The Rebuilding of Miguel Cotto
September 4th, 2008
By Manuel Perez: For most people who witnessed former World Boxing Association welterweight champion Miguel Cotto’s (32-1, 26 KOs) 11th round stoppage defeat to Antonio Margarito on July 26th in Las Vegas, Nevada, they saw Cotto take a terrible beating ending with him twice taking a knee in the 11th round in order to prevent himself from being beaten even worse than he was. Though some boxing fans seem to suggest that it wasn’t that bad of a beating, that Cotto was just bathed in blood from two cuts around his eyes including a bloody nose, but I beg to differ; Cotto was broken by Margarito mentally as well as physically, the type of way that tends to stick with a fighter for the remainder of his days.
Many a fighter has never been the same after taking a savage beating like the one that Cotto took. But, then again, there are fighters that rebound quickly after a fight like this, showing almost no affects from the fight. One would hope that Cotto is of the latter type, because if he still is feeling the effects of his fight with Margarito, then it will be quickly brought to forefront as soon as he takes on another live body. It would be wise for Cotto to take thing slowly for awhile to check out what he has left of his motor skills after all the head shots he took, and also to enable him to rebuild his shattered self confidence.
Its fights like these that sometimes do a lot of damage to a fighter, messing them up, and shortening their boxing career. It’s done from time to time, but thankfully not nearly as often as it used to be in the past when fighters like Joe Frazier went straight from a loss to Muhammed Ali into a fight with George Foreman eight months later without any other fights in between. What Cotto needs is some easy welterweight opponents, like Mike Jones, Steve Forbes, or Roberto Garcia.
In other words, fighters with a name but not nearly on the same talent level as Cotto. This would enable him to get a good win over a decent fighter while at the same time getting his confidence back by fighting a decent opponent. As far as taking on another welterweight champion like, say, Andre Berto, Paul Williams or Joshua Clottey, I wouldn’t advise for him to do that.
Although I think he’d beat both Berto and Clottey, they’d make it tough on him by landing a lot of hard head shots – which is exactly what he doesn’t need right now. As for Paul Williams, a virtual clone of Margarito, I think he’d do the same to Cotto that Margarito did, only in quicker time.
18 Responses to “The Rebuilding of Miguel Cotto”
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Long waiting to let out my frustation margarito is a BUM a BIG BUM, he destroy a good figher like cotto and other, he should be arrested, cotto should sue him he’s a bum, he gives mex a bad rep as fighers, I will alway think that mex use plaster to blaster other figher, I would like to see a rematch with cotto and the BUM margarito. When i saw cotto fighing the BUM i knew some thing was wrong, I even commented there was something in BUM”S corner, with the trainer you can see how he kept putting his rist marg face. BUT WHO WARNED MOSLEY ABOUT THE WRAPS, some one should check this out, the eyes of the world of boxing were watching that corner even mosley corner made him the BUM, rewrap the BUM”S hands if only cotto corner could have seen that it would have been a different outlook to cotto record, quik,marg had a figh with a kid, and riped his ear off, come on wake up, as for you Mr. Manuel Perez I disagree with paul, and any figher in his class, I do agree about marg the BUM it’s to soon for cotto to fight the BUM he’s got alot on his plate, but i don’t that cotto couldn’t beat himthe BUM, right know. Thanks
yo you know what cotto got this he just needs time to train and get back in shape but im with cotto 100% boriquas got your back alright 150% MIGUEL COTTO V.S Antonio Margarito COMING SOON !!!
I have been a boxing fan for almost my entire life and have watched a great deal of fights and fighters. Styles make fights. Cotto is a great fighter and one of my most favorites. He fought a great fight against Margarito and the rematch will be just as great. These fighters know that time is the most important factor, and he will not wait too long to fight Margarito again. There are great young and upcoming fighters waiting for there chance at glory. Cotto will fight Mosley again and he will fight Margarito again. All will happen with the next 2 years. Thank you for you, Cotto.
We’ll need to see what Miguel does on his next fight coming up. A great fighter must lose to show his greatness. If Miguel is going to be the best on his weight class, it is now that he can show it, specially, if Mosley and Miguel fight again.
i have to agree, cotto is a great fighter and at any time he will get back on top what really mess up cotto was the nose margaritos power punches are not good at all. specially now that they found out that he was cheatin but anyway Miguel A. Cotto will get back on top
He would not have endured such a beating if punk a$$, (I won’t even mention his name) did not have an illegal substance in his gloves. This demonstrates the kind of power that Cotto has. He was hit with bricks and still lasted 10+ rounds. He will be back and he actually is 32 and 1*(the asterik for the b.s loss). Boriqua’s don’t break that easy! Que viva Miguel!!!
I agree with teddy why did he stop doing his body work i think this was his mistake and please he needs to use more upper cuts to me it seems he can take margarito if he dose what he dose best body work and move like don said smoother him with body work can he do it yes should he wait yes at least 2 figths
I think this loss was Cotto’s most impressive outing. Although his strategy was understandable, Cotto fought in a manner that was “not him” when looking at his past fights. Cotto did not work Margarito to the body even after seeing how great a chin Margarito has. For Cotto, a born body puncher, to eliminate that from his game put him at a big disadvantage from the start. Also, his moving was great to watch, but beside getting tired, he never fully used his power because his feet were never set long enough.
If he fights Margarito again, he should crowd him, clinch and work the body. It is hard to see Cotto winning, but that is his best shot.
Miguel, what makes a fighter a great fighter is how he comes back from defeat. Keep your head up. You will rule again!
Take you time Cotto. You were still learning the game at the elite level. It’s OK. You’ll come back stronger.
cottos next fight is taking ages … does any1 knw of any names that r in da hat 4 his nxt fite
iv heard cottley cintron burto … ?
fink hes gnna fite early in 2009 so hopefully he wins…
I just want to know – when the hell is Cotto going to fight again? What is taking so long for him to annouce his next fight. Did the beating from Margarito question his desire to fight again? He needs to get in the ring ASAP to have any chance of a rematch.
I agree that Cotto was definitely hurt, it wasn’t just ‘worse than it looked’. A fighter like Cotto doesn’t take a knee because it looks worse than it is. Cotto was dismantled the way he usually dismantles everyone else. Looking at the first six rounds of that fight…if Margarito did not have the exceptional chin that he has, he’d have been destroyed. Margarito is good but he’s got nowhere near the skill Cotto has and he took a lot of very big, flush punches. Those first six rounds displaying Cotto’s skill were enormously impressive to me. I just can’t come to the conclusion that boxing don has, in that Cotto could beat him in the near future. Maybe Mauro’s position that Cotto wait until Margarito’s age sets in might make a revenge/redemption match much more plausible. I do think Cotto would take Berto as his timing has nullified speed advantages in the past and very well might with Berto. I think Cotto/Clottey would be a pretty even match up.
the plan of attack for Cotto is to wait it out, I recently watched a great interview through solo boxeo, Cotto said he would fight him again but he wasn’t quick to demand the rematch against margarito, I believe he is going to wait 2 or 3 years until margaritos skills diminish to the point were Cotto feels comfortable he can beat margarito.
I would like to congradulate both Cotto and Margarito on there mega fight the other day Both fighter’s conducted themselves like classy guys. Both never trash talking even once and giving us a tremendous fight.
Hopkins and all others shoild take notes.
I agree 100% with boxing Don. I would get a new trainer and have a tune up and rematch margarito.
Roberto Garcia MIGHT be a little too dangerous for Migule Cotto!
Paul Williams came back against Quintana, although he wasn’t beaten as bad as Cotto he took alot of shots. Holyfield came back against Big Daddy Bowe, and Ali came back against Frazier, so it can be done. If Cotto’s corner would have worked on tying Margarito up at times and moving just enough to turn Margarito instead of moving around the ring. I am a retired fighter and know the game. Just turn Margarito and get off then move is what Cotto needed to do. Tie him up, walk him back to the middle and start over. Watch Ali and Spinks, and you will see exactly what to do with someone who fights like Margarito. Break his beat, keep him off balanced, change the momentum. Cotto can come back and beat Margarito but he has to have the perfect game plan.
I have to agree, Cotto took bad punishment. As soon as his nose went to the extent that it did his corner should have stopped it, he was never going to be able to get the oxygen he needed to run from Margarito for the rest of the fight.
Vasquez did it against Marquez in thier first fight and nobody questioned him and we all saw what he came back to do to Marquez in the 2nd and 3rd fights.
Also, it was so blatant that Margarito’s money shot was his left upper, yet Cotto kept crouching, leaving his head in exactly the right spot for that left upper.
I really like Cotto’s skills and think he’s a top fighter, I just hope he can come back a better fighter, cos like the author has said, that was one of those career changing beat downs