Rick Assad – On paper, the Miguel Cotto-Yuri Foreman fight may appear to be a mismatch. That is, if one only looks at the four-inch height, and five-inch reach advantage Foreman has. It could be an entirely different matter when the pair meet inside the ring at the new Yankee Stadium this Saturday, with the World Boxing Association light middleweight title on the line. Foreman, studying to become a rabbi, is a nice story, and his ring record is unblemished in 28 bouts. Foreman became champ last November against Daniel Santos at the MGM Grand Garden Arena when he won a unanimous decision. The real question is whether Cotto is washed up after suffering losses to Manny Pacquiao on that same card, and Antonio Margarito late in their July 2008 welterweight title fight.It seems Cotto?s setback against Pacquiao was unavoidable. In reality, Pac-Man is too good for anyone other than Floyd Mayweather Jr. The loss to Margarito became suspect when it was later learned that he may have had a plaster of paris-like substance on his hand wraps. This was never proven, but is now suspected. We know for sure he did have the substance prior to meeting Shane Mosley at the Staples Center. Margarito, who lost that one-sided fight, was properly suspended. Cotto (34-2-0 with 27 knockouts) will win if he applies steady pressure, and doesn?t let up. Foreman?s going to jab and throw some big shots, but he?s not going to hurt Cotto with one punch. Foreman has only eight knockouts. Additionally, Cotto, who has beaten quality opponents like Demarcus Corley, Paul Malignaggi, Zab Judah, Mosley, and Joshua Clottey, must counter-punch and stay off the ropes. If he does, he?ll win a close decision.
Rota Em ? Yuri Foreman is no one hit wonder, but he also isn?t the next best thing either. Not immediately anyway. Miguel Cotto has much to prove and even though his warrior heart always rises to the occassion, his top-tier opponents? fists seem to be the difference. But wait, Foreman has yet to tread ?upper echelon? waters and his KO rate gets obliterated when we pit it next to, say, Manny Pacquiao. Cotto via late round stoppage.
Nick Bellafatto – Cotto has been fighting as an A level fighter for a good part of his career but it seems that he may be slipping a bit as of late towards the B level. This may be the result of the unfortunate illegal beating that he took at the hands of Margarito, who he was clearly outboxing until the later rounds when he got busted up. This was the kind of beating that changes a fighter?s career for good but it?s hard to tell when matched with the likes of a Manny Pacquiao who?s speed, movement, and angles prove to be too much for most everyone, not to mention for Cotto after just a few rounds. One of the question?s is then, what does Cotto have left and an what level can he still bring it? Miguel is a very talented slugger as well as a very good boxer and mover, although he under utilizes his apparent boxing skills, choosing to box for the most part when he is in trouble. The predominant style Cotto prefers to use is to hold his ground, and stand in there to land his left hooks and uppercuts to head and body which has served him well throughout most of his career. However, I don?t think trying to hold his ground to land those big left hooks and uppercuts will do him any good in this upcoming match up because confronting him at Yankee Stadium is Yuri Foreman, a perpetual motion machine who I believe will give Cotto fits just as Manny Pacquiao had given Miguel more than he could handle. By no means does Yuri Foreman possess the speed, power, or throw as many punches as the Pacman, but his constant motion, in and out boxing, angles, and the mixing of his attack will over the long haul have Miguel reaching, chasing, and abondoning any semblance of a solid game plan, a game plan which for Cotto should be to get inside on Yuri and stay inside, not allowing seperation, and slugging it out all the way on the lighter hitting Foreman. There could be no other game plan for Miguel as I believe trying to outbox the pure boxer is out of the question. This is why I ask what does Cotto have left? He would have to cut off the ring repeatedly and stay with Foreman throughout every minute of every round trying to set his feet and land punches with enough on them to slow down the ever elusive Isreali. I just don?t see Miguel being able to do that so the alternative would be that he would have to hurt Foreman early on with some solid landing punches which I believe will be too difficult a task especially in the early part of the fight. In addition, Foreman in his last fight seemed to be able to take a punch well. As good as Miguel has been and may still be, I think there is a new star rising however light hitting he may be. Reminds me of that other very successful light hitting elusive fighter from the past, a man named Willie Pep. Foreman by unanimous decision in his biggest fight to date.
Carl Hewitt ? It?s hard to fathom why the oddsmakers have installed Miguel Cotto as a nearly 3:1 favorite over WBA 154 lb. champion, Yuri Foreman. Cotto?s looked a bit worn recently, after draining wars with Zab Judah, Antonio Margarito, Joshua Clottey, and the pasting he absorbed in his last bout, against Manny Pacquiao. Cotto had no answer for the much smaller Pacquiao?s assault, and he won?t have one against Foreman, a disciplined boxer with an educated left jab and modest power. Yuri won?t need KO power to win this one, as Cotto is usually bloodied and/or busted up by the midway point of nearly every fight and simply has no business in a championship fight at 154 lbs., a division he?s never tasted. Miguel?s best chance is to play the ?slip-and-counter? game to score, get out and hold to minimize the damage he?s sure to absorb, but that?s not his game and Foreman is not Margarito. The naturally bigger, stronger and superior boxer will win, and that guy is Foreman by 10th Round TKO
Albert Alvarez – Nothing against Yuri, but in this fight, I would love to see Miguel Cotto stop Foreman in brutal fashion. I have always been a Cotto fan and I would love to see Cotto enter the 154 pound weight class with a big splash. I can see Cotto breaking down and stopping Foreman with a lethal shot to the body like Cotto did against Carlos Quintana back when Cotto was a force. Seeing it in my mind and seeing it dine in the flesh are two completely different things. I feel that Foreman has ok hand speed, but Cotto?s speed may be slightly faster. Foreman however has very fast feet, When I see Foreman, I see a guy that moves in and out with rapid footwork making sharp clever cuts to control the ring generalship. Foreman knows that he does not pack much of a punch, which is why his footwork must always be on point. Cotto on the other hand knows that his power can end things at any given time. All signs so far point to Cotto to win this Stadium Slugfest, but is 154 too heavy for Cotto?
I feel that if 154 is too heavy for Cotto, it will be then that Cotto will be a sitting duck out there thus providing a target for Foreman to tatoo. In beating Foreman, one must dig down and force Yuri into a dog fight. The bodywork will be a major key to slowing down Foreman?s activity. Can Cotto get his feet planted enough to unload on a target that is constantly moving? That shall be the question of the night. I would love to say that yes Cotto will break down Foreman, but truth be told, I don?t think he can. I feel that 154 will be a little too heavy for Cotto. The clever mind of Steward in Cotto?s corner will make things very interesting, but I see Yuri Foreman doing just enough to get a close split nod in this one. The House that Ruth Built will be rocking
DR B ? Has it been a year already since Cotto vs Clottey battled it out at MSG. That was a close fight which Cotto won, but in my opinion should have gone the other way. This coming weekend Cotto will once again be fighting in NYC but not in MSG but the famed Yankee stadium. Cotto will be facing New York?s own Yuri Foreman. A true boxer with a very interesting story. So we have The bronx vs brooklyn, isreal vs PR. This should prove to be a very interesting fight. Will Cotto come out on top or will Yuri out box the former welterweight champ for his first victory as Jr middle champ. I see the fight ending in the later rds by either a cut or TKo in Cottos favor. I think Cottos strength may prove to be to much for Yuri?s speed. I also, think the scar tissue over Yuri?s eye is very prone to reinjury, which Cotto will focus on. Either way Speed vs power, i think we are ready to see history in the making.
Judi Abate ? Here is my prediction for the upcoming Cotto vs. Foreman fight: Cotto wins on points or a late round KO.
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