Quote Originally Posted by Ron Swanson View Post
I was very critical of not only his legs but how he used them. I felt terrible after the fight because it probably came off dismissive of Cotto when that certainly wasn't my intention.

Here is what my eyes thought they saw.
Not a knee issue as much as a leg strength issue and how he moved not his ability to move. First, one foot was always in the air. Big step left with his lead leg, he's not in a good punching position while it is up or turned as it put him. Then big step sideways with his train foot, again he can't really punch with that foot in the air. Once he plants it down he is sturdy but he then moved his lead leg again. Constantly with no base under him. His balance was shook from early but some of that can be compensated by pure leg strength. And awkward fighters can generate power without having their legs under them from their legs. That's what makes them awkward. Being able to get power when you don't expect. But I saw about five times(not counting when he was stunned) where he went to make a simple movement and he sort of tripped because it didn't look like he had the strength in his legs to compensate for his movement.

I fully apologize if it came off I was dismissing what Cotto had done. That certainly wasn't my intention. I just didn't see leg strength from Sergio, I commented on how pencil thin his legs were at the weigh in. I thought they'd use the 14 months to build them up to stabilize the knee. I didn't see leg strength at the weigh in and I didn't see a solid base in the fight. Full props to Cotto for beating the hell out of him. And I use what I say about Sergios legs as no excuse for how wildly wrong I was about the fight. What happened happened I was just flat wrong. Probably the most wrong I've been since I under estimated a young Andre Ward. This one will stick with me for the shot to my ego. But it's awesome that Cotto got to put on such a show. Bariquas rejoice!
This is the thing. He didn't have his legs from the first bell in this fight which meant he didn't have his normal mobility to get himself into punching position/out of the way of Cotto's punches and didn't have any snap in his punches when he did throw them.