Official Cotto Vs Margarito thread (merged)

[MiamiJet]

Originally Posted by Mean Bro Green

pushing Berto now makes sense for his development ala Cotto, BUT I don't think he's ready yet for the big names but since he's a champ now they have forced that situation and he cant continue to be in fighter in the making if he's wearing a strap on his waist

Agreed, Bro. It's good for him, BUT, as you posted, he can't really relax and build himself up. He has no choice but to fight the top contenders. I also agree that I'm not sure if he's ready for so much on his plate at this time. I'd eventually like to see him fight Margarito and Williams and attempt to clean up the divisions, because he has some serious tools but not right now. No way is he ready. Cotto was borught along well and I'd like to see the same for this kid.

He is a big, strong kid with the frame to easily fight at 154 and he has the power to do so. He throws excellent combinations to the body and head with real power in both hands. I think he's a gem. His management team better not screw this up, though. He's still very raw. I saw him exposed by someone last year, when Berto got cocky and dropped his hands for a brief second. He was hit and dropped but got up and brutally beat the poor guy into submission. He's young, and it happens, but now, as a champ, he's got to focus.

[simijet]

Originally Posted by MiamiJet

Agreed, Bro. It's good for him, BUT, as you posted, he can't really relax and build himself up. He has no choice but to fight the top contenders. I also agree that I'm not sure if he's ready for so much on his plate at this time. I'd eventually like to see him fight Margarito and Williams and attempt to clean up the divisions, because he has some serious tools but not right now. No way is he ready. Cotto was borught along well and I'd like to see the same for this kid.

He is a big, strong kid with the frame to easily fight at 154 and he has the power to do so. He throws excellent combinations to the body and head with real power in both hands. I think he's a gem. His management team better not screw this up, though. He's still very raw. I saw him exposed by someone last year, when Berto got cocky and dropped his hands for a brief second. He was hit and dropped but got up and brutally beat the poor guy into submission. He's young, and it happens, but now, as a champ, he's got to focus.

Stevie Forbes is as safe an opponent as he can choose now that he is a title holder. Not much power, but a good boxer who should give him great experience. After Forbes, there are several different ways he can go. While I think any fight he takes will be highly entertaining, it might be more prudent to avoid guys like Margarito, Mosley, Clottey or Cotto. Thus stated, I really believe his next opponent after Forbes will, in fact, be Cotto. His camp might view Miggy as damaged goods, and you know Miggy will view Berto as an inexperienced fighter from whom he can obtain a championship. Let me stress - I haven't heard any rumors about this - it's just my gut talking!

[MiamiJet]

Originally Posted by simijet

Stevie Forbes is as safe an opponent as he can choose now that he is a title holder. Not much power, but a good boxer who should give him great experience. After Forbes, there are several different ways he can go. While I think any fight he takes will be highly entertaining, it might be more prudent to avoid guys like Margarito, Mosley, Clottey or Cotto. Thus stated, I really believe his next opponent after Forbes will, in fact, be Cotto. His camp might view Miggy as damaged goods, and you know Miggy will view Berto as an inexperienced fighter from whom he can obtain a championship. Let me stress - I haven't heard any rumors about this - it's just my gut talking!

Agreed on Berto. I think he should avoid those same guys, but you bring up something interesting with Cotto.

Now he is damaged, mentally and physically, and this may be the right time to go after him, but I'm not sure how his camp feels. More than likely, he'll fight some stiff to regain confidence, etc and maybe a fight with Berto will take place. It's all a guess but a good one.

Check this out. Typical thug @!# Judah...

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15199

Zab Judah-Joshua Clottey: Bad Blood Brewed For Years
Posted by: Mark Vester on 07-31-2008.

By Mark Vester

The bad blood between welterweights Zab Judah (36-5, 25 KOs) and Joshua Clottey (34-2, 20 KOs) is no hype. The two fighters do not like each other and both have vowed to destroy the other on Saturday night when they face off in Las Vegas for the vacant IBF welterweight title.

Clottey spoke with boxing scribe Tim Smith and told him that Judah tried to call him out to a street fight in 2004. Judah, the welterweight champion at the time, was upset that Clottey, a fellow Brooklyn boxer, wanted to fight him. When he heard Clottey wanted a shot, Judah and his crew went looking for him at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn.

"It was a week after my fight and I was working out in the gym and he came in and asked me why I wanted to fight him," Clottey said. "He said he would give me money to spar with him. I said I didn't want his money. I wanted to fight him. Then he started acting crazy. He pushed my trainer and he wanted me to go outside and fight him. He really didn't want that because I'm a very good street fighter. That's how I started boxing."

If Clottey wins, he could end up fighting Antonio Margarito in a unification rematch later in the year. Clottey was beating Margarito when they fought back in 2006, until he hurt his hand in the fight and Margarito took over. Clottey told Smith that Margarito is not a very good boxer and his defense has wide holes. He seems confident to win a rematch if the two met again.

"Margarito is not a great boxer," Clottey said. "You can see all of his punches coming. I was catching everything he threw. Even though his defense is not very good, he takes a hard punch. I thought it was not good for Cotto to spend so much time on the ropes, taking punches. I was beating Margarito until I hurt my hand. But I never feared any of his punches because I'm a very good defensive fighter and I caught most of his punches."

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingscene@hotmail.com

[Mean Bro Green]

Originally Posted by MiamiJet

Person,

If Judah can box the way we know he's capable of, then this could be a fight, a real interesting one. He has to box and get out. Simi is right about his lack of stamina. Clottey wields a big ax and can chop you down. To me, he fights very similar to James Toney, where he'll take shots, but hit you all over the body(head, arms, shoulders, etc.). By the 9th, 10th round, his opponent is battered, beaten and then he takes over. Clottey has the stamina and chin to do it, and his power is very real. Yes, he can knock you out, but he's more of an accumulator, not in the Paul Williams sense, where he throws a ton of punches, but more like Toney.

I just seriously doubt we'll get the motivated Zab Judah that we've seen in the past. It's possible, and I'll be shocked, but I doubt it.

this is Zab's last shot, I hope he realizes that

[Green Jets & Ham]

I watched the replay of Margarito Vs Cotto on HBO this weekend and I couldn't help but notice Manny Stewart's incredible commentary during that fight, it was so dead on the money from start to finish, even when Cotto was winning the early rounds Manny was basically telling you this is not going to end well for Cotto and he was telling you exactly why, I mean his observations throughout the fight were so astute and as it turned out, prophetic

The thing is, that's not unusual, Manny Stewart is the best boxing analyst in the world and the best I ever heard in my lifetime .. I have never heard anyone do that job better than Manny Stewart

[Mean Bro Green]

Originally Posted by Green Jets & Ham

I watched the replay of Margarito Vs Cotto on HBO this weekend and I couldn't help but notice Manny Stewart's incredible commentary during that fight, it was so dead on the money from start to finish, even when Cotto was winning the early rounds Manny was telling this way this is not going to end well for Cotto and he was telling you exactly why, I mean his observations throughout the fight were so astute and as it turned out, prophetic

The thing is, that's not unusual, Manny Stewart is the best boxing analyst in the world and the best I ever heard in my lifetime .. I have never heard anyone do that job better than Manny Stewart

Manny was certainly dead on for this fight, didn't want to hear it though, but it was true