Cotto is Deserving–But Is Not Mosley
Miguel Cotto is an excellent young fighter. He has great skills, and he has perhaps the best left hook to the body in the business. He is very deserving of fighting anybody, and he is a top 10 pound for pound fighter. With all of that said, he is not Sugar Shane Mosley. Yes he beat him in 2007, close fight that I will discuss in a bit. But in totality he is not yet even close to Shane in accomplishments and achievment. Beating the man, does not make you the man. Jermain Taylor beat Bernard Hopkins twice, but does anybody really think he is as good as Bernard Hopkins. Iran Barkley knocked out Thomas Hearns, but does anybody rational really believe Barkley was a better fighter. No I am not part of the Shane Mosley PR team. In fact, I think Manny Pacquiao beats both him and Cotto, but Mosley is leaps and bounds above Cotto. I know this has been a recurring theme of some of my other stories. But I still can’t believe people are justifying Cotto as a better opponent for Pacquiao instead of Mosley.
History
Miguel Cotto was a good Jr. Welterweight fighter. He beat some solid fighters and won a title belt. But he was in life and death struggles with above average fighters like Ricardo Torres and Demarcus Corley. And he failed to knock out Paul Malignaggi, in a fight of which he lost 3 or 4 rounds. He moved up to Welterweight and scored a spectacular win over Carlos Quintana to win the WBA crown. He would go on to beat Zab Judah in a great fight in 2007. He proceed to beat Mosley in a fight I will discuss in a bit. Then he would lose brutally to Margarito.
Shane Mosley on the the other hand was a destructive lightweight. He defended his title 8 times and probably it would be hard to find a round he actually lost in those 8 defenses. He was the 2nd best lightweight since Roberto Duran. (Pernell Whitaker was better) If anybody questions how good he was pop in the tape of his fight against John John Molina in 1998. It was brilliant. He earned the 1998 BWAA fighter of the year award. He proceeded to jump 2 divisions and beat a prime Oscar De La Hoya. He defended his title 3 times. He was considered at that time by most, to be the best fighter in the world pound for pound. 38-0-35 knockouts.
Vernon Forrest put an end to the Sugar Ray Robinson comparisions with a devastating win in early 2002. He repeated the win in a much closer fight later that year. Mosley would go on to beat De La Hoya again in 2003, controversially(Balco and Scorecards)
He lost to Winky Wright 2 times in 2004, 2nd fight closer then the 1st. Then he would go on a roll with great wins over Fernando Vargas, Luis Collazo, and recently Antonio Margarito, to win the WBA and World(Cyberboxingzone.com) Welterweight Crown.
Just by looking at this. Cotto would have to beat Pacquiao convincingly and win the legitimate title at Jr. Middleweight to equal Mosley. Could it happen? Yes. Will it. I have my doubts.
2007 Fight
First off let me say, I have no problem with the decision. Cotto fought great against Mosley, and anytime there is a close fight, nobody should have a problem with the decision.
But looking back at the fight. It was basically an even fight. Just as many people scored the fight a draw as they did score Cotto the winner, some even had Mosley up in the cards. The Associated Press had it 114-114. They both landed 248 punches. Cotto landed more jabs and boxed better, but Mosley landed more power punches and was stronger down the stretch. It was a very close fight.
Rewatching the fight there are 4 acceptable cards. 116-112 Cotto, 115-113 Cotto, 114-114, and 115-113 Mosley. It depends on what you were watching for. Some like Cotto’s excellent jab that night, some like Mosley effective agressiveness. Personally I had it a draw, but like I said I had no problem with the decision, and nobody should.
But the point here is just because you beat somebody closely and not clearly, it doesn’t make you better then that fighter. My example is Jermain Taylor beating Bernard Hopkins twice. Both of those fights were close, a lot of people had Hopkins winning. But does anybody really feel that Taylor was a better fighter. In my opinion Cotto is a better fighter then Taylor, but Cotto’s win over Mosley was far from decisive. There should have been a rematch to clear it up, but Cotto’s people did not want it.(Cotto would fight anybody, so nobody is blaming him)
Also not one legitimate ranking organization has Cotto ranked above Mosley currently. Everybody has Mosley the number 1 welterweight in the world and higher on the Pound for Pound list then Cotto.
Margarito
Antonio Margarito is the most polarizing fighter in boxing right now. He has even earned the name “Margacheato” for his attempt to load his glove against Shane Mosley earlier this year. Last year, Margarito knocked out and beat up Miguel Cotto in a fight now that has a shadow over it. But for every body who wants to say Cotto is still undefeated, he is not. Margarito style and activity will always give Cotto problems. And while we have our suspicions. We don’t have any evidence to prove it. (I think he did load his gloves)
Now back to Mosley. If anybody watched that fight in January they know that Margarito could have had brinks in his gloves that night and it would not have mattered. Shane Mosley flat out destroyed him. He knocked him out in spectacular fashion. You can’t load your chin, and Shane Mosley laid a whooping. Paul Williams, Joshua Clottey, and Miguel Cotto all landed their best shots, but none made the dent Mosley did. It reminds me of Kelly Pavlik beating Jermain Taylor, who beat Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins proceeded to dominate and humilate Pavlik, much like Mosley did to Margarito.
Closing
In closing, nothing is going to change the fact the Shane Mosley is a better fighter historically then Miguel Cotto as of right now. Mosley beat better fighters, he has accomplished more, and every reputable person who can see believes he is higher ranked then Cotto, even right now at 37 years old. (a rematch could change that but it never happened.)
For the Cotto fans, this is not a slight at your fighter. He is an excellent fighter. But he has a long way to go. Yes, he beat Mosley in 2007, but in the end it was a close and undecisive win that deserved a rematch.
Can Cotto beat Manny Pacquiao? No, I don’t think he can. But I don’t think Shane Mosley can either. But my point is Mosley is more deserving of the fight with Manny Pacquiao and it is not even close. Sorry Cotto fans, its the truth. Mosley is just better right now.
http://www.boxing24.com/
History
Miguel Cotto was a good Jr. Welterweight fighter. He beat some solid fighters and won a title belt. But he was in life and death struggles with above average fighters like Ricardo Torres and Demarcus Corley. And he failed to knock out Paul Malignaggi, in a fight of which he lost 3 or 4 rounds. He moved up to Welterweight and scored a spectacular win over Carlos Quintana to win the WBA crown. He would go on to beat Zab Judah in a great fight in 2007. He proceed to beat Mosley in a fight I will discuss in a bit. Then he would lose brutally to Margarito.
Shane Mosley on the the other hand was a destructive lightweight. He defended his title 8 times and probably it would be hard to find a round he actually lost in those 8 defenses. He was the 2nd best lightweight since Roberto Duran. (Pernell Whitaker was better) If anybody questions how good he was pop in the tape of his fight against John John Molina in 1998. It was brilliant. He earned the 1998 BWAA fighter of the year award. He proceeded to jump 2 divisions and beat a prime Oscar De La Hoya. He defended his title 3 times. He was considered at that time by most, to be the best fighter in the world pound for pound. 38-0-35 knockouts.
Vernon Forrest put an end to the Sugar Ray Robinson comparisions with a devastating win in early 2002. He repeated the win in a much closer fight later that year. Mosley would go on to beat De La Hoya again in 2003, controversially(Balco and Scorecards)
He lost to Winky Wright 2 times in 2004, 2nd fight closer then the 1st. Then he would go on a roll with great wins over Fernando Vargas, Luis Collazo, and recently Antonio Margarito, to win the WBA and World(Cyberboxingzone.com) Welterweight Crown.
Just by looking at this. Cotto would have to beat Pacquiao convincingly and win the legitimate title at Jr. Middleweight to equal Mosley. Could it happen? Yes. Will it. I have my doubts.
2007 Fight
First off let me say, I have no problem with the decision. Cotto fought great against Mosley, and anytime there is a close fight, nobody should have a problem with the decision.
But looking back at the fight. It was basically an even fight. Just as many people scored the fight a draw as they did score Cotto the winner, some even had Mosley up in the cards. The Associated Press had it 114-114. They both landed 248 punches. Cotto landed more jabs and boxed better, but Mosley landed more power punches and was stronger down the stretch. It was a very close fight.
Rewatching the fight there are 4 acceptable cards. 116-112 Cotto, 115-113 Cotto, 114-114, and 115-113 Mosley. It depends on what you were watching for. Some like Cotto’s excellent jab that night, some like Mosley effective agressiveness. Personally I had it a draw, but like I said I had no problem with the decision, and nobody should.
But the point here is just because you beat somebody closely and not clearly, it doesn’t make you better then that fighter. My example is Jermain Taylor beating Bernard Hopkins twice. Both of those fights were close, a lot of people had Hopkins winning. But does anybody really feel that Taylor was a better fighter. In my opinion Cotto is a better fighter then Taylor, but Cotto’s win over Mosley was far from decisive. There should have been a rematch to clear it up, but Cotto’s people did not want it.(Cotto would fight anybody, so nobody is blaming him)
Also not one legitimate ranking organization has Cotto ranked above Mosley currently. Everybody has Mosley the number 1 welterweight in the world and higher on the Pound for Pound list then Cotto.
Margarito
Antonio Margarito is the most polarizing fighter in boxing right now. He has even earned the name “Margacheato” for his attempt to load his glove against Shane Mosley earlier this year. Last year, Margarito knocked out and beat up Miguel Cotto in a fight now that has a shadow over it. But for every body who wants to say Cotto is still undefeated, he is not. Margarito style and activity will always give Cotto problems. And while we have our suspicions. We don’t have any evidence to prove it. (I think he did load his gloves)
Now back to Mosley. If anybody watched that fight in January they know that Margarito could have had brinks in his gloves that night and it would not have mattered. Shane Mosley flat out destroyed him. He knocked him out in spectacular fashion. You can’t load your chin, and Shane Mosley laid a whooping. Paul Williams, Joshua Clottey, and Miguel Cotto all landed their best shots, but none made the dent Mosley did. It reminds me of Kelly Pavlik beating Jermain Taylor, who beat Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins proceeded to dominate and humilate Pavlik, much like Mosley did to Margarito.
Closing
In closing, nothing is going to change the fact the Shane Mosley is a better fighter historically then Miguel Cotto as of right now. Mosley beat better fighters, he has accomplished more, and every reputable person who can see believes he is higher ranked then Cotto, even right now at 37 years old. (a rematch could change that but it never happened.)
For the Cotto fans, this is not a slight at your fighter. He is an excellent fighter. But he has a long way to go. Yes, he beat Mosley in 2007, but in the end it was a close and undecisive win that deserved a rematch.
Can Cotto beat Manny Pacquiao? No, I don’t think he can. But I don’t think Shane Mosley can either. But my point is Mosley is more deserving of the fight with Manny Pacquiao and it is not even close. Sorry Cotto fans, its the truth. Mosley is just better right now.
http://www.boxing24.com/
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