Atlas picks Cotto to defeat Martinez tonight

By Boxing News - 06/07/2014 - Comments

cotto(Photo credit: Sumio Yamada) By Allan Fox: ESPN commentator Teddy Atlas believes that former three division world champion Miguel Cotto (38-4, 31 KO’s) will pull off an upset tonight by beating WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KO’s) to take his WBC title in their fight on HBO pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Atlas sees Sergio Martinez’s age, his two recent knee surgeries and inactivity being a problem for him in this fight. Martinez hasn’t fought since last year in April when he defeated Martin Murray in a very close fight. Martinez blamed the poor performance by him on him having suffered a knee and hand injury, but never the less, Martinez did not look good in that fight.

“Martinez is coming off of a couple of knee surgeries, he’s 39-years-old, with 55 fights,” Atlas said. “He gets out a little slow with his hands slow. Well, if you’re Cotto, step to him with a left hook. If Cotto can do that, he’ll pull off an upset. Forget about the propaganda, the best days have passed these guys. They’re still going to make a good fight. I think it’ll be an interesting fight, no doubt about it, but they’re in the twilight of their careers. Cotto likes to come forward with a left hook. Martinez likes to go backwards. Martinez is coming off of 2 knee surgeries and over a year of inactivity. I think Martinez is going to have a little problem staying ahead of Cotto. I think Cotto with that left hook has a chance to catch Martinez. I like Cotto in an upset.”

Cotto definitely has the power in his left hook to put Martinez on the canvas if he can land that punch often enough in the fight. Martinez was decked by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in 2012 when he tried to punch with him, and the same thing can happen tonight if Martinez’s bravado gets the better of him. Martinez believes that he can punch with Cotto, and this could lead to him getting hurt. He hasn’t been hit by someone like Cotto in a long time if ever, and he might be ready for the experience.



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