COTTO VS. MOSLEY IS POWER VS. SPEED
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 09 Nov 2007
WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto will fight at Madison Square Garden for the fourth time on Saturday night. In the main event, Cotto faces American Sugar Shane Mosley, one of boxing's most talented fighters of the last decade. It will be
the Puerto Rican champ?s toughest ordeal yet.
Mosley (44-4, 37 KOs) has beaten Oscar de la Hoya (now his promoter) twice, the first one by split decision in 2000 and the second one is a unanimous decision in 2003. Mosley said his upcoming fight with Cotto is going to be legendary.
Cotto (30-0, 25 KOs) owns power punches which stopped some opponents impressively and mostly with tough body shots. Mosley will have to rely on his swiftness. While he was still a lightweight, Mosley established a record for the highest knockout percentage in any division.
Even if his record is flawless, Cotto was floored by Ricardo Torres, a late substitute for Gianluca Branco, before stopping Torres in the seventh round. Mosley points out that Cotto's chin is vulnerable while indicating that in his career, Sugar has fought topnotch power fighters in Vernon Forrest, Fernando Vargas and de la Hoya.
At 36, Mosley understands that the 27-year-old Cotto would not be an easy prey. "Cotto is a young, strong and hungry world champion," Mosley said. Sugar has held four world titles, including the IBF lightweight and WBC welterweight crowns.
But Mosley?s last fight was with Luis Collazo on February 10 yet. That's considered a long layoff, even for an elegant fighter. Cotto believed that even if his opponent is a four-time world champion, it's his time now and he will take advantage of that.
It is interesting to note that Cotto is 3-0 in his Madison Square Garden fights, having knocked out American fighter Zab Judah in June in his latest bout. A win over Mosley will make him a living legend in Puerto Rico.
Cotto won the vacant WBA welterweight crown by a win over countryman Carlos Quintana. He defended it in Puerto Rico against Oktay Urkal of Germany, before winning over Judah.
Experts are commenting that Mosley is risking his legacy by facing a much younger and undefeated foe. Sugar is quick to respond that a win over Cotto will fortify his legacy.
Another thing is Mosley has come back down from light-middleweight to welterweight. Many Sugar supporters declared though that it will be compensated by Mosley's tremendous speed. The winner will have a probable rendezvous with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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