If you're Cotto what strategy do you employ?!

[Spicoli]

Stay small,shorten jab. Revert to pre boxing Cotto. You aint boxing with Floyd, no way no how. Volume and the power of prayer, and don't get cut by that elbow that will be in your face all night. No more tomorrows.

[Mars_ax]

All things considered Cotto could be the best fighter Floyd has ever faced. Floyd's greatest assets are his defense and the ability to take a good/great fighter and make them look ordinary, he's also super confident, never having tasted defeat.

A KO for either pug doesn't seem likely, so this should go to a decision. It's not going to be easy for Cotto to win a decision (understatement) against arguably the best/slickest boxer in the world.

In order for Cotto to win he needs to stay busier, set the pace and not let Floyd dictate the tempo. Like someone on this thread has already said, Cotto has a great jab, and left hook to the body, use them often. And lastly, Miguel will not "outbox" Floyd he needs to make a fight of it, put some hurt on him and take Floyd where he's never been before.

[Galaxy]

He's gotta work that body

Pop that jab & put punches behind it

[CutMeMick]

Get PBF on the ropes and just throw upstairs & down stairs.
Use waist movement, bobbing & weaving to avoid counters.
Ortiz was able to do this if Cotto can do the same he's got chances of a better outcome.

[Saddo]

I don't see him outboxing him.... workrate is the key but he has fallen short in the past on that so his only hope and biggest weapon is his power get inside and hold, spoil, hit, low blows, nut just rough him up.... ala Hatton Vs tszyu.

its his only chance IMHO... WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT HAPPEN

[Slim the BoxingManiac]

One thing we might not be taking into account here is Floyd's inactivity and age. He fought once last year, and that fight went four rounds and ended in a lame blow.

The guy might just be fading a lot more than we think he is. We'll see what happens.

[UKPH]

No strategy needed, Money May is the clear winner in any area

Jab- Money May longer reach, consistent one of the best
Dexterity - Money May
Speed - Money May

Money May- via stopage in mid-late rounds. Cotto will be lucky if he goes to 12 rounds.

all of this IMO only.

[THE THIRD MAN]

One thing we might not be taking into account here is Floyd's inactivity and age. He fought once last year, and that fight went four rounds and ended in a lame blow.

The guy might just be fading a lot more than we think he is. We'll see what happens.

This fight might tell us something about that, the problem is Cotto himself has been in some wars and has been hit way too often in recent years. Floyd is the best defensive fighter i have ever seen, can Cotto actually hit him? Not only hit him, but enough times to slow him down? I doubt it.

[Beanflicker]

It's easy to say "ohh work rate and body punching". It sounds great on paper, and guys have been saying it for YEARS, but it's a totally different ball game when the fighter is in the ring getting pot shotted with lighting fast lead rights and left hooks before he can plant his feet, or having his punches parried and countered with brutal straight rights and uppercuts and being froze by feints.

I doubt there is a concrete gameplan to beat Floyd, and if there is it's WAY too complex to be summed up in a couple of sentences.

PERSONALLY, if I'm Cotto I'm hoping that Floyd is not on his game or has gotten old overnight and I'm fighting dirty.

[captainanddew]

1- Start fast- Floyd often will give away the first round or two. Go out there and use the jab and also look to win first couple of rounds when Floyd starts slow.
2-Get to the body-Floyd is 35. If you get to the body, his legs will slow (and they aren't as fast as they used to be).
3-Workrate- you have to take any round that is close by outworking him. If the round is close then you need to try to get in a flurry in the final 10 seconds of the round. Any little extra bit to take a close round.
4-Dirty tactics- You have to hit Floyd on the hip (many refs miss it-BHOP does it in close and is a master at it-waits for ref to be on the wrong side). Hit Floyd low. Use anything you can to take something out of him.
5-Right hand- Cotto's right hand has improved a little over the years. He is going to need to use it more than he has in the past. You can't be predictable. If you come out with the jab, win a few rounds, use the left hook a little, and don't use the right hand, then Floyd will figure out how to neutralize the jab and the left hand enough to turn it around. So you have to suprise him with more straight right hands than you normally throw.
6-Pray
7-Pay the judges

[ElTerribleMorales]

Cotto's stamina has improved drastically since moving up to 154, he should move side to side, get in range and use his timing and jab to keep Floyd off balance, take the earlier rounds and push Floyd to the ropes then fire off to his body, Cotto isn't probably gonna win but he has a better chance of doing so than what many people think

[Dia bando]

Cotto's stamina has improved drastically since moving up to 154, he should move side to side, get in range and use his timing and jab to keep Floyd off balance, take the earlier rounds and push Floyd to the ropes then fire off to his body, Cotto isn't probably gonna win but he has a better chance of doing so than what many people think

I'm not saying he has not got a chance, of course he has Cotto will make a fight of it but Floyd is very
slick a very clever counter puncher.You need speed to beat Floyd and I feel Cotto is a bit shop worn
my friend he has had one or two too many wars I feel. As I said I like Cotto he's a good guy Floyd on
the other hand comes across as a prick, but he's a prick that's a good fighter.
If it was a personality contest Cotto would win hands down, but it's not so I go with the prick Floyd.

[Chino]

Create openings like Shane Mosley did twice but somehow gassed out. Shane jabed to his body, Floyd lowered his defense, but right after the jab Shane was throwing a straight right that connected Floyd pretty good.

[ElTerribleMorales]

Cotto's stamina has improved drastically since moving up to 154, he should move side to side, get in range and use his timing and jab to keep Floyd off balance, take the earlier rounds and push Floyd to the ropes then fire off to his body, Cotto isn't probably gonna win but he has a better chance of doing so than what many people think

I'm not saying he has not got a chance, of course he has Cotto will make a fight of it but Floyd is very
slick a very clever counter puncher.You need speed to beat Floyd and I feel Cotto is a bit shop worn
my friend he has had one or two too many wars I feel. As I said I like Cotto he's a good guy Floyd on
the other hand comes across as a prick, but he's a prick that's a good fighter.
If it was a personality contest Cotto would win hands down, but it's not so I go with the prick Floyd.

that's where i disagree, you don't need speed to beat Floyd/speed, you need good timing something Cotto does still have, De La Hoya made Floyd look more or less average when he timed Mayweather and backed him up with his jab, Cotto has a great jab and he has awesome timing, it's gonna be a lot more competitive than most think