(10Sep09) WBO welterweight champion, Miguel Cotto and the so- called “People’s Champion” Manny Pacquiao are set to square off on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The fight is definitely a must see for fight fans and a must happen for the sport of boxing.
This fight is the type of fight that helps strengthen the sweet science community as a whole and brings the casual fan into the fold.
Many people think that the Filipino bomber will walk through the somewhat shopworn looking (as of late) Puerto Rican.
I disagree. Miguel Cotto will retain his title on November 14. The task won’t be easy, but it will get done.
I spoke with hall of fame trainer Emmanuel Steward and he agreed.
“John, you and me are either gonna look like geniuses or fools, but I got a feeling that though we are in the minority, we will be every gambler’s dream that night that listened to us,” said Steward.
“This is not going to be a cakewalk for Manny. Cotto throws a lot of jabs that are targeted to disrupt rhythm and timing,” he continued, “ and he hits very hard and has elusive hand speed too.”
I think that says it all. I, however, will add a little more to the game plan.
Cotto cannot back pedal against Pacquiao. He must take the fight to him behind a double or triple jab. The jab cannot be a ramrod jab; it needs to be more of a “punch at the target rather than through the target” jab.
Should Cotto push Manny into the rope or pin him in the corner, Cotto can fall into his usual trap of admiring his work and patiently looking for openings once his prey has fallen into his web.
As soon as Manny’s back is pinned on the ropes or in the corner, Cotto needs to go to work.
It is no secret that Manny Pacquiao has three glaring weaknesses in his game.
The first, Pacquiao generally has no head movement to speak of. His head is very stationary for a man of his pillar. He is very easy to hit. Ask Juan Marquez and Erik Morales if this is true.
The problem there was that neither man had the physical ability to make that punch “stick”. Cotto is a different beast when it comes to punching power.
He is physically larger and will more than likely weigh in 10-17 pounds heavier on fight night.
The second weakness that Manny possesses is inability to stop an uppercut. Manny tends to leave his hands mid chest level and relies on cat like reflexes to counter this punch. Cotto will not be intimidated. He will land the uppercut at will.
Manny Steward presents the third weakness. He said, “when Manny throws his lead left hand, he is always out of balance. He overextends the punch and falls over his lead right foot. This is not good when it comes to fighting a guy like Cotto.”
“Miguel will half step and counter with an uppercut or a lead right hand. Cotto is going to push Manny backward. He is going to punish Manny with pressure, weight, size, and punching power.”
I think that Cotto will prevail, but the fight is still going to be very dangerous for him. The major problem I have with Cotto is his fighting stance.
For the life of me, I can’t understand how a decorated amateur and an outstanding professional champion has and does get away with holding his gloves next to his ears and leans over his lead foot.
Somehow, this tactic has worked for Cotto, but it won’t work for long. Steward agreed with my assessment and said, “John, you are right. It is unbelievable to me how Cotto has gotten away with that for so long.”
“I can’t stand to see him (Cotto) in that stance. That stance leaves him wide open for uppercuts and if you’re facing Manny, you’d better correct that gloves on the ear thing that you’re used to doing cause it may land you in trouble on that night,” he said.
For the record I have said it before and will say it again, I loathe catch weights. To me, if a “fighter” calls out a champion at a higher weight class, then meet that champion at his weight class.
Catch weights are meaningless. Don’t have ass your challenge. You call someone out, and then whoop their ass at the weight that they campaigned at and won a title in. Plain and simple.
To me, that is like picking on a guy that you know has been weakened somehow and you beat him. The question is simple. Did you really beat your foe or did you beat a shell or percentage of your enemy?
Along with discussing the Cotto/Pacquiao bout, Steward and I bantered and gave our predictions and strategies on the Marquez/Mayweather fight, the future of Shane Mosley, and whether or not Mayweather is better trained under the tuteldge of his Uncle Roger or his father, Floyd Sr.
However, those topics are for another upcoming article.
Source: http://www.ironboxing.com/home_article.php?id=334
Thursday, September 10, 2009
MANNY STEWARD AGREES COTTO WILL BEAT PACQUIAO
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