Am I the only one that doesn't see Cotto beating Mayweather?

[Puya]

Sounds like fun

[Chino]

I think De la hoya beats Mosely right now. Oscar looked pretty good against Mayweather, good hand speed and tenacity.

I guess we are the only two who think that De La Hoya didn't look as bad as many thought he would , contrary to what many said about Oscar getting completely destroyed and having the fight stopped because of all the punishment he would receive from Mayweather. Sure, he lost a SPLIT decision but that doesn't mean he looked horrendous in the fight.

Mosely looked lost like he didn't want to fight. I think that ODLH for Floyd was a slightly better win for him than the Mosely victory for Cotto, although both are great wins IMO. Mosely just looked bad in that fight, maybe Cotto made him look bad, I don't know, but Mosely just stopped doing what was working for him he was winning the fight after 8 or 9 rounds. Plus Mosely's head movement was the worst I had ever seen it throughout the fight.

I saw Mosley a bit sluggish in this fight. He would throw a punch and move away or hug. I was not used to seeing Mosley fighting like that.

I like Cotto and have followed him for almost 20 fights. I just don't see any unique challenges that he presents to Floyd. He is solid in a lot of areas, but I don't see him as being outstanding in many. Good hand speed, fairly accurate puncher, good power, good body puncher, better than average chin and a good heart.

I am not so sure about his chin. He has been rocked a couple of times, even against Zab who he beat TKO.

On the negative, slow footed, average counter puncher, average defense, little head movement. Add it all up and you have a very good fighter, just not one that presents a huge challenge for Floyd IMO. He comes forward and will walk right into Floyd's lead rights and will get caught on the inside with uppercuts. If he works the body like an animal its his only hope, but then again doesn't every fighter say they are going to do this and somehow Floyd usually outworks his opponents to the body. Those odds would open at 3-1 if that fight were made today, but would probably drop by fight time after all the selling of the fight takes place.

I really hope Cotto does what it takes to beat him but I see the same points you just mentioned. I can already imagine Floyd speaking all kinds of crap about beating once again another undefeated fighter blah blah blah.

Magician. Thats funny. You were making a joke right? Cotto is very good I do not doubt that. What is unique about him though? Tell me, what unique challenges he will present to Floyd? What skills does he possess that are so much better than anyone else Floyd has fought?
If he had absolute brutal power that would be something, but he has only good power. If he had faster hands than Floyd that would be a thing although Judah has faster hands than both of them and they both beat Judah. If he could move his feet with Floyd that would be something special, or if he defended like Floyd. What specifically does he do so well that it will win him the fight? Cotto is a very good and well rounded fighter, just nothing special IMO and not someone who will beat Floyd IMO.

I actually think Floyd would have an easier time beating Cotto than he did with the Fatboy!
I cannot see how Cotto would not be eating PBF's jab all night long and it's a UD for Floyd.

That's right. I rather see Cotto, Williams, and Margarito face each other. And from those 3 I can see Williams slightly ahead.

[NuthaPug]

If Cotto is the BEST fighter Mayweather can face in 2008 then there's not so much challenge out there I guess . Do I want Cotto to win? OF COURSE! I want ANYBODY to beat Mayweather in a convincing fashion but I can't see Cotto's style dominating Mayweather in the ring.

I can see Mayweather connecting from different angles and quickly moving away as he usually does since he's faster than Cotto. I just don't want Mayweather to have another easy victory with a big name and hear him talking all this crap .

1) Just because Mayweather makes it look like an easy victory doesn't mean it was.
2) If Mayweather beats the number one contender convincingly ... then he isn't talking "crap" is he. He's talking truth.
3) It looks like you are battling reality itself, in which case you are sure to lose.

I always want to see Mayweather win, and it isn't because I'm a Mayweather fan. It's because he is the closest thing, right now, to the Platonic ideal of what boxing is. The harder he is pressed, the more we get to see the essence of boxing occur in front of us.

(I know - sounds hoaky, but bear wtih me. Haven't got the time to 'splain what I mean in less geeky terms at the moment.)

That has to be more gratifying than seeing Cotto knock out Floyd with, for example, a lucky punch. If not, then you hate Mayweather more than you love boxing, eh?

[Chino]

2)If Mayweather beats the number one contender convincingly ... then he isn't talking "crap" is he. He's talking truth.

Other boxers beat someone on top and you don't hear them lowering themseves as Mayweather does. Look at Pacquiao, Kostya Tszu, De La Hoya, Mosley, etc. for instance and tell me if their words before/after a fight are comparable to Floyd's.

If not, then you hate Mayweather more than you love boxing, eh?

You are beginning to sound like a Pac fan using the word "hate" in there :P . Don't we all have a boxer we wish we could see loosing? I acknowledge Mayweather's skills but I just want to see him loose and I don't see Cotto pulling a victory, for the reasons already mentioned, as much as I want to.

[GRBOXINGFAN]

Mosley was 36 and 2months when he fought Cotto. ODLH was 34 and 3 months when he fought Floyd. Maybe Mosely being 2 years older for these fights is why he looked so poor. Most fighters deteriorate significantly between 34 and 36. 34 In fact can be considered just past prime for most fighters.

[THE THIRD MAN]

Mosley was 36 and 2months when he fought Cotto. ODLH was 34 and 3 months when he fought Floyd. Maybe Mosely being 2 years older for these fights is why he looked so poor. Most fighters deteriorate significantly between 34 and 36. 34 In fact can be considered just past prime for most fighters.

I go even further and say once you hit 32 particularly in the lighter weights it's all downhill from there and you are past your prime.

[knodaledge]

Sounds like fun

Hey, thats pretty good. The font is horrible, but the name, picture and tagline is pretty damn good.


I would like to see the fight for sure. I mean, it makes the most sense now. There's no bigger opponent (in terms of popularity and money drawing potential) than Cotto, so why not?

But to act like Cotto won't be working against the wind and coming in as a HUGE underdog is foolish.

Cotto, while not slow, is still slower than Floyd in all departments. But he's a big, bulky, hard-punching fighter who won't be denied. I think that alone warrants us to give him a chance.

Still, lets not forget his chin. He seems to get rocked in every fight and a fight with Floyd should be no different. Especially with Floyd connecting from all angles with his pin-point accuracy, and he WILL connect. Alot.

Also, he was getting somewhat bullied against Mosley in the later rounds but showed off an impressive boxing display that shocked the hell out of me. He can box, but it might've been a dimension he should've saved especially for Floyd.

With all that being said, i'm not stupid enough to say Cotto has no chance, but i'm also not stupid enough to go against Mayweather these days. Mayweather by close decision.

[NuthaPug]

<snip>
Other boxers beat someone on top and you don't hear them lowering themseves as Mayweather does. Look at Pacquiao, Kostya Tszu, De La Hoya, Mosley, etc. for instance and tell me if their words before/after a fight are comparable to Floyd's.

<snip>

You are beginning to sound like a Pac fan using the word "hate" in there :P . Don't we all have a boxer we wish we could see loosing? I acknowledge Mayweather's skills but I just want to see him loose and I don't see Cotto pulling a victory, for the reasons already mentioned, as much as I want to.

I don't deny that Floyd says a lot of crap that isn't gentlemanly. Doesn't matter - it's nice to get a "total package" kind of person who is both superb boxer and superb person / role model. But as far as boxing itself goes - let the Ls and Ws do the speaking.

Bring on the very best against Mayweather, and let the very best win, and in the process we see the very best in boxing. That's what it's about, whoever wins or loses. The only reason I want to see Mayweather always win is that I don't think there's anyone who can beat him. The best they can do is push him to superb boxing, which we then get to witness.

If someone can beat him - and in so doing push Floyd to do his best, and still surpass him - well, then, we still get to see absolutely wonderful boxing. That kind of a loss for Mayweather is the only one that I am interested in. Don't care a whit about his personality. He doesn't impress me outside the ring very often either, except in post-fight interviews when he often seems genuinely human.

[donnydarkoIRL]

I have to agree with NuthaPug. Although, it has to be said I have taken issue with Floyd's behaviour in the past and he has been a fighter that has irratated me I feel he must be judged as a boxer on his boxing skills rather than his personality or behavious outside of the ring.


In the run up to Floyd's fight with my favourite Ricky Hatton, I watched a lot of Floyd's fights and training sessions. However, while watching the training sesions I have to admit I tired of his (but primarily his entourage's mouthing and trash talking." I turned it on mute. I watched a number of hours worth of Floyd fights, training sessions and highlights. As I was rendered objective by the removal of sound (and therefore personality) I could find no reason to dislike Floyd. What was presented to me was a great, slick fighter, who trained as hard as anyone I've ever seen. How can a true boxing fan dislike that

The next fight I saw with Floyd in it and the volume on was against my dude Ricky. We all know what happened and I won't lie I was on the edge of my seat and was stirred by what I saw. Floyd then gave a very good, sportsman like and gentlemanly interview, which indicated that perhaps he's a differnet person than he's led us to believe.

[ICB]

Mosely looked like crap in that fight, he quit in the last 5 rounds. I think De la hoya beats Mosely right now. Oscar looked pretty good against Mayweather, good hand speed and tenacity. Mosely looked lost like he didn't want to fight. I think that ODLH for Floyd was a slightly better win for him than the Mosely victory for Cotto, although both are great wins IMO. Mosely just looked bad in that fight, maybe Cotto made him look bad, I don't know, but Mosely just stopped doing what was working for him he was winning the fight after 8 or 9 rounds. Plus Mosely's head movement was the worst I had ever seen it throughout the fight.

I like Cotto and have followed him for almost 20 fights. I just don't see any unique challenges that he presents to Floyd. He is solid in a lot of areas, but I don't see him as being outstanding in many. Good hand speed, fairly accurate puncher, good power, good body puncher, better than average chin and a good heart. On the negative, slow footed, average counter puncher, average defense, little head movement. Add it all up and you have a very good fighter, just not one that presents a huge challenge for Floyd IMO. He comes forward and will walk right into Floyd's lead rights and will get caught on the inside with uppercuts. If he works the body like an animal its his only hope, but then again doesn't every fighter say they are going to do this and somehow Floyd usually outworks his opponents to the body. Those odds would open at 3-1 if that fight were made today, but would probably drop by fight time after all the selling of the fight takes place.

Does Cotto have a chance? Sure he does. Probably about a 1 in 4 (25%)chance once the odds makers have their say. IMO he has about a 1 in 5 (%20) chance so I probably wouldn't bet on him at 3-1. If I could get 7-2 at the start, I'd have to consider dropping a bill on him only to bet the other way when the odds dropped towards fight time.

Mosely looked like crap in that fight, he quit in the last 5 rounds.

Mosley come on strong in the later stages and even hurt Cotto late in the fight. And even forced Cotto on the back foot, to say Mosley quit in the later stages is way off the mark and totally untrue.

But other than that i agree with your other points good posting CC.