how could have cotto won this fight? or win the rematch if there is one

[uptoscratch]

When Baldomir(using a guy with Margarito chin, handspeed, but not power) tried to hit Mayweather on the ropes look what happened even when Baldomir threw 10 punch combinations he couldn't land anything either could the way faster Oscar Dela Hoya who is a good combination puncher. And both of those guys could walk through almost any punch Floyd threw.

Agree 100%. I think last night showed the difference between Floyd and Cotto as fighters. Floyd has already been in with guys who he knew he couldn't knock out, and against whom he'd have to rely on defense, movement and skill. He knows what to do in those situations.

Cotto had never been in that situation before last night. He thought he could knock Margarito out right up until he ran of out of steam completely and had to give up. He allowed himself to get pushed to the ropes all fight because he thought he would be able to hurt Margarito coming in, and he was wrong.

If Cotto's stamina had held out, if he had focused more of his attacks on the body, if he had kept the fight more in the middle of the ring, if he was a just a little more skilled at defense, he could have won. Assuming that Floyd came back in motivated and in shape, PBF could and would do all those things and end up UDing Margarito.

Whether or not Cotto could also do them and win a rematch is a different question that depends on his mental makeup.

[albsur2006]

Cotto could have won this fight if he put in more body work in the early rounds. Margo's defense for his body is underrated but I felt like Cotto was headhunting the entire first half of the fight and didn't even try to go to the body. I was thinking "Mix it up damnit. If Cintron can't knock out Margo with his best shot then you're not knocking Margo out with 50 of yours. GO TO THE BODY!!!" He was outclassing Margarito in the first half of the fight but he was expending a ton of energy fighting that way. One thing about guys like Cotto is that they have the heart to fight and put it all on the line for the fans but they don't have the sense to do whatever it takes to win. Cotto could have easily conserved energy by using a lot of lateral movement and tying up early while still landing those combos in the first half of the fight and if he went to the body more then he probably would have escaped with a SD or close UD. But these guys don't know the tricks of the game to do WHATEVER it takes to win. Like Hopkins, Mayweather, Winky Wright, and ODLH do. Mayweather can beat Margarito because he's much faster and in excellent shape and quite honestly, he doesn't care how the fight looks to the fans, he only cares about winning. While I respect guys like Cotto that want to prove that they are fighters, have heart, and want to give the fans a great fight, I also respect these other guys because to them winning is more important than anything.