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I'm thinking 2004 at 140 too about 2009 : DeMarcus Corley, Lovemore N'dou, Oktay Urkal, Paulie Malignaggi, Carlos Quintana, Zab Judah, Shane Mosley are some of the notable names Miguel was knocking out or getting clear wins over -- at the time these men were top tens contenders/champions.
Fast forward five years latter ( mid-2008-2009 ) the wars at 147 with Margartio, Clottey and Pac had demoralized him mentally and obviously the TKO/concussion/s are going to diminish your reflexes so Miguel by then was battle-worn and like others have said Cotto needed to regroup and heal.Comment
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Hard to say. You'll have some trolls tell you his prime ended vs. Margarito or Pacquiao but he looked great vs. Mayweather in 2012 and vs. Martinez in 2014.
Cotto had great longevity if we're gonna be honest. Everyone that beat Cotto deserves full credit, even Canelo. He never suffered a sharp decline in skills.Last edited by Pigeons; 11-17-2017, 01:26 AM.Comment
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He was never the same after the Margarito fightComment
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After beating Judah, he marked his arrival on the world-level (to a lesser-degree, after his surprisingly competitive win over Malignaggi which did just as much good for Paulie as it did for Cotto).
I think that Margarito fight really did something to him psychologically for sure, and probably physically as well.
He was never the "conqueror" he was after that fight. As much as I despise the worm masquerading as a man, Panama Lewis said it best (in the documentary about that boxer who got beat by a man with half padding removed, AND hopped up on amphetamines) when he described Cotto, after the Judah fight as "one of the last true conquerors of boxing." Ironically, he had been helping Judah train for that fight, but had to watch in a bar as he was banned for life from being in a boxer's corner.
Anyway, sorry for the rant - but his fight with Clottey closely thereafter, which was supposed to be a showcase more than anything, and a setup for the Pac fight, did FURTHER damage to him physically, and mentally.
Then, facing the best version of Manny Pacquiao, the last bit of prime was beat out of him. I really think for all that happened to him against Margarito,and Clottey, he was still a prime fighter here.
He had some ups, and downs after that. The Trout fight, IMO, simply proved he was a blown-up welterweight who had no business fighting above 150 pounds.Comment
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Skills is one aspect, mentality is important as well, though.
Nobody with two eyes who knows a lick'o'boxing, can honestly say the Margarito, Clottey, and Pac fights didn't do something to Cotto; one simply can't say those trio of fights taking place within a year, had no effect on the man.Comment
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This; supplement that epic beating (I mean the man kneeled to his defeat), within a year he took punishing fights against Clottey (split his eyebrow in damn near half), and Pac (who took his foot off the gas after the 5th, or 6th for pity on Cotto), unquestionably took a toll on Cotto the man, and Cotto the boxer.
Having some good wins after that, doesn't mean he was ever the same prime Cotto that was undefeated heading into the Margarito fight.Comment
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