Manny Pacquiao not concerned with size, feels Cotto is slow
by Scott Christ on Sep 11, 2009 8:24 PM EDT
in Boxing News Analysis
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The press conference at Yankee Stadium with Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao produced a lot of great photo opportunities, likely empty talk of bringing boxing to the newly-built venue, and some good quotes. Most important might have been from Pacquiao himself:
"He’s strong and can punch, but he’s not that fast. The size isn't that big of a difference, but size doesn't matter. We just need to see who's the best in the ring."
This is just talk, and talk is what it is, but if Pacquiao really feels that Cotto can't keep up with him, he might be getting himself in trouble. No, Cotto is not traditionally fast, but he cuts off the ring well, uses angles exceptionally well, and has neutralized faster fighters in the past, including Freddie Roach's favorite reference, Shane Mosley.
Cotto is also smart, tough, and honestly fights like a veteran beyond his years in the ring, though he's no green youngster or anything. For anyone questioning his toughness, remember that Antonio Margarito* had to lay in a metric ton of punishment before he broke Cotto, and that Miguel took great shots from Mosley and kept going, and that Joshua Clottey had him fighting with one good eye and couldn't finish the job.
As much as I've harped on Pacquiao definitely having his work cut out for him, I've probably not said quite enough that Cotto obviously does, too. Pacquiao is regarded as the best fighter in the sport for a very good reason. He's a special fighter who has no obvious weaknesses, and Cotto is going to have to work really hard to find Pacquiao with his power shots. That's why this is such a great fight, and I really still have absolutely no clue who I'm favoring.
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margarito* hurt cotto in the second round with an uppercut. if you can stomach the more-than-likely-illegal activity, you’ll see that
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Sep 11, 2009 8:42 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah, so? He put him away in the 11th. I’m saying Cotto took a ton of punishment before he eventually went down to Margarito*.
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 Sep 11, 2009 8:46 PM EDT up reply actions
just saying you can hurt him early and pacman is one of the best finishers in the game, so if he hurts him early it won’t take him 9 more rounds to take him out. but again as the asterisk’s imply that fight is well yeah you know don’t have to bring all that up again
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Sep 11, 2009 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions
A fair point, but Margo was a pretty good finisher himself.
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 Sep 11, 2009 9:14 PM EDT up reply actions
then again Margarito wasn't as fast as Pacquiao
or close to it
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 Sep 11, 2009 9:14 PM EDT up reply actions
It's quite hard to call still..
Yes Marg took 11 rounds to down Cotto and may have been cheating(I think he probably was considering the plaster takes a while to harden and the complexion of the fight seemed to change after the 6th round but then again I didn’t think Cotto would win that fight due to the way he fought it).
But you have to keep in mind Marg did hurt Cotto earlier on. Marg is a proper welter though and Pacman isn’t. We still don’t know what he can do at that weight.
Difference is though Pacman doesn’t only hit hard but he can hit hard and be out of there before he gets hit back.
His hit and run tactics worked great against both of his last opponents and he did something he should have been doing in fights but never did. He turned his opponents making it very hard for them to hit him but his handspeed was good to get off a few blows.
In those last 2 fights with the his foot speed and his movement and coordination he was a logistical nightmare for anybody to work out.
The last punch of the Hatton fight was particularly telling. If you go back and look at the KO punch Hatton swung for Pac and Pac saw the punch coming hit Hatton flush on the chin and ducked under the punch Hatton had thrown preceding his own.. I watched that on replay numerous times.
I think the scariest thing they have to prepare for with Cotto is those nasty body punches. The man hits like a mule and I am pretty sure nobody Pac has ever been in there with has that raw brutal power Cotto does. I don’t see him landing flushing on Pacs chin as Pac will be too good to get hit very often like that but those body punches he will have to be careful of.
It’s hard to call though because Pac has changed a lot over the years.
If he does his old in and out routine he will be easy as hell to time but if he turns Cotto he will be hard to hit. Now with the appropriate footwork and coordination he can turn Cotto, hit him and get out of there before he comes back at him.
Cotto is a hell of a fighter though he really is something special and you just can’t count him out. I wouldn’t count him out against anybody in that division whether it’s Mayweather, Pacman, Mosley or Paul Williams. He is a really good boxer that seems to have the experience of a veteran.
seems i’m being a party pooper today but the punch you’re talking about in hatton-pacman was the first KD not the KO with a right hand and a simultaneous roll
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Sep 12, 2009 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions
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