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I am a huge fan of Miguel Cotto, but the last minute replacement of Manny Stewart with Diaz is just infuriating.
Manny Stewart a legendary trainer, current trainer of the heavyweight champ, knows how to make a game plan and get his fighter to stick with it, was replaced by Diaz. Now I have nothing against Diaz, but he is an amateur trainer with no real pro experience. He may have been a trainer in the best amateur boxing country in the world, Cuba, but amateur and pro boxing are completely different. The strategy is different, the training is different, the whole concept is different. And for Cotto to hire a trainer who might one day be a great trainer, but now has 0 experience in big time pro boxing it is just another misstep by Cotto. Diaz's 1st real pro training job/fight will be a mega fight with a top fighter.
I just can't see what Diaz will bring to the table. Seeing 24/7 the techniques Diaz uses is basically the amateur techniques used to train Cuban amateur fighters. Another point is just look at the difference when a Cuban amateur fighter turns pro and comes to the U.S. He usually does not fair well in the pro game because he languished too long in the amateurs and the Cuban amateur's did not prepare them for professional fighting.
Is Diaz capable of making a game plan and having Cotto stay to this game plan throughout the fight? Will he be able to handle the pressure or will he result to giving the kind of advice that Paul Williams trainer or Kelly Pavlik's trainer give because they were not ready for the big time. I just have heard nothing from him during 24/7 that says he is specifically training Cotto for the type of fighter Margarito is and the specific way that Margarito can be beaten.
Now Emmanuel Stewart in his 2 fights with Cotto seemed to be preparing him for the exact purpose of fighting Margarito. Getting Cotto to use his jab, over 30/rd., getting Cotto to throw more combinations and get back to body punching, getting Cotto to stay off the ropes and fight in the center of the ring, getting Cotto to control the fight with his jab and his feet.
When I read about the rematch being signed and knowing Stewart was in Cotto's corner I was certain this was the key to Cotto winning the fight and I was 100% confident Cotto would win the rematch. Then he fired Manny, hired an amateur and quite possibly this trainer is scrapping everything Cotto learned from Manny and prescribing amateur boxing methods and tactics.
I am just so upset with Cotto for making such a dumb decision and I am not quite as confident that he will win this fight with a question mark like Diaz in his corner.
Side note: Where is Larry Merchant? It seems that the blowhard Max Kellerman is again going to be given the commentary slot for this fight.
Manny Stewart a legendary trainer, current trainer of the heavyweight champ, knows how to make a game plan and get his fighter to stick with it, was replaced by Diaz. Now I have nothing against Diaz, but he is an amateur trainer with no real pro experience. He may have been a trainer in the best amateur boxing country in the world, Cuba, but amateur and pro boxing are completely different. The strategy is different, the training is different, the whole concept is different. And for Cotto to hire a trainer who might one day be a great trainer, but now has 0 experience in big time pro boxing it is just another misstep by Cotto. Diaz's 1st real pro training job/fight will be a mega fight with a top fighter.
I just can't see what Diaz will bring to the table. Seeing 24/7 the techniques Diaz uses is basically the amateur techniques used to train Cuban amateur fighters. Another point is just look at the difference when a Cuban amateur fighter turns pro and comes to the U.S. He usually does not fair well in the pro game because he languished too long in the amateurs and the Cuban amateur's did not prepare them for professional fighting.
Is Diaz capable of making a game plan and having Cotto stay to this game plan throughout the fight? Will he be able to handle the pressure or will he result to giving the kind of advice that Paul Williams trainer or Kelly Pavlik's trainer give because they were not ready for the big time. I just have heard nothing from him during 24/7 that says he is specifically training Cotto for the type of fighter Margarito is and the specific way that Margarito can be beaten.
Now Emmanuel Stewart in his 2 fights with Cotto seemed to be preparing him for the exact purpose of fighting Margarito. Getting Cotto to use his jab, over 30/rd., getting Cotto to throw more combinations and get back to body punching, getting Cotto to stay off the ropes and fight in the center of the ring, getting Cotto to control the fight with his jab and his feet.
When I read about the rematch being signed and knowing Stewart was in Cotto's corner I was certain this was the key to Cotto winning the fight and I was 100% confident Cotto would win the rematch. Then he fired Manny, hired an amateur and quite possibly this trainer is scrapping everything Cotto learned from Manny and prescribing amateur boxing methods and tactics.
I am just so upset with Cotto for making such a dumb decision and I am not quite as confident that he will win this fight with a question mark like Diaz in his corner.
Side note: Where is Larry Merchant? It seems that the blowhard Max Kellerman is again going to be given the commentary slot for this fight.