Cotto vs Duran at WW

I know a lot of you might think this is a blow out, but I think this would have been a great fight. Duran is obviously the favorite here, and he might very well be too much for Cotto, but I think Cotto is a little better technically of a fighter, he hits just as hard if not harder, he punches straighter, he has little better handspeed IMO.
Here is how I look at it
power: Duran has more snap, but Cotto has more force behind his punches.
Speed: Duran moves quicker, but Cotto seems sharper, and better handspeed to me
Stamina: Duran, even though Cotto is always in great shape, Duran could go 15 hard rounds easy.
Chin: Duran.
Defense: Duran IMO was harder to hit, used better head movement, but he did keep his hands lower and he loaded up on punches more which made him get tagged a lot more solidly on the chin than COtto usually does who keeps his hands up there.
Body punching: Cotto, Duran was a great body puncher, but Cotto is something else.
to the head: They both have great accuracy to the head, but Duran put so much more behind his punches when going to the head.
on the outside: I think Cotto who has a better jab, keeps his hands up, more technical style is superior on the outside.
on the inside: Duran eats anyone up on the inside, but Cotto is so strong that he can tie you up on the inside, and he still gets good punches off in close.

All in all I think this would be a great war between two somewhat similar fighters in terms of how they fight. I don't know why but I have this fight really close because Cotto is so sharp, and he so consistent.

Does anyone else have a feeling on this matchup?

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Originally Posted by Taeth

I know a lot of you might think this is a blow out, but I think this would have been a great fight. Duran is obviously the favorite here, and he might very well be too much for Cotto, but I think Cotto is a little better technically of a fighter, he hits just as hard if not harder, he punches straighter, he has little better handspeed IMO.
Here is how I look at it
power: Duran has more snap, but Cotto has more force behind his punches.
Speed: Duran moves quicker, but Cotto seems sharper, and better handspeed to me
Stamina: Duran, even though Cotto is always in great shape, Duran could go 15 hard rounds easy.
Chin: Duran.
Defense: Duran IMO was harder to hit, used better head movement, but he did keep his hands lower and he loaded up on punches more which made him get tagged a lot more solidly on the chin than COtto usually does who keeps his hands up there.
Body punching: Cotto, Duran was a great body puncher, but Cotto is something else.
to the head: They both have great accuracy to the head, but Duran put so much more behind his punches when going to the head.
on the outside: I think Cotto who has a better jab, keeps his hands up, more technical style is superior on the outside.
on the inside: Duran eats anyone up on the inside, but Cotto is so strong that he can tie you up on the inside, and he still gets good punches off in close.

All in all I think this would be a great war between two somewhat similar fighters in terms of how they fight. I don't know why but I have this fight really close because Cotto is so sharp, and he so consistent.

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I could agree in your read Teath , but if Cotto have more technicals skill in boxing and more handspeed and better body punch , you dont think that Duran would say " No Mas " ?...............;D

If Cotto has better handspeed than DUran its by a sliver, his body punching is better, but I like COtto's body work more than anyone's I've seen including McCallum. I just love his left hook, and how he lands it so accurately with so much force. I don't think Duran focused to the body that much, but while Cotto is going to the body I could easily see Duran ripping his head off with those vicious hooks/haymakers Duran could throw in close. Also Duran was a very underrated counter puncher.

I dont know Teath , i really respect your opinion , but i could see some Duran fights and i could see that his defense was poor , was like you said he always kept his hands lower , Benitez was one that took that opportunity and was a great boxer that didnt have a power punch and won clearly outboxing and so then ...............

Oh , Teath , i would want add something else , i dont know if you remember , but we have to take care when we say that Duran is more harder punch than Cotto in WW Div. , because he was called like " Mano de Piedra Duran when he were in JLW and LW Div......he was a Devastator in that Div......., but in W Div.....he didnt have the same power , would have to check his trayectory of KO in LW Div... vs W Div....

What do yu think ?

The Duran that fought Ray Leonard in the 1st fight was a fricken animal! I think it would have been a great fight while it lasted. Duran in 7

Once again I don't think Duran has much of an edge in power, I think he is the sharper puncher, while Cotto hits harder, but Cotto clearly doesn't have that snap to his punches that some guys do. I mean Duran was KO'ing guys all the way up to 168, I just can't see Cotto doing that.

Also watch Duran against Leonard in both fights and Leonard has a lot of trouble hitting Duran, Duran clearly has very good defensive skills or guys like Hagler would have walked all over him, and Cotto isn't that great defensively himself, RIcardo Torres hit him easily as did Paulie, Mosley, etc. I think that Cotto doens't get hit a ton by flush or silly shots, but he does get hit quite a bit.

Duran by late stoppage

Duran by late stoppage. Duran defence was better, he was more relentless and he fought bigger,stronger fighters so he could have taken Cotto's punch.Duran had deceptive power and handspeed too.

I go with Duran by stoppage around the 9th or 10th rounds. I agree with Renee69 the Duran from the first Leonard would beat Cotto .

It is hard or should I say almost unfair to make this mythical matchup at this point in Cotto's career. Duran had fought so many greats already by time he was a WW. I would really reserve my decision for a year or two

I dont know , but Leonard to me he underestimed the Duran power , that was his mistakes , that is the difference between Cotto , he until now never underestimed nobody , is more Cautious with his opponents , no matter how quality is .....;D
So , i dont think that Duran would distroy Cotto like he did to Leonard first..............

Well I think this turns to a brawl and my money on Little Hands of Stone. In a slugfest I think Duran can finish this fight by the 9-10 round

Duran possibly had one of the best defenses of all time at coming forward, Duran is a class above Cotto IMO. Cotto wouldn't be able to keep Duran off with body shots either, just watch Duran when he was past his prime against a much bigger and stronger opponent Iran Barkey. He hammered Duran to the body and Duran wasn't even effected one bit in fact he got stronger as the fight went on.

I know Cotto wasn't at his best at Jr Welterweight but just watch his fight with only decent pressure fighter like Ndou, he was forced on the back foot all night and struggled to keep Ndou off him, and ditto with Shane Mosley as well. Duran's better defense, better stamina, better chin, amongst other things would give him the edge and i can see Duran stopping Cotto late on. Duran struggled with fast boxers with good movement but i don't think Cotto is fast enough foot work wise to really trouble Duran.

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Originally Posted by ICB

Duran possibly had one of the best defenses of all time at coming forward, Duran is a class above Cotto IMO. Cotto wouldn't be able to keep Duran off with body shots either, just watch Duran when he was past his prime against a much bigger and stronger opponent Iran Barkey. He hammered Duran to the body and Duran wasn't even effected one bit in fact he got stronger as the fight went on.

I know Cotto wasn't at his best at Jr Welterweight but just watch his fight with only decent pressure fighter like Ndou, he was forced on the back foot all night and struggled to keep Ndou off him, and ditto with Shane Mosley as well. Duran's better defense, better stamina, better chin, amongst other things would give him the edge and i can see Duran stopping Cotto late on. Duran struggled with fast boxers with good movement but i don't think Cotto is fast enough foot work wise to really trouble Duran.

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Well put and summed up

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Originally Posted by ICB

Duran possibly had one of the best defenses of all time at coming forward, Duran is a class above Cotto IMO. Cotto wouldn't be able to keep Duran off with body shots either, just watch Duran when he was past his prime against a much bigger and stronger opponent Iran Barkey. He hammered Duran to the body and Duran wasn't even effected one bit in fact he got stronger as the fight went on.

I know Cotto wasn't at his best at Jr Welterweight but just watch his fight with only decent pressure fighter like Ndou, he was forced on the back foot all night and struggled to keep Ndou off him, and ditto with Shane Mosley as well. Duran's better defense, better stamina, better chin, amongst other things would give him the edge and i can see Duran stopping Cotto late on. Duran struggled with fast boxers with good movement but i don't think Cotto is fast enough foot work wise to really trouble Duran.

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First, Duran was a lot bigger than he was at WW when he faced Barkley... I mean its like comparing the punishment James Toney can take at heavyweight, with what he could at smw, its not the same. Second something was obviously bothering Cotto when he faced Mosley, he was clearly in control of a very strong guy until something strange happened. Shane didn't wear him down because Cotto didn't look tired at all, he was still sharp, he was still landing the better punches, but something was bothering him. Against N'Dou it made sense to fight off the back foot because he wasn't taking a tough N'Dou out of there. I think it isn't correct saying DUran is a different class of fighter than Cotto, he definitely has more advantages when comparing them, but Cotto is still right in there in a competitive sense IMO. Like somebody else said I guess Cotto needs a few more tests in his career starting with July then December for us to better gauge just how good he really is.