Is Cotto great?
Miguel Angel Cotto is one of the best fighters Puerto Rico has ever seen, One of the all time Greats in my opinion and for sure in the hall of fame. Yet all I hear and read on every boxing site, on twitter, face book, and around every corner are negative comments. He has never and probably wont ever get his just due, but these are my reason and list of facts on why he should. On why Cotto is Great in his very own way.
Many people tend to judge him solely on he loses and forget about who he has fought and defeated. Some say the opponents where past there prime or not good enough but yet many where also once considered P4P candidates, or beaten by the P4P greats which get all the praises that Cotto doesn’t receive. Lets start the list with a well known journeyman DeMarcus”Chop Chop” Corley (TKO), & Paulie Malignaggi(UD) who was undefeated at the time and is currently the WBA Welterweight champion. He defeated fellow countryman Carlos Quintana(RTD) who was also undefeated at the time, “Super” Zab Judah(TKO) who was actually the odds on favorite to win because of his speed, a Prime “Sugar” Shane Mosely(UD) not the washed up version we see now getting beat up from bell to bell, it was a Mosely who had came off of two impressive victories over a also Prime Oscar Delahoya and Fernando Vargas.
He then went on to face Antonio Margarito or as I like to call him “MargaCHEATO” who at the time was the most avoided boxer in the sport. Cotto out boxed Margarito round after round and made it look easy. He was cruising to a hard fought unanimous decision. Until the later rounds when the momentum of the fight started to shift. What we now know but didn’t know at the moment of the fight is that MargarCHEATO used loaded hand raps. And don’t try to argue the fact because we all know it to be true, “BOTTOM LINE”, for those who don’t know it’s a plaster rap that gets harder as your hand sweats and eventually turns into a cast like weapon inside of the gloves. Cotto was comfortably up on the score cards till the tide turned and he was badly battered in the ring by two illegal objects. And yes he took two knees which he was severely criticized for and everybody jumped on the band wagon claiming he doesn’t have heart. I completely disagree, of course It was difficult to see a boxer I admired get mentally and physically broken but put yourself in his shoes, He was up against a man with a GREAT chin and GREAT stamina who was fighting unfairly with what is equivalent to brass knuckles in a street fight. He was bleeding through his nose and mouth which made it almost impossible to breath and both eyes swelling at an alarming rate which made it almost impossible for him to see also. I guess its easy to criticize from ringside or the comfort of your own home.
He went on to defeat Joshua Clottey (UD)with a severe gash over his left eye which he received in the third round. People say he should of lost but again he never gets the benefit of the doubt, here is a man who virtually fought with one eye for nine rounds and kept applying pressure until the final bell. But yet Clottey who could do nothing against a one eyed opponent should have been awarded the victory? Then a lost to the P4P king at the time Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao who was at his Peak. There where many factors going against Cotto for that fight, weight drained, marital problems, father dieing with cancer, and he basically trained himself after a falling out with his uncle and the only trainer he has ever known. All in all he fought his heart out, got stopped in the twelve round in a fight which afterward Pacquaio said that Cotto was “THE TUFFEST OPPONENT HE EVER FACED” not Marquez or Morales, or Barrera but Miguel Cotto.
He then moved up to Light Middleweight where he defeated previously unbeaten prospect Yuri Foreman(TKO), and the always dangerous, “The Wild Man” Ricardo Mayorgya(TKO) who after a devastating left hook by Cotto which knocked him down in the twelfth, during the post fight interview he claims a hurt thumb is what made him stop and if he didn’t quit he felt he would have been KILLED in the ring by Cotto. He went on to stop his arch rival MargaCHEATO (without his plaster raps) so it was on a even playing field. Outworked him and looked impressive in doing so, cruising to a tenth round stoppage. Critics still say Margarito would of came on late and Cotto was getting tired, Coulda Woulda Shoulda But Didn’t.
Finally the Mayweather fight which I agree that Mayweather did pull off the victory but it was A LOT closer then the judges had it. I had it 5rds Cotto to 7rds Mayweather. Cotto clearly won 3rds there is no debate in that but I gave him two extra rounds that were close like most of them were for applying pressure and pushing the pace of the fight. Either way a loss in a loss. Of course all of the Mayweather fans will denie it and claim Cotto was taken to school and Mayweather beat Cotto at his own game but I just don’t see it. Marquez was taken to school, Gatti was taken to school, Cotto wasn’t. How come Castillo was believed to beat Mayweather in there first fight and got robbed, Many believe DeLaHoya beat Mayweather also but none of them Made Mayweather’s Face look the way Cotto did on May 5th, yet Cotto got schooled??? If so then explain why at the post fight conference Mayweather had the need to bring up being sick and having a injured hand going into the fight? Why feel the need to give an excuse for your performance if you so called DOMINATED? Why want a rematch against a fighter who you “EASILY” ran through? Maybe Mayweather didn’t feel the way all of his fans felt watching the fight, maybe he doesn’t feel like he beat Cotto convincingly. After all he, just like Pacquiao also said “ Cotto is a GREAT champion and the TUFFEST I have ever fought” The two P4P KINGS both acknowledge Cotto as being GREAT. They actually had to be in the ring with him not the fans.
Feel free to give your opinion and follow me on twitter @Boxer_Briefs101
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