Mayweather fights on May 5th

[Fitz]

JD Wrote:A couple thoughts...

This Cotto is nowhere near the guy that fought Mosley. He doesn't have the same reflexes, timing, speed, willingness to get hit or instinct...can we agree on that?

Cotto is a one-handed fighter, he has been his whole career, and random use of the right against a one-eyed Margarito does not a two-handed fighter make.

Re-watch Mayweather - Castillo, I don't think you will come back with the notion that JLC was slower than this version of Cotto.

Cotto switching to southpaw would be a disaster, Floyd would jump on him and light him up with lead rights.

Cotto isn't a pressure fighter digging that left hook downstairs anymore, that guy is gone.

The Judah fight looked the way it did because Zab had the faster hands for 6 rounds, fought out of a stance that forced Mayweather out of his comfort zone, and he fought the best 5 rounds of his life. Cotto will be afforded none of those advantages.

If Cotto sits back he will get torn up, if Cotto pressures he will get torn up.

I read everything you wrote there, but I am not coming away with any understanding how Cotto could do it. I honestly do not see one advantage Cotto would have going in, and that even includes things we often give to Floyd's opponents like chin or youth.

Sorry man, I am just not seeing any common ground with you here...but that's why they fight the fights.

Let's just agree to disagree.

About Castillo, I didn't think he got robbed anyways. I don't think either fighter did enough to take the fight clearly. Cotto looked slow against Jennings and Clottey and maybe another fight inbetween, but he had some speed back in his last fight (and no, it didn't have anything to do with Margarito being that slow, Cotto was punching better).

I'm just mentioning that Cotto had more than his left hand in his last fight, and was using his right more than usual. Cotto has made adjustment in time, he has jabbed more, boxed more, he now clinches.....why is it so unbelievable that I saw him add something else to his arsenal, when he has in so many other areas?

Cotto never clinched before his last fight, and used to run and had no idea how to hold. Cotto never clinched in his whole career, and all of a sudden learnt to do it in his last fight. Surely you don't think I should dismiss this aspect of Cotto because he only did it once at random times in his last fight?

I have seen Cotto learn and add new things to his game plan like using the jab more, knowing when and how to clinch etc. I have seen him make these adjustments, and I saw his also use the right hand in his last fight. I'm not saying that his right hand is lethal, or that is what's going to make the fight close, but I did see it in his last fight.
I'm just not going to dismiss it because he used it once, he used the clinch in one fight as well.

Cotto isn't physically the same as he once was, but I think he is in a better place mentally, made changes etc. Some guys aren't the same physically, but can be just as successful with change.
Look at George Foreman, he was not the same physically, but many think the older George Foreman was better, and smarter. I have seen positive signs in Cotto, even if I don't think he is the same guy physically.