Dirty Work: Will Miguel Cotto's nasty tactics be a weapon against Manny Pacquiao?
by Scott Christ on Sep 9, 2009 7:12 AM EDT
in Boxing Commentary & Opinion
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Let's not make Miguel Cotto out to be something more honorable and classy than he is once the bell rings. Truth be told, we all know Miguel Cotto is a dirty fighter, and an unabashed dirty fighter at that.
It's not that Miguel glorifies his "roughhouse" tactics. He doesn't. But when Miguel has had the chance, or when the temper has flared, or when he's simply needed a momentum swing, we've seen him take advantage.
Low blows against Zab Judah. A near bodyslam on Joshua Clottey. He'll lift his elbows when he has to.
When Manny Pacquiao stands across the ring from Cotto on November 14, he better be prepared for exactly that type of fight.
Cotto is an excellent fighter, a guy who adapts to his opponents as well as anyone in boxing today. After arguing and giving it thought, I might be underestimating the size advantage that Cotto will have against Pacquiao, though I still feel it's overstated by many. Bottom line, I don't think size will win the fight for Cotto. He'll have to earn it with skill.
Pacquiao, lightning fast, very strong, and very intelligent, will make Cotto work. He's a southpaw with a distinct advantage in hand speed, much like Judah was against Cotto. When Zab challenged Miguel, some vicious low blows came into the equation. Cotto, iceman that he is, showed no emotion over his foul play.
It is what it is.
What happens when Miguel brings these tactics to Pacquiao? Could this be a not-so-secret weapon to try and turn the tide should Manny's speed dominate the early going?
I think you have to expect it, and I think Pacquiao and Freddie Roach have to prepare to combat it, and to stay out of the wheelhouse, as it were, as much as they possibly can. What Cotto may not have in speed, he might make up for by getting into Pacquiao's head and taking him into a fight he simply doesn't want.
As if Manny doesn't have enough to worry about against Cotto, the fighter Freddie Roach is calling the toughest Manny has had to date.
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Here we go again. It’s becoming a wicked little routine that Philipinos perform during the lead-up to Pacquiao fights. They start first with demonizing Pacquiao’s opponent, typically by calling them “dirty fighters”. That’s what they did to Hatton, Barrera, Morales, Marquez (well everyone it seems)…and now Cotto. De La Hoya was called a “bully” and a “Goliath” whom Pacquiao should slay. All of them were called “dirty fighters” or some hateful character. Well, they’re not. They’re all just decent boxers who struggled early in life and doing their best to give their families decent lives.
But that’s what happens when Pacquiao becomes god. You then have these fanatics who carry out heresy hunts and seem pretty sleepless at taking childish offense over criticisms against Pacquiao. Stop these nonsense!
I’m not even certain if you’re actually addressing things I said, but:
1. I’m not Filipino.
2. I don’t think Pacquiao is “God.” I think he’s a great fighter who can be beaten, and that Cotto is a hell of a challenge for him.
3. Cotto is a dirty fighter. It’s something he frequently uses to turn momentum.
4. Hatton is a bully fighter. His physical strength inside and roughhouse tactics were (in theory) a major concern for Manny.
5. Barrera is/was a prickly jerk with a bad temper who cheap-shotted Pacquiao pretty blatantly in their rematch.
6. Calling Oscar “Goliath” was in relation only to size. I’m pretty sure no one was getting literal with the Bible 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
Cotto IS a dirty fighter
I think that’s pretty well established at this point. He can fight clean, but over and over again he’s resorted to dirty tactics when he gets into trouble. See: Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Ricardo Torres.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Jovilito1974
I think the problem here is that the shorts of Miguel cotto’s opponents were to high, so next time, advice them to lower their short down to the knees.. he he he
great article
Totally bemused by that first post, by anyway….
We're all given some sort of skill in life. Mine just happens to be beating up on people. (Sugar Ray Leonard)
I think Pacquiao and Freddie Roach have to prepare …
Is pac actually training with Roach for this fight? I thought he was going to stay home
Roach is going to head over there
He knows where his gravy train is. Sure, he trains like 200 other fighters, but the ones who really want to train with him can head over there.
It amazes me that so many fighters leave to go with Freddie Roach now. Just a few days ago, Urbano Antillon left to go train with Roach. With all the high profile fighters he has in his stable, there can’t be all that much time he can personally spend with a lot of those guys.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
hell even shaq is trained by freddie roach now
btw thanks for putting up that pic which is the evidence that that bastard cotto cheated his way out of a KO loss
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Sep 9, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
That was one of the first four rounds… how was that “cheated his way out of a KO loss”?
"Penelosa is not human." -Max Kellerman on Gerry Penelosa during the Juan Manuel Lopes-Gerry Penelosa bout.
dazed out of his mind and blasted judah in the unholiest of places
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Sep 9, 2009 10:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Pardon me
But doesn’t this picture also show St. Zab leaning on Cotto’s head with his holy forearm?
"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
after cotto’s arm impaled zab’s nether regions
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Sep 9, 2009 10:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Cry me a river
"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
He was being pushed down
Which is why the low blow wasn’t called intentional.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Yeah that's what I said
The fact is, he was being pushed down and the low blow was intentional. That’s what I mean by the “craftmanship” of good dirty work. Any moron can act like Golota and just walk around belting guys in the hummahummas. A smart rough-houser finds good opportunities to ply his trade… like when you are being fouled yourself.
"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
must be having computer issues
thought the first couple of responses disappeared earlier…
We're all given some sort of skill in life. Mine just happens to be beating up on people. (Sugar Ray Leonard)
I think too much is made of Cotto’s dirty tactics. He’s a saint next to a guy like Casamayor, and I put Zab Judah complaining about low blows right up there with with John Dillinger complaining about getting shot at. But Clottey dished some dirt in their fight as well, and I didn’t hear anybody make a single comment on it.
Pacquiao won’t try to use the rough stuff on Cotto, but it’s not because he’s some kind of boy scout. It’s because it doesn’t favor him… he’s not good at it. There is a fair bit of art and craft to giving your opponent a little of “the business.” Unless you are Andrew Golota… then you just bite the guy!
"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
But Clottey dished some dirt in their fight as well, and I didn’t hear anybody make a single comment on it.
This is our problem, jrok. You never listen to me. ;)
And I do agree with the Zab comment to a degree, but dude, Cotto wrecked him squiy in the balls. I mean there was no arguing about it. I was actually impressed with Zab not kicking Cotto in the nuts in retaliation. Maybe he felt it wasn’t a matter he wanted to press.
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
Good Night Cotto!!
This will be over in 9 rounds. The winner Pac Man by knockout. He’s to fast and Cotto
will figure that out in the 3rd round. Cotto still has a stamina problem and if anybody
saw his last fight against Clottey you can tell that he is still shell shocked from the
Margarita fight. Clottey should have beating a one eyed fighter but since he couldn’t he
deserved to lose that fight. PacMan won’t make the same mistake. Also he cuts real
easy. Bet your money on PacMan, don’t be fooled by the old Cotto. Those days are over.
Mayweather / PacMans 2010… In the making!
Also [Cotto] cuts real easy.
This is the other big x-factor, I think.
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
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