Tweet
Read today a 2011 article about the time Cotto got snubbed by HBO when he and Arum pitched a fight with Vanes Martirosyan, and got snubbed. Did not know Cotto actually was considering that fight:
"According to Arum, his offer of Cotto-Vanes Martirosyan for $1.5 million was turned down before Martinez even had an opponent for the date in question."
Now I'm no boxing expert, but mostly a fan like most of you (despite a lot of you acting like experts around here). Besides GGG, the two names that I see thrown around here identified as the most ducked fighters are Martirosyan and Lara.
This only serves to prove that Cotto is no ducker and is willing to fight the most dangerous opponents in their prime. Now I'm perfectly aware that he's close to retirement and is trying to maximize profits and recognition (thus I don't expect GGG, Lara, or Martirosyan getting a shot for practically no monetary reward so close to retirement), but if anything, his professional résumé speaks for itself. He fought the best opposition available in his prime and was involved in many exciting and dangerous wars, and now deserves to reap the rewards of his hard-earned efforts by choosing monetarily attractive opponents. Even then, he's talking about dangerous opponents like Sergio Martinez, a rematch with Mayweather, and a young and strong (yet unproven) Canelo.
There's no way you'll ever see popular up and coming fighters like Canelo try to fight dangerous, career defining prime opponents like Lara and Martirosyan. In fact, it's laughable that a completely unproven Canelo is getting a shot at Mayweather without even facing a proven fighter, and not even convincingly beating the only boxer with some sort of recognition in Trout and a completely shot Mosley. Then, his camp shamefully argues that they would not fight Martirosyan because he's not a big enough monetary draw, as if he's finishing his career and has already faced worthy opposition besides getting a lucky and undeserved shot at Mayweather. GTFO with that bull****!
These paper champions are constantly fed smaller and technically inferior opponents like lambs to the slaughter, and still sometimes cannot get an impressive win. Then you have Mayweather (whose skills I deeply admire) cherry-picking opponents past their prime (Cotto, dangerous but arguably not as much as a few years ago), or unproven and inexperienced (Canelo) in order to protect his precious "0" loss record. I never miss a Mayweather fight, but I definitely do not drink his ridiculous kook-aid. I think it was telling that he recently congratulated his team for "intelligently"picking his opponents to maximize his profits and reduce his risk of a loss.
People around here are always saying Cotto is shot or nearly shot. If history will prove anything, it's that Cotto was always willing to fight anyone in their prime when it most counted, was willing to fight a cheater and confront his demons against Margarito, and was willing to go toe to toe against the best at any time.
I think that's more admirable than setting up hyped-up paper champions with "rock star" looks with inferior opposition, or cowardly cherry-picking past-prime opponents despite having godly boxing skills.
Don't you?
-Flood
"According to Arum, his offer of Cotto-Vanes Martirosyan for $1.5 million was turned down before Martinez even had an opponent for the date in question."
Now I'm no boxing expert, but mostly a fan like most of you (despite a lot of you acting like experts around here). Besides GGG, the two names that I see thrown around here identified as the most ducked fighters are Martirosyan and Lara.
This only serves to prove that Cotto is no ducker and is willing to fight the most dangerous opponents in their prime. Now I'm perfectly aware that he's close to retirement and is trying to maximize profits and recognition (thus I don't expect GGG, Lara, or Martirosyan getting a shot for practically no monetary reward so close to retirement), but if anything, his professional résumé speaks for itself. He fought the best opposition available in his prime and was involved in many exciting and dangerous wars, and now deserves to reap the rewards of his hard-earned efforts by choosing monetarily attractive opponents. Even then, he's talking about dangerous opponents like Sergio Martinez, a rematch with Mayweather, and a young and strong (yet unproven) Canelo.
There's no way you'll ever see popular up and coming fighters like Canelo try to fight dangerous, career defining prime opponents like Lara and Martirosyan. In fact, it's laughable that a completely unproven Canelo is getting a shot at Mayweather without even facing a proven fighter, and not even convincingly beating the only boxer with some sort of recognition in Trout and a completely shot Mosley. Then, his camp shamefully argues that they would not fight Martirosyan because he's not a big enough monetary draw, as if he's finishing his career and has already faced worthy opposition besides getting a lucky and undeserved shot at Mayweather. GTFO with that bull****!
These paper champions are constantly fed smaller and technically inferior opponents like lambs to the slaughter, and still sometimes cannot get an impressive win. Then you have Mayweather (whose skills I deeply admire) cherry-picking opponents past their prime (Cotto, dangerous but arguably not as much as a few years ago), or unproven and inexperienced (Canelo) in order to protect his precious "0" loss record. I never miss a Mayweather fight, but I definitely do not drink his ridiculous kook-aid. I think it was telling that he recently congratulated his team for "intelligently"picking his opponents to maximize his profits and reduce his risk of a loss.
People around here are always saying Cotto is shot or nearly shot. If history will prove anything, it's that Cotto was always willing to fight anyone in their prime when it most counted, was willing to fight a cheater and confront his demons against Margarito, and was willing to go toe to toe against the best at any time.
I think that's more admirable than setting up hyped-up paper champions with "rock star" looks with inferior opposition, or cowardly cherry-picking past-prime opponents despite having godly boxing skills.
Don't you?
-Flood
Comment