Cotto gets beaten when he steps up against A-class opponents, says Sanchez

By Boxing News - 06/07/2015 - Comments

1-cotto (1)By Dan Ambrose: WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) has convinced a lot of fans and members of the boxing media that he’s turned his career around with his last three wins over Daniel Geale, Sergio Martinez and Delvin Rodriguez in the past two years. However, Abel Sanchez, the trainer for IBO/WBA 160 pound champion Gennady Golovkin, thinks Cotto hasn’t beaten any real A-class fighters during his career.

Sanchez especially not impressed with Cotto’s victory over Geale last Saturday night because he says that Geale was softened up by Golovkin last year. Geale was knocked out in three rounds by Golovkin.

Sanchez says that Cotto has been beaten in the past by Austin Trout, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao. Sanchez doesn’t see any wins for Cotto over A-class fighters on his resume.

“When Miguel has stepped up against the A-class opponents, he’s gotten beat. He got beat by [Austin] Trout, he got beat by [Antonio] Margarito, and he got beat by Floyd [Mayweather Jr.]. So what A-fighters has he beaten? A worn A-fighter [Sergio Martinez], and an A-fighter that was a cripple,” Sanchez said via Thaboxingvoice.

Cotto has wins over a fading Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito and Ricardo Mayorga. Those guys were all pretty faded by the time Cotto beat them. Mosley actually gave Cotto all kinds of problems in their fight. Margarito was coming off of three eye operations when Cotto finally beat him. Judah had seen better days by the time he fought Cotto, and even then he was giving Cotto all kinds of problems until he was hurt with low blows. Mayorga was well past his prime when Cotto beat him, and it was a close fight.

Cotto is very proud about his ring record, but there’s really not much substance there. It’s a lot of wins over B and C level guys. You certainly can’t get excited about Cotto’s wins over Sergio Martinez, Daniel Geale and Delvin Rodriguez because those were big victories over A-class opponents.

“Miguel is a 160 pound champion and Gennady wants that belt, and if Miguel doesn’t want to fight him, then we’ll fight someone else,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez went on to say that Cotto started stuttering last Saturday night when he was asked by HBO commentator Max Kellerman about a fight against Golovkin. Sanchez notes that Cotto talked for five minutes when he was being asked about a fight against Canelo, but when he was asked about Golovkin, Cotto started stuttering and didn’t sound nearly as confidence. Sanchez thinks that Cotto won’t fight Golovkin despite him saying he would. Sanchez thinks Cotto will avoid the fight with Golovkin. The guy that Sanchez thinks who will be the one who will fight Golovkin is Canelo, but who knows how long it’ll be before he chooses to face the Kazakhstan star.

I think it’s very possible that Cotto will crumble to pieces when/if he gets inside the ring with Golovkin in the future. But I also think that Canelo will likely do a job on Cotto before then, and show the world that Cotto is still the same fighter that Trout and Mayweather beat in 2012. Right now, Cotto’s trainer Freddie Roach is being covered with glory due to Cotto’s wins over three past their best fighters in Geale, Sergio Martinez and Delvin Rodriguez, but I think Roach’s applause is going to die down quickly after Cotto gets beaten again. The fans will then realize that Cotto’s wins over Geale, Rodriguez and Martinez was little more careful match-making.



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