Really good Cotto read!

Article From Forbes.com

Cotto Hopes to Become Household Name
By ADAM GOLDMAN


Some advice for young, promising fighters: Avoid getting in the ring with Miguel Cotto. It could be hazardous to one's career.

Cotto is a 26-year-old Puerto Rican who delivers vicious body punches and nasty hooks. His latest victory came Dec. 2 in Atlantic City, N.J., where he pummeled tough welterweight Carlos Quintana and won in five rounds.

The victory gave Cotto a second world title and his first million-dollar payday. It also was considered his coming-of-age moment.
Now, Cotto (28-0, 23 KOs) is hoping to cash in, with the goal of one day supplanting Floyd Mayweather as boxing's best pound-for-pound fighter.

"All the good boxers, I know I can fight with them," Cotto said in an interview from his home in Caguas, Puerto Rico. "I know I can beat them. I have no doubts."
Cotto doesn't like to simply beat opponents, he likes to destroy them. But he is modest and soft-spoken, going about his work without the hyperbolic rhetoric of a Bernard Hopkins or James Toney.

"I don't like to talk ," said Cotto, who starting boxing at age 11 to lose weight.
Cotto fights with a punishing style that disfigures the faces of foes. He declines to compare himself to any one boxer, although his relentless ring stalking and trademark body shots make him more Tony Zale than Marvin Hagler.

Like Zale, a middleweight champion in the 1940s, Cotto prefers attacking the body. He's knocked out about a half dozen fighters digging to the body like a backhoe.

He has dispatched everybody in front of him in a stretch of impressive wins over the previous two years. But Cotto points to three recent victories that have helped him mature into a seasoned boxer.
Against Ricard Torres last year, Cotto was knocked down and staggered but recovered to win when the fight was stopped in the seventh.

"I had two or three bad moments," Cotto said. "I survived and won the fight."
In June, he beat the loquacious and speedy Paulie Malignaggi of Brooklyn. Cotto said he had to tune out Malignaggi, who tried to distract him with verbal jabs.

"I had to keep my focus," Cotto said.
Malignaggi managed to go all 12 rounds but Cotto easily outpointed him and fractured the undefeated fighter's face, sending him to the hospital. Malignaggi said Cotto was the hardest puncher he ever faced.

His last fight against Quintana, a fellow Puerto Rican and left-hander, was risky. Cotto moved up to 147 pounds to battle Quintana for the WBA welterweight title.
The fight basically ended when Cotto delivered his signature shot to Quintana's liver. A battered Quintana refused to leave his corner as his trainer pleaded with him to go another round.

"I can't do it," Quintana said. "I can't do it. I'm dead."
Cotto said he felt much stronger fighting Quintana. He no longer had to conserve his stamina as he did at 140. He could let loose with his fists from start to finish.
"Now, you're seeing the real Miguel Cotto," said Cotto's promoter Bob Arum, chief executive of Top Rank Inc. "He's found a natural weight."

Cotto's next bout is against Oktay Urkal (37-3) in March in Puerto Rico. Most boxing commentators believe he'll beat the German. Then there are possible fights down the road with Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley - perhaps at Madison Square Garden, where Cotto has fought twice before on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade.

If Cotto can get past these very skilled fighters, it could set up a showdown with Mayweather, who fights Oscar De La Hoya in May.
Arum hopes the two meet.

"We think he'd break Mayweather in two," Arum said. "There is nobody in boxing who hits harder. It's a lot harder to move the body than the head."
HBO boxing analyst Max Kellerman isn't ready to call Cotto the next Felix Trinidad, arguably one of Puerto Rico's best fighters, along with Wilfredo Gomez. He says Cotto has a slugger's chance against Mayweather but he'd be a definite underdog.
Cotto also has to improve his English if he wants to cement his crossover appeal and evolve into one of the sport's superstars. Top Rank says Cotto is taking English classes.

But if he can do that, Cotto could go far in any of three divisions that are bulging with talented fighters, Kellerman says.
"He could be the centerpiece of a truly remarkable era," Kellerman said. "He's the right guy, at the right place, at the right time."

thats a nice read dude, appreciated.

i like cotto, hes not on floyds level techinally but hes got wild power and time to improve his technicalities! and im sure hes to play a big part in the welterweight scene over the coming years.

i like the fact hes learning english to cross over n' all...i hear hes getting good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LukeH

thats a nice read dude, appreciated.

i like cotto, hes not on floyds level techinally but hes got wild power and time to improve his technicalities! and im sure hes to play a big part in the welterweight scene over the coming years.

i like the fact hes learning english to cross over n' all...i hear hes getting good.

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You're welcome bro...His English is improving rapidly. He also says he is a better fighter at 147,no more rounds off!!! I think he is not as good as he was earlier in his career with his defence but it's still decent and he has just pumped up offensively! I mean he used to be criticised for starting too slow or being too relaxed!!! I don't think we can level that at Cotto anymore! If he beats Tony Margarito,the guy shoots into my P4P list for sure.

i agree with that my man, hes a bit more open but he's carried the weight well n still bangs like some sort of heavy caliber super weopon. He'd be just about creeping into my P4P top 10 at the momento and a wint over margarito...which i would expect hime to get...would really catapult him up there. Theres big things on the horizon and if floyd doesnt retire after ODLH as i hope (presume?) he wont there could be a monster fight in the line up for 2008!

I actually believe Margarito will beat Cotto. People all remember Tony,who was at 75% and looked awful v Clottey but prior to that,he has destroyed everyone else at 147 and I just believe that he would overwhelm Cotto. However,they are my favourite fighters and if Cotto did win,I wouldn't mind at all.

His hook to the body....watching it makes me winch. It looks scary!I'd love to see him fight Floyd and ignore the pussy boys crying,it was an act,he was stung by the critiCIsm,I don't think he'll retire.And it would be a great fight,I think Floyd would be HOT favourite but Cotto would be a new,different challenge and I think Cotto would make it tough for him.

as i said in another thread ive not really seen a great deal of all these guys, especailly since i started at university and dont have access to them...but margo - cotto would be a fire cracker...i just see margo as too open and abit slow for cotto personly, although cotto has been called chinny and if margo has his fight 3/3 and ive not heard anything about a cotto fight coming up...(as i think hes improving fight by fight) it would be very interesting if he doestnt have a fight prior to facing margo.

i did have a point to make out of all of that but the whiskeys just cut in...to be continued tomorrow is all i can say...

Cotto is a top 5 favourite of mine.

I love his style - in and out of the ring.

"If he dies, he dies" ;D