Does Cotto lack that concentration to be great?

[Youngblood]

I rewatched this fight, with a clearer head a fresh perspective. I couldn't help but feel that Cotto really missed a game plan of working away on Margo's body...until...I rewatched it.

Tony made it a point to protect his body at the cost of absorbing numerous head shots. He obviously IMO did this on purpose. It is hard to fathom a person have that much faith in their ability to take damaging shots to the head, instead of chancing being hurt by body shots. But that is what he did. And he did going forward the whole time.

That has to be scary. Throwing everything you have at a fighters head because it is open for you, countering with beautiful combos, again and again, moving laterally to make it happen..but still, forward he comes.

I changed my mind regarding Cotto missing the boat on the body shots. The option just wasn't there for him.

What Cotto needed to is not go backwards the whole time, I am thinking of Duran fighting a Margarito type fighter, he would get right on the inside where his shorter reach would work to his advantage, if Cotto got in close there is no way Margarito would be able to get effective punches off, and Cotto having a lower center of gravity, being hte same size as Margarito in every other way would have an advantage in power in terms of who would be able to move who around, its basic physics, that a lower object has better leverage to move another object even a stronger object. If Cotto fought more like a Duran or Hatton he would tie Margarito up on the inside and land short hard punches where Margarito's longer arms wouldn't be able to get anything off.

I have to say I agree. Bad plan from Cotto. Margarito needs that distance to punch. And inside Cotto could have been much more effective. Cotto is physically bull-like and the way he fought, one would think he was built like Justin Timberlake. I guess he really visualized that this was the way. He knew if he sat on the ropes Margarito was going to come, and yet he really figured this would be a way to counter and hurt Margarito. Had he simply watched the Clottey fight the night before, it would have been clear that you gotta stay put front and center and refuse Margarito any forward movement. Bad fight plan and Cotto will with out a doubt win the rematch. For me this fight is even more tragic because yes, I feel he lost to a bum with a chin. I make no apologies to Tony. I still find it hard to respect no talent but then again I liked fighters like Sugar, Ali, Hector and Tyson as opposed to Chavez and the rest of the please punch my face crew. Cotto claimed to have tried Plan ABC and D. But we all know that was not the case. He was stubborn and played into Margarito's game. The price he paid was a lot.

Harsh but truthful. I am not fan of Tony Margarito.

This is what is funny about peoples opinions. In hindsight everyone is an expert and gets it right. This isn't meant as an slight towards your opinions, but I bet if I went back thru all the prefight hype...I could probably find somwhere you both saying..'he can't stand and go toe to toe with Margo because...' for frankly, that was the correct logic. He did not want to end up in a punching war with Tony, and standing and going inside the whole fight would have been exactly that. He needed to move laterally, to counter well, and hopefully hurt the body. And for 6 rounds he did that, beautifully, the movement and countering and was clearly winning the fight. But Margo just put so much pressure on and took the body option away, he was unable to hurt him. And I do think Cotto was lacking air in those late rounds, be it from sucking blood, and that his heart was broken by then also...you could see it in his eyes.

I stand by my assertion. Cotto fought the fight he was supposed to, and Margo outsmarted him knowing somehow if he took inhumanely shot upon shot to the head and protect his body it may work. It was a tactical move...not unlike an Ali rope a dope sort of thing. Not many fighters can add 'take many many head shots' to their game plan and have it work out for them. Margo obviously is one of them. Let's hope for his sake he isn't shitting in a bag, and drooling on an apron within 10 years as a result of it.

Tough melon or not, it will take a toll. But give the man his due. It was a thing to behold.