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Miguel Cotto is an underdog against Manny Pacquiao. Many consider him to be tarnished, damaged goods in the ring. He has not looked good in has last two major fights, against Margarito and Clottey. He was brutally beaten by Margarito, and barely survived against Clottey. He has shown a potential for cuts, and has looked very beatable.
With all that said, Cotto still has a very good chance to defeat Manny Pacquiao. Here are five reasons why:
1. Punching Power
Miguel Cotto will pack arguably the biggest punch Pacquiao has ever faced. While some would argue it was De La Hoya, Cotto is very heavy handed. While not scoring knockouts at the top level at 147, Cotto steamrolled opponents at 140. Pacquiao is not a natural welterweight, and there are questions as to whether or not he can take Cotto’s punch.
For Cotto to defeat Pacquiao, he will have to accomplish something Pacquiao’s last two opponents did not. He will actually have to land his shots. If he can find a way to hit Pacquiao, the scope of the fight will change dramatically for him.
2. Chin
Cotto is a rather large welterweight. He has shown he can take good punches from natural welterweights. He took the best shots Zab Judah had to offer. He stood in against Mosley for twelve rounds. If he can take Pacquiao’s punch, his chances go up dramatically.
3. Size
Now there is majority agreement here that size will not play a major factor in this fight. Since this fight will be at a catchweight of 145, neither fighter should have much of an advantage.
The truth is Cotto is a naturally bigger man. He is a rather large welterweight, and puts on significant weight the day of the fight. This advantage will come into play for him if he can use his size to lean on Pacquiao on the ropes, or muscle him.
4. Body Punching
This point is absolutely the key to the fight. If Cotto has any chance at pulling off the mild upset, he will have to get to the body. Cotto is a fearsome body puncher, and when dedicated, is hard to deter. If he makes a solid commitment to the body, it will be interesting to see how Pacquiao responds.
Cotto should look for every available opportunity to dig into Pacquiao’s ribs. If he is unable to do so with any success, he stands little chance of defeating the pound for pound champion.
5. Ring Generalship
Cotto is an underrated boxer. He can box well from the outside, as well as fight on the inside. He makes good in-fight adjustments. In this fight, he will need to cut the ring off without taking too much damage. Cotto will need to corner the faster Pacquiao, and make him pay once on the inside.
If Cotto can rinse and repeat that strategy early on, he can start headhunting in the later rounds. A commitment to the body early, a left hook late, and we have the makings of an upset on our hands.
Tags: Boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto, Miguel Cotto
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