Just another one of Wacko's Drunken Round by Rounds...Cotto vs Judah.

[Wacko3205]

Once again I’d like to welcome you all to Yet Another Installment of Wacko’s Drunken Round by Round as we settle in for another HBO PPV telecast.


This go ‘round we’ll be settling in on the couch for what ole’ Wacko expects to be a truly nail biting, flying by the seat of your pants event as Miguel Angel Cotto (29 fights with 24 ko‘s & 0 losses) matches his power against the unbridled speed and experience of Zab Judah (40 fights, 34 wins with 25 ko's, & 4 losses) for the WBA’s Welterweight title on June 9th, 2007 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.


So let’s just get down to the brass tax of it all with what I, your one, your only, drunken round by round king has come to dub as : The Wackster’s Factors of the Fight!

Factors for and against Cotto:

Factor #1: Power. This one, IWO, is in Cotto’s favor. While Judah has been known to knock an opponent out…none at 140 to 147lbs have been as dramatic and brutal as have the knockouts brought by the young Puerto sensation. Cotto’s got bricks in his gloves…& at the end of the night…I hate to say this…but this is the only saving grace for Cotto as he steps up against Zab Judah.

Factor #2: Chin & Durability. This goes in Cotto’s favor also…but I was very VERY skeptical to list it as an asset in Cotto’s corner. While Miguel has been hurt by several fighters and dropped by one…he’s always cut the mustard & gotten up off of the mat to win the fight in devastating fashion.

Factor #3: Heart. This goes against Cotto, IWO. Cotto has proven to be a bit of a gutsy fighter at heart. While he used to box with his heart, coming up through the ranks, he now has more or less locked himself into a brawling mode & this my friends does not set well with Wacko. While I am a huge Cotto fan…he does have some flaws to his mold…this is one of them. If Cotto tries to show out for the Puerto populace of the crowd…Judah has the speed & power to punish Cotto for it.

Factor #4: Speed. While Cotto is fast…he’s gonna flow like a turtle against the rabbit that is Judah. Honestly, the only way that I think Cotto can defeat Judah is down the stretch & the way to make that work? Factor #5.

Factor #5: Body. You might think that I am speaking along the lines of Cotto’s physique…not the case. Miguel Cotto has been noted for the last 4 or 5 years as being one of, if not, the most devastating body puncher in the sport. When Cotto can dictate the pace & get into his pattern of ripping the ribs & then swithing to the uppercut or left hook…he’s almost unstoppable. Zab Judah has been known to be a “front runner” (to quote Mayweather‘s eloquent dictation) & quite often falls apart down the distance with faced with opposition. I have to say that Cotto’s body work will be the tallest ladder that Judah will have ever climbed & as I said above in the closing of Factor #4...I truly think that the only way Cotto can defeat Judah is by punishing the body down the stretch.

Factors for and against Judah:

Factor #1: Speed & Abilities. While everyone here knows that Wacko pretty much loathes Judah with every fiber of his being…you also know that I aint gonna pull that bias horse shat outta me a***. Now…that being said…I am honestly worried for Cotto in this fight. Judah’s faster, he’s more diverse, & he’s got fairly heavy hands. I truly believe that Judah is going to beat Cotto in this match. I think that his speed will befuddle Cotto, as he has never EVER faced anyone remotely close to Judah.

Factor #2: Power. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Judah has the power to stop Cotto…but I’m hoping that it doesn’t come to that, being the massive Cotto fan that I am. I suppose that I will have to also give this factor to Judah…just as I gave it to Cotto. They are both power punchers…so it’s going to come down to who get’s off first or who is more accurate. Cotto better keep his hands up for the duration.

Factor #3: Confidence. Zab Judah has been extremely vocal during the build up of this match. He has practically guaranteed to shock the world with a knockout over the young Puerto Rican Super Star on the eve of the Puerto Rican parade. Again…as noted above…I believe him. Judah sounds more pumped than he was for the Spinks rematch…& you saw how that turned out. I hope that I’m wrong…but Cotto may be handing over his belt to the bad guy & also giving up his undefeated streak. We shall see.

Factor #4: Chin & Ribs. Clearly not in Judah’s favor at all. Judah’s got a weak chin, no doubt, & honestly…I don’t think that he’ll be able to stand up to Cotto’s body shots…as noted above in Cotto’s Factor #5.

Factor #5: Age & Endurance. This is most definently not in Judah’s favor…neither one. Judah’s the older fighter of the two & it’s shown lately in some of his matches. Endurance…while some of you may think that it’s the same thing as age…it aint. No matter what shape Judah comes into the match…his endurance will be a factor. He’ll let it all hang out with his wang out for the first 4-6 rounds & he’ll most likely fade into ridiculousness soon there after. This will be the time that Cotto should capitalize.

Alright fellars & fellerattes…that’s all I got…the rest of it’s up to you.

Let’s hash it out. I know that this fight is going to generate a lot of good back & forth banter from both sides of the fence. Again…I aint a fan of Judah at all…but I think that his speed & abilities are going to cause Cotto large amounts of trouble.

Prediction: Zab Judah…middle to late TKO.

I hate to do it…but that’s where I am right now.

So…that being said…it’s time to ready yourselves for another night of drunken coverage here at saddoboxing.com courtesy of your loyal connection for unbiased and absolutely un-sober boxing coverage.

Toss the remote, put the kids in bed, break out those chips & salsa along with your beverage of choice & settle down on the couch…it’s fight night!

Cheers & koneecheewah bitches!

[CountryBoy]

Once again I’d like to welcome you all to Yet Another Installment of Wacko’s Drunken Round by Round as we settle in for another HBO PPV telecast.


This go ‘round we’ll be settling in on the couch for what ole’ Wacko expects to be a truly nail biting, flying by the seat of your pants event as Miguel Angel Cotto (29 fights with 24 ko‘s & 0 losses) matches his power against the unbridled speed and experience of Zab Judah (40 fights, 34 wins with 25 ko's, & 4 losses) for the WBA’s Welterweight title on June 9th, 2007 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.


So let’s just get down to the brass tax of it all with what I, your one, your only, drunken round by round king has come to dub as : The Wackster’s Factors of the Fight!

Factors for and against Cotto:

Factor #1: Power. This one, IWO, is in Cotto’s favor. While Judah has been known to knock an opponent out…none at 140 to 147lbs have been as dramatic and brutal as have the knockouts brought by the young Puerto sensation. Cotto’s got bricks in his gloves…& at the end of the night…I hate to say this…but this is the only saving grace for Cotto as he steps up against Zab Judah.

Factor #2: Chin & Durability. This goes in Cotto’s favor also…but I was very VERY skeptical to list it as an asset in Cotto’s corner. While Miguel has been dropped by several fighters now…he’s always cut the mustard & gotten up off of the mat to win the fight in devastating fashion.

Factor #3: Heart. This goes against Cotto, IWO. Cotto has proven to be a bit of a gutsy fighter at heart. While he used to box with his heart, coming up through the ranks, he now has more or less locked himself into a brawling mode & this my friends does not set well with Wacko. While I am a huge Cotto fan…he does have some flaws to his mold…this is one of them. If Cotto tries to show out for the Puerto populace of the crowd…Judah has the speed & power to punish Cotto for it.

Factor #4: Speed. While Cotto is fast…he’s gonna flow like a turtle against the rabbit that is Judah. Honestly, the only way that I think Cotto can defeat Judah is down the stretch & the way to make that work? Factor #5.

Factor #5: Body. You might think that I am speaking along the lines of Cotto’s physique…not the case. Miguel Cotto has been noted for the last 4 or 5 years as being one of, if not, the most devastating body puncher in the sport. When Cotto can dictate the pace & get into his pattern of ripping the ribs & then swithing to the uppercut or left hook…he’s almost unstoppable. Zab Judah has been known to be a “front runner” (to quote Mayweather‘s eloquent dictation) & quite often falls apart down the distance with faced with opposition. I have to say that Cotto’s body work will be the tallest ladder that Judah will have ever climbed & as I said above in the closing of Factor #4...I truly think that the only way Cotto can defeat Judah is by punishing the body down the stretch.

Factors for and against Judah:

Factor #1: Speed & Abilities. While everyone here knows that Wacko pretty much loathes Judah with every fiber of his being…you also know that I aint gonna pull that bias horse shat outta me a***. Now…that being said…I am honestly worried for Cotto in this fight. Judah’s faster, he’s more diverse, & he’s got fairly heavy hands. I truly believe that Judah is going to beat Cotto in this match. I think that his speed will befuddle Cotto, as he has never EVER faced anyone remotely close to Judah.

Factor #2: Power. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Judah has the power to stop Cotto…but I’m hoping that it doesn’t come to that, being the massive Cotto fan that I am. I suppose that I will have to also give this factor to Judah…just as I gave it to Cotto. They are both power punchers…so it’s going to come down to who get’s off first or who is more accurate. Cotto better keep his hands up for the duration.

Factor #3: Confidence. Zab Judah has been extremely vocal during the build up of this match. He has practically guaranteed to shock the world with a knockout over the young Puerto Rican Super Star on the eve of the Puerto Rican parade. Again…as noted above…I believe him. Judah sounds more pumped than he was for the Spinks rematch…& you saw how that turned out. I hope that I’m wrong…but Cotto may be handing over his belt to the bad guy & also giving up his undefeated streak. We shall see.

Factor #4: Chin & Ribs. Clearly not in Judah’s favor at all. Judah’s got a weak chin, no doubt, & honestly…I don’t think that he’ll be able to stand up to Cotto’s body shots…as noted above in Cotto’s Factor #5.

Factor #5: Age & Endurance. This is most definently not in Judah’s favor…neither one. Judah’s the older fighter of the two & it’s shown lately in some of his matches. Endurance…while some of you may think that it’s the same thing as age…it aint. No matter what shape Judah comes into the match…his endurance will be a factor. He’ll let it all hang out with his wang out for the first 4-6 rounds & he’ll most likely fade into ridiculousness soon there after. This will be the time that Cotto should capitalize.

Alright fellars & fellerattes…that’s all I got…the rest of it’s up to you.

Let’s hash it out. I know that this fight is going to generate a lot of good back & forth banter from both sides of the fence. Again…I aint a fan of Judah at all…but I think that his speed & abilities are going to cause Cotto large amounts of trouble.

Prediction: Zab Judah…middle to late TKO.

I hate to do it…but that’s where I am right now.

So…that being said…it’s time to ready yourselves for another night of drunken coverage here at saddoboxing.com courtesy of your loyal connection for unbiased and absolutely un-sober boxing coverage.

Toss the remote, put the kids in bed, break out those chips & salsa along with your beverage of choice & settle down on the couch…it’s fight night!

Cheers & koneecheewah bitches!

Nice work wack, I really like Zab's chances here... But the question is which Judah will show up.... I see Judah stopping Cotto early, around the 2nd round early by catching Cotto cold.. But if he doesn't, Zab will run out of steam and start to go to sleep against the murderous punching Cotto and just be another Cotto highlight.

[El Gamo]

Maaaaaaaaaaaaan,Im getting hyped for the fight!!!! I cannot wait!!!! Cotto will win but Zabs speed could be a problem at times for him. I disagree with those that say Zab will start as fast as he usually does,he said himself,he wants to try to be methodical,he wants to punish Cotto over 12 rounds,he's not going for the early KO. I think he wants to at least stay the distance,pace himself better than he has done. I think Cotto just breaks him down,head and body and stops him late in the fight. I want to see a signifcant increase in Cotto's stamina and I want to see him control the Judah's speed with the jab.

[amat]

Alright, so I'm really pumped for this one. I'm a big Cotto fan but I've always been a realist, and I know he has had flaws in the past but I truly believe that Cotto is ready for this level of fighter. Cotto has faced someone like Judah, Carlos Quintana may not have been as fast, but he was a slick southpaw who was a hell of a lot more fundamentally solid then Zab. Just pointing that out. To date, Quintana was Cotto's peak performance.

So I'm going to go ahead and start rambling off the top of my head.

Here's what we know about Zab Judah.

He is a fast fighter, has power, comes from all different angles and he has many different ways of fighting. He can stand his and let you come to him, or he can stalk. Or he can do a little bit of both. He has a very diverse offensive game. He gets inside and outside very well. And he has a very diverse punch arsenal.

He also has a very good defense from the outside, he can pick most anything off his gloves, he's never really been hurt from a flatfooted punch thrown from the outside.

His chin, stamina, will to fight, consistency body and mind have been called into question time and time again. He doesn't fight well in transition, he exposes himself coming in and backing out. He loops his punches as he moves inside, he backs straight up when pressured and drops his hands, sometimes simultaneously. He isn't hard to hit when he's being pressured.


Judah has a lot on his plate here. He needs to keep out of the way of Miguel Cotto's shots, while still managing to win rounds. It's really a struggle of offense versus defense, something Judah has shown problems with before. In all likelyhood, Judah isn't going to be moving forward much so he has got to figure out a way to win rounds and possibly KO Cotto.

The most likely scenario and probably his best option is for him to camp on the outside, let Cotto cross the tracks and come inside and try to catch him there. If he can stun Cotto coming forward, which has been done before, then he can pounce and possibly get Cotto out of there. He can also try to come from all angles and try to back Cotto up with the jab, but backing Cotto up might be to much. So look for him to try to catch Cotto come forward.

However, Miguel is very hard to back up, he has good balance, good head movement on the outside and he throws more punches in transition now. Against Quintana, very rarely did he walk in with the ear muffs on. He put the right hand out in front a lot (which Judah has big problems with), and worked in a jab. Then once he gets on the inside he is such an explosive fighter, he has an absolutely ripping body attack and is very accurate. An excellent boxer-puncher.

He himself has stamina issues, not to the extent of Zab though, and he has been frustrated before. So that could present problems for both fighters later on in the fight but I honestly feel by that time, Zab will be in complete shut down mode. He can say he is ready for the later rounds, but it's not so much stamina as it is that he breaks down when hurt. And shockingly Zab has made no mention of that.

Honestly, it's easy to see a speed guy with power versus a power guy, but I honestly feel that Cotto is the more well rounded fighter and not only that, I think he has the stylistic advantage. I expect a BIG statement from Cotto and quite honestly, I would be shocked if anything less happens.

Cotto Decision

Cotto - Floyd 08!

[amat]

Maaaaaaaaaaaaan,Im getting hyped for the fight!!!! I cannot wait!!!! Cotto will win but Zabs speed could be a problem at times for him. I disagree with those that say Zab will start as fast as he usually does,he said himself,he wants to try to be methodical,he wants to punish Cotto over 12 rounds,he's not going for the early KO. I think he wants to at least stay the distance,pace himself better than he has done. I think Cotto just breaks him down,head and body and stops him late in the fight. I want to see a signifcant increase in Cotto's stamina and I want to see him control the Judah's speed with the jab.

Clicked you for that. I honestly don't think Judah's speed is going to be to big of a factor because I think Cotto is going to beat him to the punch a lot. Zab's speed is at the forefront when he is the aggressor or he is in there with a guy easy to counter. Baldomir did a job in negating Zab's speed by keeping Zab going backwards, I see Cotto doing the same.

[El Gamo]

Click Amat. I find it hard to believe when people say that Zab may outbox Cotto. When has Zab outboxed anyone of late? ZAB could come in the best shape of his life but once he feels those rib breaking shots,he'll start having doubts. I'm sure Floyd made Zab wince from his body shots and Cotto hits tonnes harder than Floyd to the body,especially at 147. I totally agree,Zab's speed comes from when he is the agressor but when he is not a la Baldo fight,he looks confused,doesn't know what to do.

I would be surprised if Cotto lost this. Surprised and dissapointed. I think Miguel is a much better overall fighter than Zab and I'm looking for him to make a statement here. Send a messAge to the guys at 147 and most of all,set up a potential unification with the other best WW on the planet,Margarito. Now that would be an amazing fight!

[Purist]

Click Amat. I find it hard to believe when people say that Zab may outbox Cotto. When has Zab outboxed anyone of late? ZAB could come in the best shape of his life but once he feels those rib breaking shots,he'll start having doubts. I'm sure Floyd made Zab wince from his body shots and Cotto hits tonnes harder than Floyd to the body,especially at 147. I totally agree,Zab's speed comes from when he is the agressor but when he is not a la Baldo fight,he looks confused,doesn't know what to do.

I would be surprised if Cotto lost this. Surprised and dissapointed. I think Miguel is a much better overall fighter than Zab and I'm looking for him to make a statement here. Send a messAge to the guys at 147 and most of all,set up a potential unification with the other best WW on the planet,Margarito. Now that would be an amazing fight!

I'm not going to say a word...

[CFH]

I feel the same about this fight as I did about the Pavlik - Miranda bout. I'm cheering for Cotto (as I was cheering for Miranda), but I think Judah has the skills and style to win (though I respect Pavlik a hell of a lot more than I respect Judah). Judah's got blazing speed and pop in his punches... I just hope Cotto can adapt and adjust better than Miranda did.
My vote was Judah by TKO, though I hope Cotto can win.

[SigmaMu]

Correction, correction Captain Wacky!

While Miguel has been dropped by several fighters now?

Cotto has only been dropped once in his career.
His hardest fan core base will say it was with help of a pull down to the head from and by Torres.

What ever.

Cotto accepted it as a knock down.

But, there are no several knock downs.

Just one.



May the best man win.

I am rooting for Cotto as always.

[ICB]

I think there styles will blend well Zab has advantage in speed Cotto hits harder its going to be great fight can't wait for it i don't see this one going past 10 to be honest i think Cotto will force Zab to start fast Gamo and Cotto will lose first couple of rounds but them body shots will wear Zab down and i see tko in the 10th but i definitely see the fans getting there money worth here

[Wacko3205]

Correction, correction Captain Wacky!

While Miguel has been dropped by several fighters now?

Cotto has only been dropped once in his career.
His hardest fan core base will say it was with help of a pull down to the head from and by Torres.

Yep. That was slip up on my part...but it has been corrected. I had to rewatch the Corley fight again late last night...for some reason I had thought that Corley dropped him too...but he just battered the hell out of him.

Thanks for the help...fixed...see below:

Factor #2: Chin & Durability. This goes in Cotto’s favor also…but I was very VERY skeptical to list it as an asset in Cotto’s corner. While Miguel has been hurt by several fighters and dropped by one…he’s always cut the mustard & gotten up off of the mat to win the fight in devastating fashion.

[CutMeMick]

Jot me down for a Cotto TKO... 'Nuff said.

[CutMeMick]

Click Amat. I find it hard to believe when people say that Zab may outbox Cotto. When has Zab outboxed anyone of late? ZAB could come in the best shape of his life but once he feels those rib breaking shots,he'll start having doubts. I'm sure Floyd made Zab wince from his body shots and Cotto hits tonnes harder than Floyd to the body,especially at 147. I totally agree,Zab's speed comes from when he is the agressor but when he is not a la Baldo fight,he looks confused,doesn't know what to do.

I would be surprised if Cotto lost this. Surprised and dissapointed. I think Miguel is a much better overall fighter than Zab and I'm looking for him to make a statement here. Send a messAge to the guys at 147 and most of all,set up a potential unification with the other best WW on the planet,Margarito. Now that would be an amazing fight!

I'm not going to say a word...

Why don't we do it like this then.
Would you care to rate your top 5 WW at the moment?

[El Gamo]

Click Amat. I find it hard to believe when people say that Zab may outbox Cotto. When has Zab outboxed anyone of late? ZAB could come in the best shape of his life but once he feels those rib breaking shots,he'll start having doubts. I'm sure Floyd made Zab wince from his body shots and Cotto hits tonnes harder than Floyd to the body,especially at 147. I totally agree,Zab's speed comes from when he is the agressor but when he is not a la Baldo fight,he looks confused,doesn't know what to do.

I would be surprised if Cotto lost this. Surprised and dissapointed. I think Miguel is a much better overall fighter than Zab and I'm looking for him to make a statement here. Send a messAge to the guys at 147 and most of all,set up a potential unification with the other best WW on the planet,Margarito. Now that would be an amazing fight!

I'm not going to say a word...

Why don't we do it like this then.
Would you care to rate your top 5 WW at the moment?

CC Mick. Its' easy to say I'm not going to say anything without backing it up...

[MistaDibbs]

'Double right hook, first to the body and then to the head.' That has been the signature combination for Cotto. Other than movement, I have never known Judah to be able to deal with that combination effectively. Judah has speed, but he will be backing up against the forward-moving Cotto all night. The last time I saw Judah move forward was the Spinks fight and the few other early KO fights he's had with lesser-known fighters. Judah is no Hopkins, Spinks or Wright so whatever counterpunching he expects to pull out will not be as effective as those aforementioned fighters. I like how everybody feels that Corley, Malignaggi and even Torres weren't quick boxers. They may not be Mayweather / Judah fast, but face it, Cotto has faced faster fighters than at least himself. Judah can focus on Cotto's chin all night, but he better not forget to protect his own AND his ribs. Cotto by TKO in the 8th after a few 7th round KDs. Oh, and I do expect Cotto to go down at least once, but come back to win.