Some highly-touted fighters who were hyped for a long while----sometimes the hype was so obviously ordered by the marketeers and promoters it was laughable---wound up, after being fed a string of tomato cans (at times with undefeated records to boot), in line for a title shot or atleast for a shot at moving into a #1 or #2 ranking in their divisions, ONLY TO SUDDENLY VAPORIZE AND DISAPPEAR FROM BOXING VIRTUALLY FOREVER, AFTER LOSING "UNEXPECTEDLY" AND IN A QUITE THOROUGH AND DISAPPOINTING WAY.

It's like that bully phenomenon, when the bully finally loses, or the Big Bad Guy finally gets an ass-kicking---HE IS NEVER THE SAME AND WILL NEVER COMMAND THE SAME TERROR HE ONCE ALLEGEDLY COMMANDED.

Fernando Vargas, after that humiliating loss to Oscar, in which the big bad Steroided-Up Fernando was roughing up the Golden Boy for most of the fight, virtually disappeared from boxing, and could not come to terms with his big macho image having dried up and withered in the sun.

David Reid, after being touted as the next Sugar Ray, was never ever the same after that sudden and "unexpected" loss to Tito Trinidad, and has he ever fought again since that day? I'll go to Boxing Records and check in a minute, but I would be surprised if he did put on the gloves again.

Big Bad Courage Tschabalala, whose overhand rights were being compared in their devastating effects to Earnie Shavers', turned out to be quite the pansy, after his ass-whipping by Darryl Wilson and Bryan Scott.

Iron Mike Tyson was saying "Owww!" on his stool with that big balloon on his eye, and was never the Big Bad Mike after that night in Tokyo when someone stood up to the bully and put on a stellar show.


How many fighters have we seen experience this? Many, indeed. They were considered big and bad and ugly, and fighters quivered in their boots just to imagine stepping into the ring with them.

But once that aura of invincibility has been shattered, they are never the same. Sometimes, they even disappear forever, or, at best, go on to fight a few more times against guys we never heard of with 20-15 records, and then retire. It's kind of sad.

It takes a true great like Ali to come back from big losses and hang in the boxing game as a real contender or champion. It is not just the doubts about one's physical abilities that could end the careers, but mentally the fighters aren't the same after having been so hyped and touted, though untested hitherto, and then losing utterly.

I do suspect that Miguel Cotto will never be the same after that "unexpected" loss to Margarito. I don't believe he will be back in the same contention as he once enjoyed. That loss was more of a psychological trouncing, one that he had never experienced before. The guy just took 2 knees, and showed he was spent. Couldnt even stand up to fight. He has to wonder about his stamina, his willingness to stand and fight to the end, like Norton and Holmes did, like Frazier and Ali did.

I believe that will be all for Miguel Cotto.