FANTASY DREAM FIGHTS MIGUEL COTTO VS FELIX TRINIDAD
Posted on | June 30, 2008 | No Comments
By: Tony Penecale
STATISTICS
Cotto: (all stats for bout on 4/12/08)
Age – 27 years old
Height – 5’7”
Weight – 146 lbs
Reach – 67”
Record – 31-0 (25)
Trinidad: (all stats for bout on 2/20/99)
Age – 26 years old
Height – 5’11”
Weight – 147 lbs
Reach – 72”
Record – 33-0 (29)
STYLE
Cotto:
An aggressive and physical boxer who fights from the orthodox stance, Cotto comes straight ahead, and wears opponents down with a punishing body attack. Cotto favors hooks and uppercuts to straight punches and turns every bout into a war of attrition. Doesn’t have lights-out punching power but is very punishing in the mold of Rocky Marciano, landing strength-sapping bombs to the head and torso. Most of his stoppage victories have come late, after his opponent has been worn down. Will often leave himself open to counters when trying to unleash his offense.
Trinidad:
Boxing from a high guard, Trinidad stalks his opponents from the opening bell, as if he is on a seek-and-destroy mission. Trinidad uses his jab to open up his offensive arsenal, which includes a destructive left hook, which he delivers to either the head or body, and capable of changing the momentum in an instant. He has shown good recuperative powers, rising from knockdowns in several fights, going on to win by knockout.
STRENGTHS
Cotto:
1) Body Attack – Cotto is quite possibly the best body puncher in the sport today. He wings hard hooks on the inside that make contact with whatever is available: ribs, shoulders, torso, chest, and arms, with punishing results. He scored a knockdown over Gianluca Branco with a left hook to the shoulder.
2) Strength – Cotto is a strong and physical fighter. While he fights at welterweight, he has the physical stature and physicality of a super middleweight, which he uses to muscle and wear down opponents.
3) Heart – Cotto carries a lot of pride when he steps into the ring. He has been wobbled on several occasions and has even touched the canvas a few times, but has always risen and fought back with fury.
Trinidad:
1) Power – Ever since he emerged as a world class fighter, Trinidad’s explosive power has been his trademark. Trinidad carried power in both hands, ending some fights with his right hand but his best punch was his left hook, possibly the most exciting punch in boxing.
2) Determination – In several title fights, Trinidad hit the canvas early, only to rise and weather the storm from an overzealous opponent. Trinidad would then seem energized and fight back with fury, usually winning by knockout shortly after.
3) Killer Instinct – Trinidad is a master at closing the show. When he senses that an opponent is hurt, he swarms like a shark to blood, firing bombs until he finishes his prey.
WEAKNESSES
Cotto:
1) Defense – Cotto’s best defense is a good offense and he often neglects the defensive part of his game. Cotto can be hit and that can be dangerous against a sharp puncher.
2) Vulnerable Chin – Combined with an offense that leaves him prone to counter punches, Cotto’s shaky chin can be a recipe for disaster. Cotto was wobbled against moderate punchers Demarcus Corley and Zab Judah, and was down several times and in serious trouble against Ricardo Torres.
Trinidad:
1) One Dimensional – Trinidad is a straight-forward fighter who found difficulty in opponents who could box and move. In order to sit down on his punches, Trinidad would shuffle his feet and plant, where a good boxer could take the opportunity to hit and move before Trinidad could set.
2) Chin – Even though he was off-balance many times when he was knocked down, Trinidad’s chin has always been shaky. On several occasions, he found himself dropped by a light-punching adversary.
BEST PERFORMANCES
** Indicates the Version of the Fighter Used for this Matchup
Cotto:
1) ** Alfonso Gomez (4/12/08) – In what turned out to be a mismatch, Cotto relentlessly pummeled the former “Contender” alum over five rounds. Cotto boxed early and kept Gomez off balance with his underrated jab, which created openings for his left hook and right hand. Cotto knocked Gomez to the canvas in the 2nd and 3rd rounds and had him a bloody and swollen mess. Cotto put an exclamation point on his performance, again knocking Gomez down in the 5th round and forcing the Gomez’s corner to surrender at the end of the round.
2) Zab Judah (6-9-07) – Had to endure some difficult moments early, getting rocked and suffering a cut under his lip. But Cotto kept pressing Judah, sapping his strength with a variety of thudding body shots. With Judah both physically and mentally beaten, Cotto finished him off dropping him in the 9th before finally stopping him in the 11th round.
3) Mohamad Abdulaev (6-11-05) – Systematically broke down Abdulaev over nine rounds, swelling his eye completely shut, and forcing him to surrender. An impressive performance against the highly-respected 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist.
Trinidad:
1) ** Pernell Whitaker (2-20-99) – Whitaker was a former Olympic Gold Medalist and Multiple-Division Champion, coming in with a record of 40-2-1, with both losses and the draw coming in controversial decisions, so many fans saw him at 43-0. Trinidad kept him on his heels throughout the bout, forcing him on the defensive and knocking him down in the 2nd round and breaking his jaw en route to a commanding unanimous decision win.
2) Oba Carr (12-10-94) – In Carr, Trinidad was facing a hot, young prospect from Detroit’s fabled Kronk Gym, a gutsy undefeated boxer with decent power. Carr was in control early and scored a knockdown in the 2nd round with a quick right hand. But Trinidad turned the tide in the 4th round, hurting Carr and putting him on the defensive. After Trinidad scored three knockdowns in the 8th round, the referee stopped the fight, sparing Carr from any additional punishment.
3) Yori Boy Campas (9-17-94) – Trinidad was making his 4th defense of the IBF welterweight title when he took on the undefeated Mexican powerpuncher Campas. After going down from a left hook in the 2nd round, Trinidad started taking control and battering Campas in the 3rd. With Campas hurt against the ropes in the 4th, Trinidad unleashed a powerful barrage of punches, leaving Campas defenseless and shattering his nose in the process.
QUESTIONS
Cotto:
1) Will Cotto leave himself open trying to land his body punches?
2) Will Cotto get overzealous if he knocks Trinidad down?
3) Can Cotto’s chin handle Trinidad’s explosive power?
Trinidad:
1) Will Trinidad be able to effectively fight in close?
2) Can Trinidad handle Cotto’s relentless body attack?
3) Can Trinidad shift his gameplan if he is losing?
THE PREDICTION
New York’s famed Madison Square Garden will be the site for this bout and it will be a packed house. While both fighters will have boisterous cheering sections, it will be Trinidad who is receiving most of the cheers, as he is accustomed to rallying his fans more than the quieter and business-like Cotto.
Despite his disadvantages in height and reach, Cotto opens the bout boxing from the outside and setting up on angles, landing several thudding jabs on Trinidad’s face. Trinidad keeps moving forward, firing three-punch combinations punctuated by his left hook, most of which Cotto is able to avoid by landing a jab and pivoting to left. The 1st round is clearly a Cotto round.
Cotto starts to settle in more in the 2nd round and after landing his jab to the head; he fires left and right hooks to Trinidad’s lanky frame. Trinidad takes advantage of Cotto’s stationary target and lands several of his own shots to the head. A furious exchange erupts late in the round. Trinidad goes to fire a wide left hook and Cotto steps in and fires a short right hand to Trinidad’s head, followed by a left hook, and Trinidad is down! Trinidad is up at the count of six and appears to be OK. Cotto moves in for the kill and after landing several solid punches, he is met with a left hook that lands a bit low, causing the referee to break the action and admonish Trinidad. The respite is enough for Trinidad to survive the round.
Trinidad is fully recovered by the start of the 3rd round and he is happy to accommodate Cotto in a toe-to-toe slugfest. While Cotto is having success landing thudding punches to Trinidad’s solar plexus and ribs, he is now in Trinidad’s danger zone and a straight right at the end of the round wobbles him and opens a gash underneath his lip.
As both boxers exchange power punches throughout the 4th and 5th rounds, the momentum seems to be switching back and forth. Cotto is still able to work his way inside Trinidad’s longer arms and land hooks in close to the body and head. Trinidad is having success landing his straight right from the outside but is still having trouble landing a clean left hook. Late in the 5th round, Trinidad finally lands one of his signature hooks on the button, forcing Cotto to wobble back where his legs finally give out on him, sending him crashing to the canvas. Cotto is up at the count of four and wobbly when a barrage of Trinidad right hands send him to his knees again, blood pouring from the cut in his mouth. As Trinidad comes in to close the show, he is met with a Cotto shot below the belt, which while it gains a stern warning from the referee, it gives him enough time to clear his head and survive the round.
Cotto still looks dazed coming out for the 6th round, but he shifts gears and starts boxing again from the outside, thumping Trinidad with stiff jabs and clinching when the action gets too close. Trinidad’s aggression starts to be a detriment as he is leaving himself open to counter punches and by the 7th round, his nose is bleeding heavily.
By the 8th round, the momentum will be back totally in Cotto’s favor as he is able to use his versatility to dictate the pace and the effects of his body punches are taking the toll on Trinidad. Cotto’s experience in tougher and longer fights is also playing to his advantage as Trinidad is accustomed to having dominant wins. It is a weary and battered Trinidad the slumps in his corner at the conclusion of the round.
Trinidad goes for another rally in the 9th round but his wide punches are not carrying the same steam as they did earlier. Cotto steps in and lands a painful left hook to the solar plexus which doubles Trinidad over and a follow up hook to the head drops him to all fours. Gasping for air and seriously hurt, Trinidad pulls himself up at the count of eight but the referee deems him unable to continue and stops the fight.
CAST YOUR VOTE NOW ON WHO YOU THINK MIGHT WIN THIS MATCH-UP IF THESE TWO ACTUALLY FACED EACH OTHER IN THEIR PRIME BOXING YEARS:
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Tags: body > Boxing > Campas > Corley > Defense > demolition expert > determination > difficulty > Fantasy Dream Fights > Felix Trinidad > fight > fists > Floyd Mayweather > Fury > Gold > head > hook > island of puerto rico > jab > Killer > left hook > Miguel Cotto > move > new star > opening bell > phenoms > primes > Puerto Rico > puncher > punches > punching power > recipe > Rocky Marciano > round > show > stoppage > Storm > Tony Penecale > uppercuts > war of attrition > welterweight > ZAB