
Originally Posted by
TitoFan

Originally Posted by
SeanE
This was a case where I picked against Cotto but I love both fighters. Cotto is going to give Floyd trouble. I've now watched Cotto negate the speed of two very fast fighters with a deceptively accurate and powerful jab, and I'm sure we all remember that when Oscar used his jab, he was effective against Floyd. I don't think age had anything to do with Cotto's victory. It was Cotto's jab. For all taht talk about Cotto's bodywork and left hook, his jab one him the last to fights, and that gives him a chance against Floyd. A pressure fighter with a jab and power is a scary combo. My biggest knock on Cotto has been that I though he was one dimensional, but after seeing him last night, I realize that he has developed into a much more complete fighter.
Floyd will might win, but he will never beat him up. Tony Margarito has a better chance to KO Cotto, cuz of the power and uppercuts.
I'm gonna give you a CC, because you're one of the few around here that I've heard say: "I was picking so-and-so to win, 'cause I thought the other guy was one-dimensional and didn't have the tools. But I realize I was mistaken." Owning up to misconceptions is the mark of a truly knowledgeable boxing fan.
CC back. I can tell the difference between a fighter getting old before my eyes and a old fighter who still has great skills getting beat by a young lion that 1. I underestimated or 2. Had finally developed and put it all together. You gotta use your eyes. I don't know if what happened last night was 1 or 2. It was probably some of both. I think we all agree that Floyd today is a more refined figher than the Floyd who nearly lost to Castillo. This was a much different Cotto than the fighter who was pushed by Torres.
In baseball, a sport where physical skill and mental maturity are closely tied together for success, statistical analysis shows age 26-27 is very often the age where hitters finally put the physical tools together with the mental aspects and reach their full potential. Maybe that transfers to boxing a little. In both sports, you can have the greatest set of raw tools, but if you don't refine your skills and control your emotions, you will never be truely great. That requires a certain maturity. I got a glimpse of that from Cotto against Judah, but it wrote off some if it because of Zab's mental flaws.
After seeing what happened last night, even if Cotto WAS one-dimensional at one time, he ain't anymore, and even Shane said himself last night...the kid can box a little.
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