I remember many posters here, myself included, talking hatton up as 'complete' in the same way Cotto is being talked up now. I don't think we should make the same mistakes again.

[Addison]

Let me say something else.. I've been pretty nice about everything. And this is despite the fact that some people can't ever admit the truth or conceed any fact. If I was a **** I would look down on some of these individuals.

I fight with the information strictly. I don't attack a fighter personally or put them down, and I don't start **** with fellow members because of their views. That's what punk bitches and cowards do.

[Addison]

'Cotto the boxer' is definitely a new opinion. I've watched it appear on these boards over say the last year. Cotto has appeared to be improving, but his fans now talk of him as a 'do everything' boxer with excellent speed, power, technique and aggression. The reality is that Cotto is a good pressure fighter who has added a little patience and tactical astuteness to his game. We sometimes tend to forget that all elite level boxers tend to have good baseline boxing skills underpinning whatever their own particular strength is, and we shouldn't get carried away when they demonstrate them.

I think this 'Cotto is complete' idea actually has little to do with Cotto himself and much more to do with his status as Mayweather's number 1 challenger. We have started looking at Cotto and asking ourselves not "what does he do?" but "how does he match up to Mayweather?" and it leads us to seize upon small areas of his game and blow them up into key features, because if he didn't have them, then how could he beat Floyd?

I'm pretty sure that when Cotto does finally get into the ring he will be made to look quite one-dimensional, maybe even more than Hatton did. I predict a fairly easy decision for Floyd, with Floyd not having to extend himself a great deal, which say what you like, he did against Hatton. It will look like the Oscar v Floyd fight, but won't be as close.

I remember many posters here, myself included, talking hatton up as 'complete' in the same way Cotto is being talked up now. I don't think we should make the same mistakes again.

Now this, this is great stuff. Excellent post.

[2501]

'Cotto the boxer' is definitely a new opinion. I've watched it appear on these boards over say the last year. Cotto has appeared to be improving, but his fans now talk of him as a 'do everything' boxer with excellent speed, power, technique and aggression. The reality is that Cotto is a good pressure fighter who has added a little patience and tactical astuteness to his game. We sometimes tend to forget that all elite level boxers tend to have good baseline boxing skills underpinning whatever their own particular strength is, and we shouldn't get carried away when they demonstrate them.

I think this 'Cotto is complete' idea actually has little to do with Cotto himself and much more to do with his status as Mayweather's number 1 challenger. We have started looking at Cotto and asking ourselves not "what does he do?" but "how does he match up to Mayweather?" and it leads us to seize upon small areas of his game and blow them up into key features, because if he didn't have them, then how could he beat Floyd?

I'm pretty sure that when Cotto does finally get into the ring he will be made to look quite one-dimensional, maybe even more than Hatton did. I predict a fairly easy decision for Floyd, with Floyd not having to extend himself a great deal, which say what you like, he did against Hatton. It will look like the Oscar v Floyd fight, but won't be as close.

I remember many posters here, myself included, talking hatton up as 'complete' in the same way Cotto is being talked up now. I don't think we should make the same mistakes again.

Cotto has shown more versatility than Hatton in his career so the thought of Cotto appearing more "one dimensional" than Hatton at Floyd's hands has me questioning your knowledge on the subject.

[oldgringo]

I have maintained that Cotto has one of the most well-rounded skill sets of any young fighter I have seen in quite awhile. I was saying this before 95% of you were here. Back when the only other cat talking about Cotto like this was Borikua.

Cotto is very skilled and can do anything he needs to do to win. Box, brawl, and any combination of the two. Watching him 4/5/6 years ago was great because he was a younger fighter who just tore through some very capable opponents. He showed supreme skill, tenacity and a cold, deliberate killer instinct.

You think the hype is bad now, you should have seen a few of us after he blew Vic Sosa out of the water. ****, I was thinking he would be unstoppable. He hasn't been stopped to date obviously, but as he steps up and up his flaws are realized.

So to sum up, I think Cotto will KO Margarito with the first punch he throws. G'day.

[Addison]

Cotto has shown more versatility than Hatton in his career so the thought of Cotto appearing more "one dimensional" than Hatton at Floyd's hands has me questioning your knowledge on the subject.

Elaborate. This is the point. Instead of ripping this guy and making a one beat remark about how Cotto has shown more versatilty, actually back it up with something.

[oldgringo]

Cotto has shown more versatility than Hatton in his career so the thought of Cotto appearing more "one dimensional" than Hatton at Floyd's hands has me questioning your knowledge on the subject.

it makes me sad to read things like that as well.

[Addison]

I have maintained that Cotto has one of the most well-rounded skill sets of any young fighter I have seen in quite awhile. I was saying this before 95% of you were here. Back when the only other cat talking about Cotto like this was Borikua.

Cotto is very skilled and can do anything he needs to do to win. Box, brawl, and any combination of the two. Watching him 4/5/6 years ago was great because he was a younger fighter who just tore through some very capable opponents. He showed supreme skill, tenacity and a cold, deliberate killer instinct.

You think the hype is bad now, you should have seen a few of us after he blew Vic Sosa out of the water. ****, I was thinking he would be unstoppable. He hasn't been stopped to date obviously, but as he steps up and up his flaws are realized.

So to sum up, I think Cotto will KO Margarito with the first punch he throws. G'day.

This is why the fella here gets rated highly, ^ there's always some good meat on the bones. Over enthusiasm is a problem of course..

[!! Shawn]

This is a question that has to be asked. The suggestion here coming from certain people is that Cotto's Boxing ability is so tremendous, so incredible, he'll be able to outBox an opponent like Antonio Margarito entirely. Does anyone have any idea what that would involve? What that would take?

For anyone who knows the slightest bit about actual combat, to say that is a somewhat tall order would be an understatement of epic proportions. Not only does Margarito have very good Boxing abilities himself, he's a hydra, an octopus of long arms coming from every angle known to man in constant non-stop succession. Margarito is an extremely accurate improvisational puncher who can throw from any distance or quarters. His punches follow you around the ring like a fly on ****.

The greatest pure Boxer to ever live, Willie Pep, had a virtually unsolvable puzzle as his nemesis with the hard throwing, volume punching, long limbed Sandy Saddler. Sound familiar? These guys are not easy.

Please tell me you just didn't compare Margarito to Saddler.

Normally you are a pretty reasonable guy, but lately its seems like Margarito's semen is slowly leaking out of your ass.

Saying Margarito has very good boxing ability? Comparing Margarito to Sandy Saddler? Margarito is an extremely accurate puncher? Jesus, what is next? Margarito fathered Tye Fields? Give me a break!

[Thread Stealer]

Cotto's dedicated fans like to point out that he outBoxed so and so back when.. But the truth is; this current popular view of Cotto as a Boxer extraordinaire is a very new one.

He developed the reputation virtually overnight. This time one year ago he was known simply as a body destroyer - with even potentially limited skills.

Talk about how all of this came about, and your view on the subject.

That's mainly because boxing fans have short memories.

Cotto was hardly this stalking pressure fighter who didn't box against guys like Ceballos, Ndou, and Abdullaev.