James Kirkland vs. Miguel Cotto who wins ?

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

The old skool Cotto would get his head blown off but this new Cotto would out jog Kirkland and land some flurries here and there. But I would love to see Kirkland catch up to him and just end Cotto's career already!

Can't explain it but i have a real irrational hate for that man now...

[Gocougars3]

Cotto has gone from a banger to a slick boxer with very good footwork and tricky combinations. I believe he beats Kirkland.

Don't really understand how you could hate him.

[fightscorecollector]

Cotto by KO after 8 rounds , i just think Cotto is still too good for Kirkland even though for 5-6 rounds it would be a great fight.

Cotto's experience would tell as he would pace himself better and has the better arsenal of punches

Maybe in a year or 2 its a different result as Cotto nears retirement

[El Kabong]

Cotto wins EASY...if the glacially slow Alfredo Angulo can drop Kirkland (and I don't think Angulo even hits all that hard to begin with) then a faster, slicker, more powerful puncher like Cotto would wreck Kirkland.

Kirkland is a beast, don't get me wrong, but he's to wild in his attack which leaves him open to counters. Cotto meanwhile has never been blasted out with 1 shot, it takes a measured and sustained attack over a number of rounds to beat him.


I think Cotto-Martinez is MUCH closer

[Rantcatrat]

This is never going to happen unless Kirkland transforms into a PPV fighter because Cotto doesn't fight these types of fights anymore unless its for big, big money. That doesn't even take into consideration the GB/TR beef, which itself could prevent this fight from ever happening.

Arum has done a great job with Cotto in recent times and Top Rank isn't just going to fall off all of a sudden. Cotto made large money against Pacquiao even though he lost. Then Cotto fought Yuri Foreman in Yankee Stadium as his foray into the junior middleweight division. Foreman is a competent boxer but not the type to beat Cotto so not much risk. A Jew fighting a Puerto Rican at Yankee stadium - how wouldn't it sell? Cotto made big money there. Then Cotto fights Ricardo Mayorga, a fight that is low risk given Mayorga's current state, but Mayorga is still a big name and Cotto makes money on that. Finally, Cotto faces Margarito at MSG in a remath of one of the top fights of recent memory. Just a wonderful job guiding him.

What we haven't seen is Cotto facing any top ten junior middleweight other than Foreman who was a good match-up for Cotto and regardless was a good money-making fight. I'm not taking anything away from his performance against Margacheato, but Margacheato wasn't even ranked in the top ten at junior middleweight when they clashed.

Frankly, the fight that makes the most sense in the near future, as another poster mentioned, is against Saul Alvarez because it could be a PPV and make Cotto a boatload of cash. However, that fight won't likely happen b/c of the GB/TR beef.

[El Kabong]

You certain that Cotto-Alvarez is a better fight than Cotto-Martinez? I think Cotto vs Sergio would be a huge fight

[Manos de Piedra]

Cotto beats him, kirkland fights with pressure just like margarito but he doesnt have the chin to take the shots from cotto. If cotto boxes smart he stops Kirkland sometime after the 8th round.

[El Kabong]

Cotto beats him, kirkland fights with pressure just like margarito but he doesnt have the chin to take the shots from cotto. If cotto boxes smart he stops Kirkland sometime after the 8th round.

I think it would be earlier than that...surely Cotto hits quicker and harder than Angulo or Ishida. I would say more in the 3-6 round range. Angulo and Ishida don't have the killer instinct or preciseness in their attack, Miguel can put punches together extremely well.

[Rantcatrat]

You certain that Cotto-Alvarez is a better fight than Cotto-Martinez? I think Cotto vs Sergio would be a huge fight

It would be a huge event. Cotto has just said in the past that he won't fight Martinez so I don't consider it even an option.

[shza]

You certain that Cotto-Alvarez is a better fight than Cotto-Martinez? I think Cotto vs Sergio would be a huge fight

It would be a huge event. Cotto has just said in the past that he won't fight Martinez so I don't consider it even an option.

Agreed. And while Martinez is obviously the better fighter, I think at Alvarez at this point sells more tickets and PPVs.

Martinez/Cotto is a better fight though. I'm nowhere near sold on Alvarez. That Gomez fight was telling.

[Hulk]

Cotto wins EASY...if the glacially slow Alfredo Angulo can drop Kirkland (and I don't think Angulo even hits all that hard to begin with) then a faster, slicker, more powerful puncher like Cotto would wreck Kirkland.

Kirkland is a beast, don't get me wrong, but he's to wild in his attack which leaves him open to counters. Cotto meanwhile has never been blasted out with 1 shot, it takes a measured and sustained attack over a number of rounds to beat him.


I think Cotto-Martinez is MUCH closer

I disagree. Angulo isn't a speedster, but he isn't glacially slow. And I think he hits harder than Cotto, he's a lot bigger man than Cotto.

[iwng100]

My heart says Cotto.
My mind says this fight will never happen.

[BlackRazor]

Cotto has gone from a banger to a slick boxer with very good footwork and tricky combinations. I believe he beats Kirkland.

Don't really understand how you could hate him.

I agree with you, Cotto's a 1st class guy in my book - he seems genuine.

[ReBeL BLacK]

The old skool Cotto would get his head blown off but this new Cotto would out jog Kirkland and land some flurries here and there. But I would love to see Kirkland catch up to him and just end Cotto's career already!

Can't explain it but i have a real irrational hate for that man now...

Regardless of the old or new Cotto, Kirkland will get caught time and time again, he does not have great ring awareness(ala Angulo right hand 1st round) I think Cotto would outclass the guy plain and simple