11.12.07 – By George Ulrich: After watching the Mayweather/Hatton, Cotto/Mosley fights I’ve come to two conclusions about the Mayweather Myth. 1. Mayweather can be beaten. 2. Miguel Cotto is the one to do it. If the fight with Ricky Hatton had taken place at 140 I think the Brit would have been able to sustain what he was having success with in the early rounds. He was coming in jabbing and grabbing, then he was going to the body and using short hooks to try to wear down Mayweather. On my card I had him winning all of the first four rounds. Right up until the point deduction..
I thought the game plan for Hatton early was a good one, but as soon as he dispensed with his jab coming in, Mayweather took advantage with sharp decisive punches that were dead on the mark almost every time. I’ve seen Mayweather in many fights, but none where he was hit and basically roughed up like this. His speed and defensive prowess are unmatched, but his power wasn’t a real threat to his previous three opponents. He had to fight a Jr. Welterweight to get a KO. Until I watched the Cotto/Mosley fight, I didn’t think that anyone in the world could beat Mayweather……but I think I may have been wrong.
Miguel Cotto is the one fighter in the welterweight division that would beat Mayweather. I wouldn’t have said that before the Mosley contest, but since watching that fight I’ve had a change of heart. I never thought I would see someone throw a faster jab than Mosley could defend. Cotto’s jab might have been what won him the fight. While I thought he ran just a little too much for my taste in the last four rounds. I recently revisited this fight and came to the realization that while he was definitely moving backwards, he was also picking his punches carefully and using a pair of very quick hands to counter and jab Mosley to the point of frustration.
Cotto is naturally very strong, and his hand speed is much greater than I once believed. Watching him put together very effective accurate combinations against Mosley leads me to believe that he would be able to use those weapons in a fight with the pretty boy. Add all of that to his very strong body punching, never say quit attitude and you have a young, hungry fighter that has every tool necessary to beat the pound for pound king. Miguel Cotto could take Hatton’s plan and add a few things to it. Given Cotto’s size he could sap a lot more of Mayweather’s strength in the early goings. His faster, stronger jab would find the mark often and would be effective in bothering Mayweather.
Cotto’s willingness to let his hands go would also be helpful in keeping Floyd on the defensive. Something that also surprised me in the Mosley fight was his ability to counter punch so effectively. Using effective counterpunching would also benefit him greatly. If I were Miguel Cotto, I would be outside of Floyd’s gym everyday calling him out. I would talk to every media member, every network, and every other fighter. I would attend every press conference he ever had and make sure that he knew I was looking for him. Mayweather is looking for a way to cement his legacy as the pound for pound king. He needs to look no further than a fight with the monster known as Miguel Cotto.