Is Cotto making a mistake in fighting Foreman?
January 26th, 2010
By Jim Dower: Former WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KO’s) is making a huge mistake in moving up in weight to take on World Boxing Association junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman (28-0, 8 KO’s) in June. Foreman, 29, has a style of fighting that is all wrong for Cotto. Not only will Foreman have the four inch height advantage, but he also will have a five inch reach advantage as well for a fight against the 5’7” Cotto.
What makes Foreman even difficult to fight is that he charges forward with his head down and often collides with the head of his opponents causing cuts for both him and them. He’s totally unlike anyone that Cotto has fought before and I see him losing this fight rather badly. Cotto is even small for a welterweight, and taking on fairly big junior middleweight like Foreman is really asking for it.
Cotto has taken a beating in three out of his last four fights, losing two of them but taking a lot of punishment in his fights against Manny Pacquiao, Joshua Clottey and especially against Antonio Margarito. The last thing that Cotto needs right now is another tough opponent to struggle against.
Foreman may not be a big slugger like Clottey, Margarito and Pacquiao, but he hits plenty hard enough to cause Cotto problems. But what’s worse is that Foreman is so difficult to hit consistently with anything other a jab. He moves too much and limits contact because of his in an out style of fighting.
Cotto may not be in the right frame of mind for a fight as tough as this one will likely be. Foreman will frustrate Cotto with his elusive style, and Cotto hasn’t looked good in the past against slick boxers like Zab Judah and Oktay Urkal. Foreman is much slicker and bigger than those fighters, and Cotto is going to have to figure out a way to catch up to him enough to beat him.
If Cotto was a taller fighter with a long reach like say Carlos Quintana, then I could see Cotto beating Foreman. But Cotto doesn’t have boxing skills like Quintana. He doesn’t well, doesn’t have a long job and isn’t good at cutting off the ring against a mover like Foreman. I can see this fight ending badly for Cotto and possibly ending his career.
I think Cotto can still be an effective welterweight against most of the fighters in the division apart from Mayweather, Margarito and Pacquiao, but Foreman is a step too far for Cotto in my estimation. I don’t see Cotto being able to catch up to Foreman to wear him down with body shots. He’s not that type of fighter to just stand there and let his opponents work him over.
I think once Foreman gets Cotto frustrated, the fight will go downhill from that point on for Miguel. He’ll lose his confidence even more and I can see the fight getting way out of hand. I doubt Foreman will stop him, but it won’t matter. Cotto will end up getting dominated again like he was against Pacquiao.
Tags: 54 Responses to “Is Cotto making a mistake in fighting Foreman?”
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Yuri foreman will make cotto look like an amatuer. yuri has tremendous punching.trust me i know im a heavyweight and he spars with me. he has hit me harder than some of my heavyweight sparring partners. Reason why people think he doesnt hit hard because of his 8 knockout in 28 fights.
The reason is he’s not a brawler. he is a pure smartass boxer.
He is going to make cotto look like a no good amatuer.
One other boxer i want to comment on is an amatuer 126 pounder i saw last week at a gym in queens ny.
I seen this kid knock out another 126 pounder that was a pro sparring.
And after that he sparred a 147 pouder and put it on him.
I asked the gym owner what was that kids name he said his name was Gilberto Agront from kid kelly boxing gym in brooklyn
Hi everyone!!! My life long dream is to suck Amir Khan off!!! He’s so sexy!!!
pacman v cotto at 154
I think Cotto is over rated..but hes never ducked anyone in his life…so I have alot of respect for him for that. I think this fight is actually gonna be very good for him…Foreman is quite well thought of and is getting increased attention, so a win over him would do Cotto alot of good. I personally think Foremans etc reach and height will mean nothing when it comes down to it. Cotto by decision.
no need for warm up fight cotto will break him for sure
maybe a tune-up fight would have been the right move for cotto after that devastating tko by pacman.
Wow I love articles like these… This boxers shouldn’t face this one because he “might” lose… People get angry when one faces an easy opponent as well as when one faces a challenging opponent! What the hell is wrong with you… At least Cotto has balls unlike a certain Mayweather… Big up to Cotto he deserves all the credit in the world
Cotto just needs a better trainer and he can beat anybody in the Welterweight division
first loss coming to yuri soon….:)
Watch Cotto KO this guy.
cotto is a warrior, wont be easy for him but he will win the fight
honestly you are very rong , cotto will outbox and dominate the fight with outstanding body punches and left hooks , he would of won the margarito fight if illegal hand wraps were not used and hes pretty much dominated every other fight hes had apart from pacquaio who won because of speed . also you say cotto isnt big for a welterweight , cotto is big for a welterweight. i beleive its a ko victory for cotto!.
All’s Cotto has to do is fight the fight he’s designed to do……. body body body….. a big win for cotto @ 154 puts his name in neon again and who knows maybe a furure fight with mayweather LMAO yea right just what floyd would do…… fight @ 154 with a strong body banger
please gentleman;Dont underestimate cotto’Work the body the head will follow.cotto a master at working the body.foreman who has fought,Nobody.His last fight,Was a shot fighter over the hill,And he barely pulled it off.cotto got to much experience,Hell cut off the ring,And break him down.Foreman okay for a toughman contest,But skillfully no way.
Foreman is nothing special
Khan will never be in the same league as cotto !!! cotto has fought some of the best p4p boxers in the world !!! khan has never fought any good boxers that are in their prime. the fact that he is ducking maidana is a total disgrace !! khan lost a huge British market when he got KO’d by a “3 round fighter”.
Khan will get no respect until he fights a real challenger like Marco Maidana or atleast fights a rematch against prescott !!
Many boxing fas see Cotto as undefeated because they are suspicious that Margarito cheated and wonder why Pacquiao refuesed olympic style drug testing.
hey y’all … first and foremost.. last time i checked this article it was about cotto vs foreman. i dont recall reading or even hearing amir khan’s name mentioned at all. so for all the khan fans posting here, we dont give a f@#$% about him. he’s a wanna be pacquaio!! if you watch khan closely you”ll see that when he gets tagged he raises his arms in the air like pac does. he also tries to imitate his speed and punch combination. i”m not saying khan is gargabe cause he’s clearly not but he needs to find his own style and stop trying to copy his idol. now for all the people trash talking cotto you better think again. this is coming from a person that’s a true fan in highs and lows. cotto has already proved himself in boxing. he’s a two time champ with 1 real loss. ( cause margacheato doesnt count). he’s fought the best names out there and has never bowed out of a challenge. cotto has fought the best in the business and will continue to fight elite competition cause it’s his nature. this man is a warrior and that’s why i respect him. he is a gentleman and a scholar. Long Live Miguel Cotto. RIP Don Miguel.. you will be missed and never forgotten for the gentleman you raised.
I see it as a fighter knows what he can do.for pac I can see how foreman can make pac look bad,but in cotto he feels he can hit foreman ,Iam for cotto,he can win it ,in pac he always had the big punch in the finale exchange .but not here.a cotto decision,or even a ko.
cotto is definatly makin a mistake,he too small for light middle and his best days r behind him.
why is this a bad fight cotto is finished at welterweight
plus the pacman fight was catchweight 145 wich is a total pisstake he was looking good till he got caught rushing things then he looked weak after that and he struggles anyways he walks around at 12stone anyways if he he wins hes back in the game id liek to see him n spinks
cotto would demolish amir khan.Too big 147 for a start.Using sparring sessions with pac man and holding is own is utter nonsence massive gloves and headgear takes the punishment and just as well because amir wouldnt get out of round 1 with pac in a real boxing match if a brawler can ko mr kahn then im sure pac would do the same.
Another example would be khans footwork against kotelnic he looked like his shoe laces where tied together whilst trying to do the 100m sprint backwords.Cotto would finish him within 5 rounds and i seriously doubt cotto is on amirs radar hes not stupid he has more chance of beating batman.
Kahn is a hot prospect but when he meets a real all rounded boxer/puncher its lights out and back to mr warrens house for a spot of forgiveness.
take into consideration that khan was fasting when he was beaten. im not trying to make excuses for him because just like everyone else im getting tired of his ducking
AMIR WAS WEIGHT DRAINED????
come on…he got caught cold but never weight drained….
why do ppl buy into this bulls**t? if hed have won the fight this weight drained convo would never have come up….next you will be saying what Amir said in an interview that “Prescott caught me with a lucky shot”???????? hahahaha NO MATE HE CAUGHT YA WITH 3…
One thing for sure is that he aint ever gonna fight a big hitter, if he does then ill start liking him more but as for now,
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
COTTO is no longer fighting for wins only for money, so a fight with FOREMAN isn’t important 2 him its for him to cash in. this is his last year as a boxer. he takes this fight if he wins he has a title. and next fight he’ll fight 4 a bigger payday and retire.
Foreman don’t get cocky, you really never know! Speculation is nice, but no one knows what will happen till the actual fight takes place.
Cotto is not a dangerous boxer. Plain and simple. Im afraid all this talk about ‘bricks in gloves’ and ‘steriods’ is a release of hope for Cotto fans. The fact is Cotto was never really that good. A decision against Mosley made me want to eat that extra slice of Pizza.
I’m going to quote Joe Frazier for you Jim: ” Oh yeah, you may be taller than me but you are going to have to come down here to hit me, and i got something for you.”
Yes. I for one also hate that argument about his chin but when one starts making ridiculous comment like “Cotto aint dangerous! He gets beat up all the time.” then you can only retort with a comment just as stupid.
Personally, I’d like Khan to do well but I’m not going to hail him as a great boxer because he ‘spars with Pacquiao.’ That’s just ridiculous. He has speed but I would like to see more of his technical ability before passing judgment. It was a shame he took Salita down so quickly as we didn’t get to see everything he can bring to the table.
I’m looking forward to his fight with Maidana.
Unfortunately, it’s ridiculous comments like yours that bring out the worst in me.
JR- Amir khan doesnt take a beating because his a clever boxer, and iv lost respect after your last words ‘Amir Khan has never taken a beaten from anyone as he struggles to get back onto his feet in 10 seconds after one solid punch’ Yawn to this so called fact. Khan was weight drained with the Prescott bout. I dont insult peoples, I just cant stand people who think they know boxing with no fact to back up the source in hand.
COTTO NOT MAKING A MISTAKE
HIS ONLY TWO LOSES WERE BY CRIMINALS IN THE RING PACMAN
AND MARGARITO HE WILL DESTROY
FORMAN COTTO PUT SO MUCH FEAR ON BOXERS THAT THEY HAVE TO CHEAT
TO DEFEAT HIM REAL BOXING FANS KNOW COTTO GOING TO DESTROY
FORMAN IT JUST IN BOXING THERE IS SO MUCH CORRU P TION IT HARD TO TELL WHO HAS THE REAL SKILLS BUT
COTTO EASY WIN
@shakeeb NawaZ
sorry but you dont no jack about boxing !!! Khan is not in the same league as Cotto or Pacman … mind you i wudnt fancy his chances against Margarito or clottey !! u like to use metaphors so this may help you:
pacman , mayweather , clottey an cotto are like top 4 of the prem while khan is like bolton … u see not in the same class
plus why would he duck marco maidana and fight an even more dangerous fighter like cotto ?!
but i think cotto Vs foreman is a great match. Cotto is a better boxer an should use hus skills to win a points victory, cotto only struggles with pressure fighters
why does shakeeb NawaZ bum khan so much !!!! we are talking about cotto an foreman NOT khan
i think this is a good fight for cotto because he is a better technical boxer plus the writer also points out that cotto only struggles with pressure fighters and foremans style is not like that.
struggling to see why cotto would want to fight khan tho shakeeb NawaZ coz he isnt a big draw in america plus if he wont fight Maidana why would khan fight someone more dangerous like cotto ?! sorry but you dont no jack about boxing ur just a khan follower
Behind the sword arm lies the power of the mind.
Your so called ‘theory’ seems to be insulting other people. I haven’t been rude to you but you seem to want to argue about nothing.
To answer your original comment again.
Cotto took a hammering from Margarito (wraps or not) which would have left anyone bloodied.
Cotto took a headcut from Clottey which bloodied him up.
Cotto also took a hammering from Pacquiao (juiced or not) which would have left anyone blooded.
Amir Khan has never taken a beaten from anyone as he struggles to get back onto his feet in 10 seconds after one solid punch.
Theory is talk, Practical is action, if your gym is about action only, your gym is missing half the picture, which is probably why your ‘boxing gym’ is no good my friend. Its more than just punching with all your might.
Cotto will be back to his best here !
@shakeeb NawaZ
My previous comment about your Cotto/Khan statement seems to have been deleted.
Your metaphors are as misguided as your opinions are about me. My boxing gym is less talk, more action.
blah blah blah…Cotto is a warrior, NOT scared of anyone. Bring it on!! Thas what makes him so great…
JR – You seem to know an awfull lot about what i do, how i respond to things. Clearly Cotto isnt as dangerous as the dart board suggests. You on the other hand seem to know very little about boxing. I get caught up in the way we used to talk down the ‘old boys’ boxing gym. With the disapline you seem to show, you wouldnt be much cop as a boxer.
this is a huge fight for foreman…a real step up in class but one he should be winning due to his opponent having to come up in weight & coming off a convincing loss…yuri has the height, reach & size advantage. you can see why the match was made…if foreman wins he becomes a legit star.
saying that…imo foreman simply isn’t good enough to beat cotto.
I think that extra weight will bring Cotto back to his best and will revive his career.
shakeeb NawaZ <= stupid
A lot of boxing fans respects cotto and as someone who respects him this is what i want to say. Cotto was weight drained at welterwegiht which means he’ll be comfy at middleweight. I also think Cotto should have a warm up fight before taking foreman. I think cotto is in a higher class then foreman by miles, but just needs to get into his comfort zone after pacquio defeat. Cotto could asily stop foreman because he’s just more experienced and skilled in ring bouts
Cotto is a tough fighter. But, i would rather want him fight a tune-up fight first at WW then fight a rematch with Margarito. That would be a great fight. If he beats Margarito then that ghost would definitely be extinguished from his psyche. But, who to fight? It should be a quality fighter of course. Berto maybe? That could be an interesting fight to see.
Cotto should have no trouble with Foreman, the only legit loss for Cotto is Pacquiao which at this point is nothing to be ashamed of. Cotto may actually feel a little better at the heighter weight. I say he stopes Foreman within the first half.
@shakeeb NawaZ
Your metaphors don’t make you sound smart. When people disagree, you quickly change to this when you’re not sure how to respond. I don’t know if you’re hoping to confuse people so they don’t argue with you but for once, just once, could you use one that relates to what you’re trying to say or, at the very least, stay on the conversation at hand?
At least there was no mention of ‘gammon’ this time.
If cotto didnt do enough by putting a foot thru the plaster wall, He now goes on to shatter the shower curtain, and near enough destroy the whole house single handedly. He needs to be carefull because health wise hes done alot of damage to the house.
This fight will be like putting a mallet thru one of the school tables, very quick, loud and hard. If it wasnt for the steel pans in the classroom Cotto would be silenced. And Foreman will shout at cotto until he cries.
Yes but pacman has head gear and big gloves aswell. Khan would be too fast, he would slowly chip cotto out on a points decision. Cotto aint dangerous! He gets beat up all the time. He ends up looking like someone whos just come out of a fight down the pub every time he boxes.
Lets have this right Pacman did beat Cotto but Damage wise Pacman came worse off his head was in wraps after the fight Cotto lost cos his stamina did not hold up just like his fight with malignaggi but he won that. Khan would have to trade at some point with Cotto because he would not be able to help himself and lets face it Khan dont fight bangers….It smells of Victory come Maidana!!!
What is this writer on? Cotto is perfect at cutting off the ring when it’s required.
Cotto outboxed Mosely and Judah and mangled Malignaggi (another fighter who with a spoiler’s style.
As far as hitting hard enough to cause Cotto problems, Foreman has 8 KOs in 28 fights.
If Cotto can work the body then this fight can go his way but I don’t think it’s going to be easy for either fighter.
Shakeeb are you joking?? Khan vs Cotto an easy win, what planet are you on? Cotto may have lost against Paqman P4P Champ and he took a beating but Khan should never be in the same ring as a fighter as dangerous as cotto, he wouldnt stand a chance! he only holds his own in training because of the chin and head guard!
Cotto should fight a few warm up fights and then take a rematch against Margarito thats what i would pay to see!
Cotto aint as good a boxer like quintana is? yet cotto absolutely battered him! Cotto hasn’t looked good against boxers like Judah and Orkal? yet Cotto still battered them. This writer makes me laugh! What a plonker, he obviously knows nothing about boxing. Foreman aint no p4p champ like pacman, and as far as im aware he doesn’t put bricks in his gloves, lol! so to say cotto will end up getting dominated is pure madness! I just hope Cotto reconciles with his uncle Evangelista where he can then have someone experienced in his corner and have a good gameplan.
This fight will go Cottos way. I think GBP should pull the strings to get Amir Khan to fight Cotto after this bout, It would be an easy win for Khan also getting the publicity all over the world, not just America. With Cotto being battered by Pacman, and Khan can hold his own wioth Pacman and train with pacman, Cotto would not have a chance, but it would work wonders for Amir. Not sure if the fight would get together tho.