Miguel Cotto is Back

On November 14th, 2009, Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman fought on the same card, but their nights ended very differently, and while Cotto was dominated by Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38KOs) and stripped of his WBO welterweight world title, Foreman cruised to a unanimous decision victory over Daniel Santos to become the new WBA super welterweight champion of the world. Just 6 months later on June 5th, 2010, Cotto and Foreman fought on the same card again, but this time against each other, and by the end of the night it was Foreman who was stripped of this world title, and Cotto who cruised to a 9th round knockout victory to become the new WBA super welterweight champion of the world.


Fight Recap

Cotto controlled the pace of the fight from the opening bell with his effective footwork and solid jab. While Foreman was expected to have the advantage in footwork and hand-speed, Cotto matched Foreman's footwork step for step and used his expert timing to pick off the largely untested champion with solid jabs. Cotto remained patient as he stalked Foreman around the ring peppering the champion with jabs and hard shots upstairs.

Foreman spent the early rounds dancing around Cotto trying to stay away from the relentless challenger's power punches, but in round 4 Foreman planted his feet and landed several lead right hands, effectively winning his only round of the fight.By the end of round 6, Foreman's face was showing signs of swelling and his footwork was looking sluggish, but Cotto continued to stalk him, cutting off the ring and punishing Foreman on the ropes and in exchanges.

Round 7 spelled disaster for Foreman after he slipped, crippling his right leg in the fall, and effectively neutralizing his footwork and rendering him helpless. As one commentator put it, "Foreman without footwork is like Cotto without fists." Cotto smelled blood in the water, but remained surprisingly patient as he pounced on the champion and systematically broke him down with jabs, feints, and hard left hooks to the head and body. The following two rounds probably earned Foreman more fans than the rest of his career as Foreman weathered Cotto's assault, throwing the hardest punches he could muster on a crippled leg, and absorbing massive punishment for his efforts.

The champion, who was largely untested in his previous 28 wins, showed tremendous heart and courage as he hobbled around the ring, grimacing in agony, refusing to surrender his world title to the brave, experienced challenger. Foreman's corner actually threw in the towel during round 7 but the referee Arthur Mercante refused to accept the sign of surrender. Even after the ring flooded with cameramen and cornermen, Mercante ordered the ring to be cleared and the fight continued through a brutal round 8 in which Cotto poured on the punishment and Foreman gave everything he had to not go down.

Cotto sealed the deal in round 9, landing a Miguel Cotto classic crunching left hook to Foreman's body, causing the champion to collapse in agony and referee Arthur Mercante to stop the fight. Cotto let out a triumphant roar of redemption and was crowned the new WBA super middleweight champion of the world. Miguel Cotto is back.




Impression

Foreman: Despite losing the first fight of his career, this fight probably earned Foreman more fans than all his previous wins combined because he showed tremendous heart and spirit in the face of adversity. Foreman has had a hard life growing up, but had a relatively bland fight resume, and this baptism by fire will most likely temper Foreman into a tougher, more experienced fighter. A tough fight with an experienced three-time world champion and a first career loss can be a tough pill to swallow, but if Foreman continues to train and fight with the same kind of heart he displayed in his fight with Cotto, fight fans can expect to see great things from him in his upcoming fights.

Cotto: Under the expert tutelage of world renowned trainer Emanuel Steward, Cotto showed vast improvements in his footwork and jab. When used in conjunction, a great jab and footwork are an instant recipe to success, allowing fighters to set up big punches, stay out of danger, and control opponents. Cotto definitely is not to that point yet, but he has shown definite signs of improvement and will most likely continue to refine his technique if he continues to train with Steward.

Other improvements included an improved right straight and selective use of the left hook to the body. Cotto has rarely used the right straight to much success, but for the bulk of his career offensive pressure and a powerful left hook have been enough to steamroll opponents. By improving his right straight, Cotto is no longer a one trick pony and he now has more options in the event an opponent is well prepared to defend against Cotto's signature left hook. In his fight with Foreman, Cotto demonstrated that he no longer has to rely on the left hook like a crutch, but his left hook is now a powerful tool he can utilize with deadly efficiency.


Is Miguel Cotto Really Back?

This may not be the old Miguel Cotto, the Miguel Cotto who would walk down opponents, engage in brutal slugfests, and rely on his vicious left-hook body shots. No, this does not appear to be the same fighter, but Cotto has shown that he is back as a new fighter, a more disciplined, balanced, patient fighter who utilizes a solid jab, footwork, and gameplan to control and systematically breakdown opponents. Although Cotto was famous as a big puncher, he has an excellent amateur pedigree and can box when he chooses to, so perhaps after all the brutal slugfests he has survived in his career, he has realized that it is a better idea to fight smart, utilizing his fine, boxing prowess. Especially now that Cotto is in the heavier super-welterweight division and doesn't have a strength advantage over the majority of his opposition, he will have no choice but to become a smarter and more disciplined boxer. While it may not be as crowd pleasing as his old style, Cotto's new style will most likely prove beneficial to the longevity of his health and career.