Cotto/Foreman: preview, picks and video

Date: 4th June 2010 at 10:30 pm
Written by Chudi

This Saturday is a personal fight for me.

Miguel Cotto is my favourite fighter and for my 21st birthday present I was lucky enough to fly to New York and watch his fight with Joshua Clottey.

I have found it hard to watch what is a perceived slide in Cotto’s career with the losses to Margarito and Pacquiao and struggling against Clottey and Saturday night will be a massive indicator as to where he is.

Yuri Foreman seems like a nice guy, a Rabbi in training and that is being used as the background story to turn Foreman into a star and a top earner in NYC like Cotto was. It looks like Top Rank could see Cotto as a stepping stone for Foreman but I think they are over looking Cotto.

A few years ago, this wouldn’t have been competitive. Cotto would have stalked and eventually broken down Foreman but the beatings and hard fights Cotto has takeand been in over the years have taken a little out of him making him much older than his actually 29 years.

Emmanuel Stewart is talking about Cotto being a beautiful boxer but really if Cotto wants to win he will need to go after Foreman and impose himself. Foreman’s size advantage means he can simply keep Cotto at range, frustrate him and pick up a points win. Foreman is 5’11 and has a 72″ reach so Cotto should abandon any thoughts of trying to box.

Foreman looked tricky against Daniel Santos but Santos was shot and had no legs and I don’t think Cotto is quite at that stage . Foreman will try to move laterally, in and out and when in danger he will tie up Cotto. But Cotto’s jab and timing could be able to negate this. Cotto has a good jab as if he can land this enough it should slow Foreman down and could set up other punches.

Cotto’s body work was famous previously but he seems to have abandoned it but if ever there was a fight he needs it, it is this. Foreman will be on his bike and good bodywork will slow him down considerably.

Foreman is a good boxer but isn’t a top champion and whilst he may see a wounded animal in Cotto, Cotto can take heart in that Foreman isn’t as dangerous to him as Margarito or Pacquiao were. I am going with Cotto on this one, it maybe bias but I think more so because he should have enough left in his tank to deal with Foreman and if he doesn’t I shall enter into a state of mourning!