By Vivek Wallace, Photo by Chris Farina – Top Rank — From the day that this fight was signed, fight fans openly pondered the potential outcome of this mega fight. Cotto fans raving about his power, Shane fans raving about his speed. All sounds good in theory but then reality sets in…..
On the evening of November 10th in the Mecca of sports, New York’s Madison Square Garden, no comment spewed by fans of either man will matter when these two masterful pugilist step into that ‘great blue abyss’.
In an effort to sort out the fact from the fiction for the unbiased reader who can appreciate an unbiased writer, carefully, I examine what most fight aficionado’s view as the ‘Wise 5’….As in the (5) major points that any fan or betting man had better consider before attempting to put his money, or his words where his mouth is when it comes to such a huge mega fight..
Experience: In Miguel Cotto, you have a fighter who has recently shown that he can compete on a high level on a big stage. Trouble is, he’s standing across from a man who has done this a countless amount of times in the past on a scale that far exceeds the one that is about to be the biggest that Cotto’s ever taken part in. Zab Judah is arguably the biggest, most notable name on the resume of Miguel Cotto. Although Cotto’s victory over Judah was a great performance, it pales in comparison to defeating Oscar Dela Hoya on two separate nights in very solid performances. Solidifying this point even further, it’s important to note that Miguel Cotto has only been in the sport as a professional for 6 years. Mosley has been a pro for over 14 years and is still fighting at a very high level. EDGE: SHANE MOSLEY
Speed: Miguel Cotto has a very deceptive speed that it’s a bit hard to understand until you see him fight live, but that being said, this is easily a one horse race when you compare the two. At age 36, Shane Mosley is still faster – albeit not by much – and this is a point that Miguel Cotto has openly conceded. EDGE: SHANE MOSLEY
Power: Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to take a flush blow from either guy. Comparing the power of these two men is not as easy as one may think. This is another one of those very deceptive issues categorically. In Cotto, fight fans are used to seeing him absolutely rock guys with jolting shots. Be it head-hunting, or body-rocking, the guy can definitely end the show when he lands flush. With Shane, fight fans are quick to note the fact that he doesn’t knock out as many people. Then I have to remind them that of his 44 victories, only 7 of the fighters were able to stand for the final bell. This is a guy who started out in the 135lb range, and spent a good part of his career in the light middleweight range, a near 20 pounds heavier. Shane’s speed gives him a lot of ‘pop’ when he cracks an opponent, and in the welterweight division, I think that’ll be very evident. For the sake of being fair, I’ll give a slight edge here to Cotto, but mark my words, If Mosley hurts Cotto, I GUARANTEE it’s a left hook to the body. He has one of the most wicked left’s to the body in the sport and it remains totally under the radar. For those who don’t ‘feel’ that assessment, revisit the Dela Hoya fights and his Luis Collazo fight. Absolutely wicked. EDGE: MIGUEL COTTO
Chin: Many feel that Cotto has chin problems but I’m more inclined to believe that his ‘chinny’ issues had more to do with him being smaller and weaker. As a welterweight, I’ve seldom seen him get rocked, but it has been much more often than I’ve ever seen Shane affected. Cotto does possess great power, but his punch I don’t think rivals that of a prime Oscar Dela Hoya, and Shane took the best he had to offer twice without being hurt, to include that patented left hook. I think choosing Shane in this category leaves little to question. EDGE: SHANE MOSLEY
Ring Generalship: The one thing that I think gives Mosley the edge in this category is the one ‘wildcard’ that could very well give Cotto an edge in this fight. That’s Shane’s age, which equates to more experience, which equates to better ‘know-how’ skills in the trenches. Shane has simply been in the ring more and has faced a slew of styles that the young Cotto has yet to encounter. No doubt this is Cotto’s chance to shine, and he’s looked great every time he’s been on the ‘big stage’, but history says this is one pond that could prove to be far deeper than any waters the young Cotto has ever treaded. Cotto is gonna come straight and direct all night. Mosley has shown the propensity to box and/or slug at will and has the speed to pick his spots and move before he allows his opponent to hit his. Also, people seem to underestimate the fact that Shane regularly spars with Oscar Dela Hoya and is stablemates with one of the smartest boxers of our generation, Bernard ‘The Executioner’ Hopkins. EDGE: SHANE MOSLEY
Final Analysis: In the end, the fight will highly entertain, but too many intangibles point to ‘Sugar’. I see Miguel Cotto having his way at points, but Shane Mosley will use that 8 year experience gap and run away with this one. The deeper the fight goes, the better Cotto’s chances, but he will not win a decision due to Shane’s speed which will allow him to score many more points. Cotto will need a knockout. One that neither Oscar Dela Hoya, Winky Wright, or any other fighter has been able to get away with against Shane.
Mosley has the killer instinct to close the show and I fully expect he will go out of his way to impress, particularly to setup an ’08 spring showdown with Floyd Mayweather, providing he gets pass Ricky Hatton. Bob Arum said he felt that Cotto was ready for this fight based on his performance against Zab Judah. My memo to Arum…You’re a great promoter, but stick to promoting. Your guess-timations will never allow you to be a prophet, or will they? Soon we’ll all find out.
Prediction: MOSLEY/ TKO RD9
(Got Feedback? Write Vivek Wallace at vivexemail@yahoo.com, or show some love at myspace.com/anonymouslyinvolved)