Re: I was disappointed with Cotto's trainer.
It was no secret coming in that Santiago didn't know what he was doing. I mean aside from Roach assertion that he was green. He wasnt a fighter and he didnt train anyone else (I think) and he didn't know how to get his fighters attention.
Its one thing to be a fan, watch some tapes and think you can spot things about your opponent. Its another entirely to be able to spot what the guy in the other corner is having his fighter look for or be able to tell when he's setting you up; To be able to work the ref and the judges; tell how much your fighter can get away with; tell what your fighter is capable of as far as following your instructions; Or like in this case, when your fighter is being too brave for his own good.
Santiago was just going along and hoping that one big shot would bail Cotto out. Cottos' dad wanted it stopped earlier, I heard. He was supposed to be given one more round, but in the end it was Cotto calling the shots. It was also Cotto's choice to call this guy his trainer. I agree with those people that said Cotto wants yes men. A good trainer will need more than to just tweak him to take him to the next level. They'd have to break him of some old habits first (like dropping his hands before he throws and flaring his elbows instead of tucking them, bring his hands down a little in his defensive posture so they dont obstruct his peripheral vision, pick up some head movement, and not square up as much, etc.) Theres an old saying that says "Most people dont mind the idea of change as much as they hate being changed"
They want your @$$ beat because upsets make news. News brings about excitement, excitement brings about ratings. The objective is to bring you up to the tower and tear your @$$ down. And if you don't believe that, you're crazy.
Roy Jones, Jr. "What I've Learned," Esquire 2003
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