Its July 3, and I am saying it right now.

[Easy-E]

Mosley is still active, so the end of his career is not yet determined. But while he clearly is past his prime, he is an easy fight for no one. Like I said, if you examined any unbiased welterweight ratings before the Cotto fight Shane was in the top five. As a matter of fact, he still is.

Judah looked awful against the journeyman Baldomir. Cotto not being as advanced as Floyd used him as a building block in his career. Since it sold out MSG there was obviously enough interest to make the fight.

Quintana was unbeaten, and he just pulled off what was considered as major upset over Julio. Even after Cotto tore him up he still proved that he was legitimate in beating the much avoided Paul Williams.

Every well managed fighter like Cotto is matched carefully. But unlike Mayweather, he is looking to beat the best welterweights in the world. While Floyd is an incredible talent, many fans and media feel that his reign as a welterweight title holder was a major disappointment. I'm not saying that there aren't two sides to the story or that none of your points are valid.

As I have said before, Mosley was and is at the end of his career. He is not the fighter he once was. Judah has proved inconsistant and brought his C game against Carlos and his A game against Floyd.
Watching the fights should be proof of this.
Cotto is a relativly popular and exicting fighter. I know this. I enjoy watching him fight. I think he is very good. But at the same time I recognize his flaws and realize that his career has been constructed in a way to make him marketable and not test him to his fullest ability.
There is a reason he turned down a fight with Floyd at 140.

Yeah, Carlos upset Julio by outboxing him. He was also knocked down.
True, he pulled off another upset against Paul Williams.
In the rematch, he was KTFO in one round.

I understand that people are dissapointed that Floyd is retired and that his welter career was a dissapointment. His focus shifted from being an ATG to making money. This happens.
He is called protected and said that he faced selected opposition.
I ask those people who say this to view Cotto's opposition in the very same light.
Those who say that Cotto will face anybody, he has no fear, he has never ducked anybody, are people who are too biased to realize that they are wrong.

[Easy-E]

I saw the fight telecast live and several times since. He was clearly complaining constantly about his hand. It seemed at times like he wanted to quit. Margarito had a damaged wrist but kept quiet and fought on. It is indisputable that Clottey fought Diego Corrales just four months later with no evidence of hand injuries. Whether you want to listen to it or not, my opinion is that the pressure of fighting Margarito made Clottey feel his hands were more damaged than they actually were. He will need better focus and resiliance to defeat Zab Judah next month.

His hand was hurt. It affected his ability to preform.
Yes, Tony has more heart.
That is why he won the fight in the end.
But that does not mean Margarito is not one dimensional.

We saw it against Clottey and Williams.
He makes no adjustments mid fight and employs the same tactics every single fight.

[eazy_mas]

As I have said before, Mosley was and is at the end of his career. He is not the fighter he once was. Judah has proved inconsistant and brought his C game against Carlos and his A game against Floyd.
Watching the fights should be proof of this.
Cotto is a relativly popular and exicting fighter. I know this. I enjoy watching him fight. I think he is very good. But at the same time I recognize his flaws and realize that his career has been constructed in a way to make him marketable and not test him to his fullest ability.
There is a reason he turned down a fight with Floyd at 140.

Yeah, Carlos upset Julio by outboxing him. He was also knocked down.
True, he pulled off another upset against Paul Williams.
In the rematch, he was KTFO in one round.

I understand that people are dissapointed that Floyd is retired and that his welter career was a dissapointment. His focus shifted from being an ATG to making money. This happens.
He is called protected and said that he faced selected opposition.
I ask those people who say this to view Cotto's opposition in the very same light.
Those who say that Cotto will face anybody, he has no fear, he has never ducked anybody, are people who are too biased to realize that they are wrong.

When you are the top of the game the king you choose you oppennet intell another person takes you place and is his time to choose his oppennet.

[Scott9945]

I would disagree.
The greatest fighters of all time were able to adapt to different situations and exploit their opponents. Switch styles and techniques in mid fight and make the necessary adjustments to win.
The best fighters were able to utilize their skills in a variety of ways in order to come out with the victory.
i.e. NOT Antionio Margarito.

Are you saying that SRR or SRL, or Muhammad Ali or Tony Pep or Henry Armstrong were one dimensional???

You named four of the greatest fighters who ever lived (assuming you meant Willie Pep and not the clubfighter that Mayweather once beat, lol). Obviously Armstrong was fighting before I was born, but his reputation was that of relentless aggression, with a high level of skill. Not so sure about multi dimensional.

No sane person would put Antonio Margarito on that level. However many hall of fame fighters made their careers out of a one dimensional style. Marciano, Frazier, and Pipino Cuevas would be examples who I could quicky think of.

My entire point is that Margarito is a severe test for any welterweight.

[Scott9945]

His hand was hurt. It affected his ability to preform.
Yes, Tony has more heart.
That is why he won the fight in the end.
But that does not mean Margarito is not one dimensional.

We saw it against Clottey and Williams.
He makes no adjustments mid fight and employs the same tactics every single fight.

We really have no disagreement about this. Just perhaps on the quality of opponent he is for any top welterweight.

[Easy-E]

We really have no disagreement about this. Just perhaps on the quality of opponent he is for any top welterweight.

But if Cotto, a top 5 p4p fighter, and the best active fighter at welterweight, loses to a one dimensional brawler who also dropped a decision to Paul Williams, I think that means that he is overrated.

[DiegoFuego]

Clottey didn't break either of his hands, so don't make up excuses that are false. Just because he cried about it during the fight doesn't mean it is true. What is true is that Clottey fought again soon after, but Margarito fought with an injured wrist and was layed off longer. He just didn't ***** about it for the benefit of the TV cameras.

So you think Clottey thought it would be good strategy to stop throwing punches altogether in round 5 after landing every punch he threw in the 4th? I guess that makes sense...

[Scott9945]

So you think Clottey thought it would be good strategy to stop throwing punches altogether in round 5 after landing every punch he threw in the 4th? I guess that makes sense...

You said as if it were fact that both of his hands were broken. I said that he fought four months later (a proven fact). Clottey failed in his biggest fight and his sore hands were a convenient excuse. Your credibility has been shot to hell (again).

[Scott9945]

But if Cotto, a top 5 p4p fighter, and the best active fighter at welterweight, loses to a one dimensional brawler who also dropped a decision to Paul Williams, I think that means that he is overrated.

Overrated is such a subjective term. You have to wait until it actually occurs to draw conclusions. If Cotto loses convincingly to Margarito he will have lost to a very good welterweight. Of course that means his stay in the top 10 P4P is over for the time being. Overrated by some, no doubt. But IMO terms like "overrated", "exposed", and "great" are almost always relative.

[MWMerlino]

Some of the best fights in boxing have been between a strong technical fighter and a strong knock out artist. It's one of the more exciting style match ups in boxing and its great for the fans because it can be hard to call it either way.

Why try and take something away from two great fighters risking a lot to get in the ring together? Cotto and Margarito are well past the point of being exposed as this or that or being called over rated. We know what both bring to the ring and we get the pleasure to see them fight.

Stop the hate.