Cotto vs Margarito II

[boxingbantz]

With Cotto beating Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio turning up to both the fight and the post match conference, it looks every likely that the eagerly anticipated rematch could be set for the summer. How do people see this one going? Obviously there is a lot of suspicion that Margarito may have had loaded gloves in that fight and I am sure that this will be a big part of the fight hype leading upto it but how do people think the fight will go now with Margarito just using his fists?

Even as a Cotto fan, I still can't see past a Margarito victory. Margarito is like a bull and won't stop coming forward and will walk through most of Cotto's punches, especially at 154lbs. The difference in size will be ridiculous come fight night. Whilst I can't see Cotto getting destroyed as he did in their first fight, can definitely see a late stoppage in this one. And not for Miguel.

[El Kabong]

I fully understand and appreciate your concerns as I too am a Cotto fan and I simply don't like the matchup

....HOWEVER

Manny Steward said the reason Cotto lost was because Margarito kept Cotto moving back and therefore Miguel couldn't get leverage on his punches.


That may be the case, but I think the way Cotto has to beat Margarito is in the pocket....Cotto's punches are shorter, Toni gives up his height and his long arms aren't made for inside fighting (though he enjoys that)...Margarito's effectiveness is based on the other fighter backing up thereby giving him the space to make impactful punches. Cotto will need to slip and counter (which he did VERY well vs Toni before he ran out of gas) between Toni's guard, landing an impactful shot to end each combination and circling out from danger...when Margarito gives chase counter and circle OR counter and tie up...the UPPERCUT is the most important punch for Cotto in this fight and somehow he's going to have to find a way to the body to slow Margarito's pursuit. Something else that may give Margarito pause is if Cotto switches stances every now and then...it also may help Miguel find a route to the body. If he really needs a breather I would whole heartedly suggest a low blow as #1 He's done it before and #2 Nobody deserves it more than Margarito.

[hitmanhatton]

I fully understand and appreciate your concerns as I too am a Cotto fan and I simply don't like the matchup

....HOWEVER

Manny Steward said the reason Cotto lost was because Margarito kept Cotto moving back and therefore Miguel couldn't get leverage on his punches.


That may be the case, but I think the way Cotto has to beat Margarito is in the pocket....Cotto's punches are shorter, Toni gives up his height and his long arms aren't made for inside fighting (though he enjoys that)...Margarito's effectiveness is based on the other fighter backing up thereby giving him the space to make impactful punches. Cotto will need to slip and counter (which he did VERY well vs Toni before he ran out of gas) between Toni's guard, landing an impactful shot to end each combination and circling out from danger...when Margarito gives chase counter and circle OR counter and tie up...the UPPERCUT is the most important punch for Cotto in this fight and somehow he's going to have to find a way to the body to slow Margarito's pursuit. Something else that may give Margarito pause is if Cotto switches stances every now and then...it also may help Miguel find a route to the body. If he really needs a breather I would whole heartedly suggest a low blow as #1 He's done it before and #2 Nobody deserves it more than Margarito.

hahahah.... i remember wondering why he didnt do this in the first fight...i mean if zab judah is worthy then surley margarito isnt above getting a shot in the nads to slow him down a little

[ICB]

With Cotto beating Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio turning up to both the fight and the post match conference, it looks every likely that the eagerly anticipated rematch could be set for the summer. How do people see this one going? Obviously there is a lot of suspicion that Margarito may have had loaded gloves in that fight and I am sure that this will be a big part of the fight hype leading upto it but how do people think the fight will go now with Margarito just using his fists?

Even as a Cotto fan, I still can't see past a Margarito victory. Margarito is like a bull and won't stop coming forward and will walk through most of Cotto's punches, especially at 154lbs. The difference in size will be ridiculous come fight night. Whilst I can't see Cotto getting destroyed as he did in their first fight, can definitely see a late stoppage in this one. And not for Miguel.

Antonio Margarito is unproven at 154, he lost twice to Daniel Santos at 154 and felt the weight of the punches aswell.

Im still unsure whether Antonio Margarito did cheat vs Miguel Cotto, but whether he did or not.

How do you know if Antonio Margarito has fully recovered, after the beating's he received off Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley ?

Yes he has a very good chin, but that chin will be cracked eventually.

The only problem i see is that Miguel Cotto, hasn't got the speed of Manny Pacquiao to win exchanges. Nor as he got the physical strength of a Shane Mosley to win the inside battle man handling Antonio Margarito in clinches.

The best thing Miguel Cotto can try and do, is go to the body more. He really didn't do much body work in there 1st meeting. And as Shane Mosley showed you can easily target Antonio Margarito's midsection.

Im going to sit on the fence im now really sure how it will go.

[Pavlik]

Max Boxing - Main Lead - Now on to Margarito…

Now he looks ahead to a July 16th grudge rematch with Margarito and Steward will be hammering home a familiar message.

"The first fight, I was doing the broadcast; I thought Margarito made Cotto fight too fast and run away too fast when he threw his punches," Steward explained. "So he never did get the full maximum power on his punches because Margarito would always finish the combination as he was running away. So he never really did follow through. Margarito will always be a tough fight, I think, style-wise for Miguel."

Cotto didn’t have much to say about the looming rematch, which shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that has ever been around him. If you could understand body language, his greeting toward Margarito spoke volumes.

It’s perhaps as loud a statement as Cotto’s ever made.

i also hope Manny helps Miguel develop power with his right hand.

[El Kabong]

I think Cotto could learn a bit from Dimitry Pirog and PIVOT more. It should be easy for him as he can fight orthodox or southpaw and you can slip in and out of range on balance and be ready to fire off punches quicker...you can lull fighters to sleep like that (Pirog-Jacobs) or draw them in for a big counter punch they never see coming.

Margarito is a strong cat and he's durable, but Cotto (and Manny) has to keep in mind that he doesn't need to deliver KO power in every single punch to beat him, he just needs an even steady pace and the main thing is to keep Margarito from throwing over 90-100+ punches a round, you need to look at when he's done that, every time he's been held to numbers like that he's been stopped.

[Pavlik]

I think Cotto could learn a bit from Dimitry Pirog and PIVOT more. It should be easy for him as he can fight orthodox or southpaw and you can slip in and out of range on balance and be ready to fire off punches quicker...you can lull fighters to sleep like that (Pirog-Jacobs) or draw them in for a big counter punch they never see coming.

Margarito is a strong cat and he's durable, but Cotto (and Manny) has to keep in mind that he doesn't need to deliver KO power in every single punch to beat him, he just needs an even steady pace and the main thing is to keep Margarito from throwing over 90-100+ punches a round, you need to look at when he's done that, every time he's been held to numbers like that he's been stopped.

El Kabong, so you would rather have Cotto box more here than be a pressure fighter?
This has been boggling my mind for quite some time now.

[El Kabong]

I would have Cotto fight (mentally) the manner in which Wlad would fight...box the hell out of him until he's ripe for the picking and then go for the kill. The problem with Cotto the last time was that Margarito is SO easy to hit Miguel thought "Well OK, I'll throw the kitchen sink at him and he'll wither like everyone else I've fought"...that's a very easy mistake to make when you fight someone that lacks defense but is durable...look at Morrison-Mercer, Wlad-Brewster I Lee-Vera, and so on.

Miguel was doing just fine vs Margaito to begin with, he won rounds easy, he didn't take much damage, he was really frustrating Toni for the first half of that fight...but he was putting too much on his punches which will tucker you out, he was circling away which was tiring him out, and Cotto's defense isn't made for BLOCKING shots it's made for parrying shots and countering which is hard to do when you're too tired to move and too tired to put anything on your punches.

I think if Cotto BOXED for 12 rounds he'd school Margarito...it's not Miguel's style, but it would be the smart thing to do. IF Cotto can KO Margarito he needs to put his emotions aside and allow the KO to come to him and not chase after it like he did the first time.