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One thing that most underestimate about Cotto is his speed. Anyone thinking that Pac will win just because of his speed is sorely mistaken. Cotto has the power and the natural size/frame, along with his own considerable speed that Pac's advantage in the speed area would really not be enough to bank on him winning the fight with. In fact, if he fought a speed fight I would not be at all surprised if Cotto was very nearly as quick. Not as quick, but very close.
Anyway, I really don't think this would be a great fight for Pac. Nonetheless, we really don't know how well he will fare against a bigger, good guy that is able to actually fight. Until we see how he performs against Hatton we will not know at all the advantages he has. Roach knew that Oscar was done for good and that the weight drain would literally kill him. Against Hatton he will be up against a proper, natural weight, bigger fighter that is near the top of his game. Until after this fight we just don't know how well he does actually perform up this high.
It is not out of the question for him to win against the top welterweights though. It has been done by great fighters before him moving up as much weight or more in many cases, and if he is a pound for pound great as some already think he is then it should be in his capabilities. Unlike many of the older pound for pound greats that were fighting miles above their natural, best weight, they were often well past their prime and best fighting age, if not just plain old, while Pac is still in his prime years and young. While some of the greats were beating guys that are equivalent to Pac beating the top welterweights, they also did it while often well past prime and being old, so it shouldn't be completely daft to think that he could do it while still in his peak years and age. He is also not actually as small as many make him out to be. He is closer to a natural LW at least, and was only down at the low weights due to his age. Having grown into his frame though, he is probably closer to his natural fighting weight now.
Quite recently, there was a fighter that very few people know about and the incredible feat he achieved in pound for pound terms. He started out as a 130 pound (SFW) fighter and won his first title at lightweight, went unbeaten at 29-0 and beat great fighters such as Mario Martinez, Tony 'The Tiger' Lopez, Daniel Londas, Mauricio Aceves, and Antonio Rivera. He won the WBO lightweight and the WBC lightweight titles. He moved up after losing to the very fine Kyrgyzstan/Japanese, undefeated fighter Orzubek 'Gussie' Nazarov. He fought Carlos Baldomir for the WBC welterweight title and drew with him. He then won the IBO welterweight title, a minor feat yes I know, but sadly lost it on the scales. So far he has moved up from 130 to 147.
After this fight he then moved up to 168 and knocked out the fine, and prime, Glenn Catley, the WBC super-middleweight champion (who was the first to beat the 18-0 champion Markus Beyer by KO and also knocked out WBC SMW champ Eric Lucas who was only ever KO'd by Jones Jr previously and had also fought for the LHW title) to win the WBC SMW title. By this stage he was getting near forty and lost the title to Dave Hilton, had a few more fights, including fights against Kessler and Bute, and retired in 2006 after losing a national LHW fight against a previously beaten opponent. His name was Dingaan Thobela. Fought between 130 and 175 and won titles between 135 and 168. A difference of 33 pounds.
Pac has so far won titles between 112 and 135, a difference of 23 pounds and the former was when he was very young and had not grown into his natural frame which would be about 135-ish being 5'7 with a 67" reach. Unlike Thobela he is also in his prime years and not actually that small to be fighting welterweights at 5'7. After all, most WW's are actually around that size. Cotto is also 5'7 with a 67" reach interestingly enough.
Anyway, I really don't think this would be a great fight for Pac. Nonetheless, we really don't know how well he will fare against a bigger, good guy that is able to actually fight. Until we see how he performs against Hatton we will not know at all the advantages he has. Roach knew that Oscar was done for good and that the weight drain would literally kill him. Against Hatton he will be up against a proper, natural weight, bigger fighter that is near the top of his game. Until after this fight we just don't know how well he does actually perform up this high.
It is not out of the question for him to win against the top welterweights though. It has been done by great fighters before him moving up as much weight or more in many cases, and if he is a pound for pound great as some already think he is then it should be in his capabilities. Unlike many of the older pound for pound greats that were fighting miles above their natural, best weight, they were often well past their prime and best fighting age, if not just plain old, while Pac is still in his prime years and young. While some of the greats were beating guys that are equivalent to Pac beating the top welterweights, they also did it while often well past prime and being old, so it shouldn't be completely daft to think that he could do it while still in his peak years and age. He is also not actually as small as many make him out to be. He is closer to a natural LW at least, and was only down at the low weights due to his age. Having grown into his frame though, he is probably closer to his natural fighting weight now.
Quite recently, there was a fighter that very few people know about and the incredible feat he achieved in pound for pound terms. He started out as a 130 pound (SFW) fighter and won his first title at lightweight, went unbeaten at 29-0 and beat great fighters such as Mario Martinez, Tony 'The Tiger' Lopez, Daniel Londas, Mauricio Aceves, and Antonio Rivera. He won the WBO lightweight and the WBC lightweight titles. He moved up after losing to the very fine Kyrgyzstan/Japanese, undefeated fighter Orzubek 'Gussie' Nazarov. He fought Carlos Baldomir for the WBC welterweight title and drew with him. He then won the IBO welterweight title, a minor feat yes I know, but sadly lost it on the scales. So far he has moved up from 130 to 147.
After this fight he then moved up to 168 and knocked out the fine, and prime, Glenn Catley, the WBC super-middleweight champion (who was the first to beat the 18-0 champion Markus Beyer by KO and also knocked out WBC SMW champ Eric Lucas who was only ever KO'd by Jones Jr previously and had also fought for the LHW title) to win the WBC SMW title. By this stage he was getting near forty and lost the title to Dave Hilton, had a few more fights, including fights against Kessler and Bute, and retired in 2006 after losing a national LHW fight against a previously beaten opponent. His name was Dingaan Thobela. Fought between 130 and 175 and won titles between 135 and 168. A difference of 33 pounds.
Pac has so far won titles between 112 and 135, a difference of 23 pounds and the former was when he was very young and had not grown into his natural frame which would be about 135-ish being 5'7 with a 67" reach. Unlike Thobela he is also in his prime years and not actually that small to be fighting welterweights at 5'7. After all, most WW's are actually around that size. Cotto is also 5'7 with a 67" reach interestingly enough.
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