Who HONESTLY believes Cotto can beat Martinez.

[Beater_of_ass]

I don't understand why people are saying Cotto does well with movers? The only real movers he fought stopped and let Cotto dig at their body. (Maliggnaggi, Judah, Quintana) That is the reason why Quintana got beaten by Berto because he stopped and let Berto tee off on him. Martinez does not stop and when he stops he usually stops at a distance where he knows his opponent cannot hit him. The man is almost impossible to pin down. Pacquiao fought a moving man's fight in the beginning of his fight with Cotto and once he felt Cotto's punches did nothing to him Pacquiao simply outfought him in the exchanges and Cotto was converted the mover. Martinez has the advantage size, speed, and his power is as potent or more powerful than Cotto's IMO. This fight is interesting because Martinez has enough defensive deficiencies (such as his balance) and he takes breaks during rounds which is probably due to his cycling background where a cyclist does not pedal as fast in some laps to conserve energy for the final lap. Martinez applies this to his boxing. Therefore Cotto beating Martinez is surely not out of the realm of possibility, but I favor Martinez to win. Should be a great fight if it were to happen, but Arum seems to think that the top light middlweight fighters belong under the Top Rank banner.

You make it seem like Cotto beat 3 nobodies... Malignaggi was undefeated as was Quintana at the time. Paulie was supposed to be too fast, Quintana too big and Judah to much speed and power, yet he broke them all down. Paulie was simply muscled down, Quintana ate a ton of body shots but its because Cotto is EXTREMELY effective at cutting off the ring. You make it seem like these guys simply drop their hands in the middle of rounds, they don't but yet you just stated and its he's been on TV enough to know Martinez does it constantly. Wouldn't that be his "recovery" time to conserve energy its Cotto chance to hop on him with body shots.

Cotto doesn't just throw body punches, his best punch by far is his jab and he'd simply use that like he did with Judah and Foreman. His timing is superb with the jab and he'd could use that right when Martinez drops his hands and follow with a body shot. Or pop a quick jab when Martinez comes in and bust his nose up, get him into constant movement mode and Cotto can cut him off. I'm not trying to make it seem easy for Cotto, it WILL NOT be, but its how he would beat Martinez. I mean lets be real the guy isn't flawless, he did lose to Williams who is a horrific fighter he's just tall, and Pavlik who was simply overhyped even got to Martinez a few times. I mean how can a guy excellent movers, as well as Mosley who uses a lot of movement and be billed as unable to beat that style. Its his hunt down type aggression that made him be at the level he is now.

[ny123]

To the neutral observer its clear that this fight is a total mismatch, but I wanna hear from the believers and what their rationale is.

if i was a betting man without any bias i would go with martinez but since im a fan and still have belief that cotto isnt as far gone as many think i will say he has a chance but probably not likely. if you ask me about cotto pre margs vs martinez i think its a 50-50 with cotto having a good chance to win.

[THE REED]

No, I would put money on Sergio...

[Heru]

I chose maybe because anything can happen in boxing when 2 high level fighters are in the ring, but I'd put all my paper on Sergio and wouldn't think twice about it.

His counter right jab is the best in the business, which all but makes an opponent stop jabbing and whoever doesn't think he can and will put pressure needs to watch the Bunema fight.

[Bhopreign]

Could be a good fight or a mismatch.

[Dan...]

Massive Cotto fan, I think Sergio works him bigtime.

[Irish Hitman]

Im a cotto fan and i think if he fought Sergio he would get another beat down

[badass316]

I think it's possible for him (Cotto) to beat Sergio, but I think it's highly unlikely.

[SUPREME.]

I'm a little late here but I think Sergio Martinez would mop the floor with Cotto and i'm a big Cotto fan. Martinez is fast, strong and very versitile. Don't get me wrong Cotto can throw them too, but he's more orthodox, but Martinez is very unorthdox, coming in at odd angles. It would totally confuse Cotto. He wouldn't know what to do. Cotto would also try to stalk Martinez, but Sergio would turn the tables on him, get him in a corner and whoop the jesus outta him. I can see it clear as day in my head. Martinez would toy with him in the opening rounds and then dominate him to a stoppage in the later rounds.

Can't screw with Martinez.

[boxdude]

You make it seem like Cotto beat 3 nobodies... Malignaggi was undefeated as was Quintana at the time. Paulie was supposed to be too fast, Quintana too big and Judah to much speed and power, yet he broke them all down. Paulie was simply muscled down, Quintana ate a ton of body shots but its because Cotto is EXTREMELY effective at cutting off the ring. You make it seem like these guys simply drop their hands in the middle of rounds, they don't but yet you just stated and its he's been on TV enough to know Martinez does it constantly. Wouldn't that be his "recovery" time to conserve energy its Cotto chance to hop on him with body shots.

Cotto doesn't just throw body punches, his best punch by far is his jab and he'd simply use that like he did with Judah and Foreman. His timing is superb with the jab and he'd could use that right when Martinez drops his hands and follow with a body shot. Or pop a quick jab when Martinez comes in and bust his nose up, get him into constant movement mode and Cotto can cut him off. I'm not trying to make it seem easy for Cotto, it WILL NOT be, but its how he would beat Martinez. I mean lets be real the guy isn't flawless, he did lose to Williams who is a horrific fighter he's just tall, and Pavlik who was simply overhyped even got to Martinez a few times. I mean how can a guy excellent movers, as well as Mosley who uses a lot of movement and be billed as unable to beat that style. Its his hunt down type aggression that made him be at the level he is now.

Number 1 I never said they were not quality opponents I said those are the three notable movers he fought (Malignaggi, Quintana, Judah) You assumed something that I never said.
Number 2: How did I make it seem they simply drop hands? When should any type of boxer whether it be a mover or a puncher ever drop his hands? They did not fight as movers they stayed in the pocket for Cotto to nail him with his crisp bodyshots. Now you will say that was because of Cotto and sure it was partly because of Cotto but if you look at the Quintana-Berto fight he would stop for some time and Berto will nail him. In the Judah-Clottey fight Judah was moving great in the beginning then he would take more and more shots from Clottey because he slowed down. Maliggnaggi didn't move in the Hatton, Diaz, or Khan fight and got nailed. My point? Martinez was stalked around by a 6"2 Pavlik and sticked and moved the whole fight. Paul Williams a notorious volume puncher gave Martinez all he can handle because Martinez is in truth a slick counterpuncher and volume punchers give counterpunchers a lot of trouble because they cannot counter punches in high volume. AND STILL Martinez had the stamina and conditioning to get his behind moving and make Williams work all 12 rounds. Case made Martinez is a much better mover than the guys I just mentioned. Another thing, undefeated records don't mean anything when the competition fought is not great. Quintana was undefeated but fought nobody great up to that point he was going to make himself great had he beaten Cotto. Miguel was his first big challenge. Same thing with Maliggnaggi. However Judah is a proven vet and Cotto performed great.
Number 3 When Martinez stops moving to conserve his energy he does not let his opponents tee off at him, does he get caught time to time? sure but that's boxing man. Pavlik would have knocked his head off had he stopped "constantly" Williams would have battered him to submission had he stopped "constantly. How does he stop "constantly"? As you put it. I will repeat what I had typed, Martinez stops at a distance where he knows he will react in time to his opponents punch. That is what he does that is his STYLE. By putting his hands down he entices his opponents to hit him only to counter him with his blistering speed that's Sergio Martinez's STYLE. And his counterpunching is good enough to make Williams wary and to bust up Pavlik's face and all I am saying that the same can happen to Cotto.
Number 3 Cotto's jab is one of the best in the business, no doubt in my mind. And he times it beautifully, but in boxing "timing" depends largely in the opponent that is getting "timed." You said yourself Cotto is largely known for his pressure fighting rather than his boxing ability although he does have great boxing skills. Referring to what I had just previously stated Martinez knows his distance well that is called "ring generalship" when a fighter knows where he is at in the ring every single time. You state that Cotto can pop Martinez and will "simply" jab him like he did Judah and Foreman? Really? Don't you think Martinez may force Cotto to overextend himself and land a big countershot? He forced Pavlik and Williams do overextend from time to time do disregard Martinez's ring generalship that much? Cotto will not easily time Martinez that is something I boldly state. Especially considering he will be coming in as the naturally smaller man. Martinez is a career light middleweight. This also applies to your statement about Cotto cutting off the ring to Martinez. He is fighting a guy who handles himself very well around the ring and he is bigger and be just as strong as Cotto. Cotto will have an uphill battle in this department as well.
Number 5 Mosley did not move with Cotto it was actually Cotto who moved and outboxed Mosley. So no I do not believe he fought a mover with Mosley. Cotto simply outboxed him and outhustled him. Mosley did not move against Margarito or Mayweather. Martinez's game revolves around the stick and move style he is nothing without it.

Finally, I said that Cotto has a chance to beat Martinez after all this is boxing who knows Cotto may knock Martinez out in the first round for all I know I don't know. I do not see this fight as a blowout I am simply stating things that I believe may factor in a fight between the two of them. I have the outmost respect for Cotto and Martinez. If you believe I am simply hating or "nuthugging" as some people call it then you are mistaken. Cotto and Martinez are one the most honest fighters in the sport today they deserve the respect of all true fight fans and I will never belittle them. Hope I have addressed all the "issues" you had with my post. Let's just hope this fight gets made I guess we can agree on that.