What's Next for Miguel Cotto?
by Brickhaus on Nov 15, 2009 1:56 AM EST
in Boxing Results and Post-Fight Analysis
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We're less than a couple hours removed from Manny Pacquiao's demolition of Miguel Cotto, and there are already calls for his retirement. While he certainly took a lot of damage in this fight, Cotto still has many good options out there. Retirement isn't out of the question, but it may not be ideal either. Conventional wisdom would put Cotto smack in the middle of his prime, and he's still a world-class fighter. Here are a few of my recommendations.
Take a little time off. Not only to heal your wounds and your psyche, but to enjoy life for a little while. You have a lovely wife and three beautiful children, and it's obvious that you all love each other very much. Taking a little time away from boxing and spending some time with the family may help you get grounded, and figure out whether your heart is still in the sport. If it is, there are plenty of directions you could go.
If you still want to compete at the top, then by all means, go for it. You'll need to build back up your reputation anyway, and that should give you some time to recover. A year from now, a Mosley rematch is still probably a great fight. A Berto match is probably a great fight. And even if it's unlikely that you'd beat Mayweather, it's also unlikely that you'd take too much sustained damage in that fight.
If you don't, that's fine as well. Welterweight isn't the deepest division in the world, but Bob Arum has made a great living selling mismatches as smaller pay per views. You would still be a heavy favorite over Kermit Cintron, which would be a big fight in Puerto Rico. Same for Luis Collazo. And people have to be kidding themselves if they think the next tier of welterweights, the Selcuk Aydins and the Isaac Hlatswayos of the world, would even have a chance of beating you. You can probably make a solid living facing these guys for the next few years, and build up enough of a bankroll to not only pay for your own retirement, but for your children's retirement.
However, whichever direction you decide to take, one thing is clear: Joe Santiago should not be your head trainer. There were many reports that in camp, you were essentially training yourself, and it was clear that Joe just didn't know how to help you make adjustments during the big fight. This doesn't mean you need to dump your loyal friend; rather, keep him as your second man, someone you trust, and find an established and knowledgeable trainer who's able to guide you and help you make adjustments. Not only will it help you as a fighter, but it will help your career, preventing you from taking prolonged punishment like you did tonight.
Cotto's never been someone to back down from a challenge. That tendency scares me a little bit, but he can still take on some challenges. And even if he doesn't, it's not the end of the world. Many great fighters have made a very good living taking the safe fights. Considering Cotto's legacy up to this point, I don't think anyone can fault him if he decides to take that route from this point forward.
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I’d like that fight. I’d like Cotto-Cintron if Kermit can still make 147. I wouldn’t hate a Cotto-Clottey rematch, either. I can’t see Miguel doing anything lighter than one comeback fight like Jennings was in February. He’s too proud, and too serious a fighter. He wants to be the best. It might not happen, but I see Miguel going down in a blaze of glory.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 15, 2009 2:03 AM EST up reply actions
clottey would demolish him, but not in the fight. cotto’s face is permanently damaged, and clottey is too much of a headbutter.
kermit could be a good fight, but kermit has his moments of shittyness, but a good fight for cotto
collazo could be a great fight, and if collazo manages to hurt him we’ll know his punch resistance is gone
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Nov 15, 2009 2:11 AM EST up reply actions
Cotto needs to exorcize the deamon
he needs to beat Antonio Margarito.
Every fighter not named Marciano losses at least once. But the manner in which Cotto lost, the savage beating and wounds he received, and the the controversy in Margarito’s next fight about loaded gloves . . . I think its still in Cotto’s head and he hasn’t gotten away from it.
Look, if your two losses in your career are to Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao, you don’t have much to feel bad about. But a Margarito rematch would a) draw huge, and b) give Cotto the chance to get that loss back and maybe rediscover the spark that looks to have been taken by the Tornado.
In reality
Cotto doesn’t want Margarito to make another dime off of him. Ever. And that’s understandable. A rematch will NEVER happen, unless Margo offers to do it for free.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
god i hope so. margarito was my homie right after he destroyed cotto, but he’s one asshole i wouldn’t mind fading into oblivion
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Nov 15, 2009 2:14 AM EST up reply actions
take a year and half off, fight a bum on top rank PPV, and fight the loser of mosley-berto in a “comeback” fight, retire
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Nov 15, 2009 2:09 AM EST reply actions
I'm going to concede a point
Miguel swelled up similarly to the Margarito fight tonight. I don’t know what that means, but it does take my swelling argument downtown to China Town. I’ll admit that readily.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
its just cotto’s face, and the fact that he got blasted by bombs more than 100 times
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Nov 15, 2009 2:12 AM EST up reply actions
I have to agree. As the fight went on and Cotto’s face got cut and swelled i can see how the exact same thing could of happend in the Marg fight. The swelling and cut evidence is gone now
"Good, so it can’t go any deeper." - Arturo Gatti after being told he was cut to the bone
Yep, and I believed in this point very much. I now do not. The point is far more debatable to me now.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 15, 2009 3:48 AM EST up reply actions
That’s fair, although it isn’t the only evidence in support of the loaded gloves theory, as you know. I also wonder if there’s any medical basis for the idea that once you’re made to swell up like that, it makes it easier to swell up like that again in the future. It certainly seems to work that way for cuts.
Cotto is really a tragic figure in a lot of ways. I’m not saying the Cotto of December 2007 would have beaten today’s Pacquiao or anything, but his career could have been so much more than it has been. Someday, HBO will make a Legendary Nights episode about Cotto-Margarito, and from the perspective of hindsight, it will be painful to watch.
everybody
please watch Nazim Richardson’s explanation why he thinks Margarito loaded his gloves for the Cotto fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RvQcHouzQE
Also, as puffy as Cotto’s face looked in the Pacquiao fight, he looked much much worse after the Margs fight
I've never been a huge fan of Cotto blaming his loss on loaded gloves
Its inconclusive at best, and Cotto cuts easily. He’s a fighter who takes a beating and always has. I’m not saying Margarito wasn’t loaded, but as tonight proved you don’t need loaded gloves to swell, cut, and bloody Miguel Cotto.
I disagree. Hlatshwayo is just not in that class. He’s a fine fighter, but not up there.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 15, 2009 1:46 PM EST up reply actions
I saw them both live this summer and while against totally different levels of competition, Hlatswayo was just as fast as Clottey but aggressive enough to win rounds in a fight that goes to decision.
Being as fast as Clottey is no praise. Does he have Clottey’s chin? Does he have Clottey’s defensive ability? Being more aggressive than Clottey might just get him banged up.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 16, 2009 12:05 PM EST up reply actions
He’s not going to take the"safe" route. He’s a world class champion.You guys are trying to write em off already. And He doesn’t need to build up his reputation too much.He showed that he’s a warrior in that ring last night. What’s so ashamed about losing to the best out there? Cotto has a alot of heart .And he’s not even close to done.Like so many other boxers, Cotto loves the big challenges.Yeah he took a beating, but it wasn’t as lopsided as I’ve seen in other fights.Manny’s great. Ur acting like he lost to the underdog. He’s a champion guys. Relax. He’ll be around for a while.
by killah27 on Nov 15, 2009 11:27 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
Well said. Just cause you cant beat the top dog its no reason to leave. He still clears out alot of good fighters and puts up a big challenge to great fighters. Early in the fight he landed some big shots on Manny and i thought Pac was going to be dropped. The early rounds was back and forth
"Good, so it can’t go any deeper." - Arturo Gatti after being told he was cut to the bone
Cotto actually won the two rounds he was dropped in on my card. It was exactly the opposite of the way I thought it would go down. It was competitive early, and a one-sided drowning late.
"This fight'll be the nastiest thing you'll ever see. I been sober for six weeks, and that makes me vicious."
-- Randall 'Tex' Cobb
Yep. I had him winning the third and fourth, and then all of a sudden he goes down.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 16, 2009 7:18 AM EST up reply actions
I don't think Bobfather is ready to cash out on Jr. quite yet
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
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