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Cotto vs Martinez
7th June on HBO Pay Per View 9PM ET / 6PM PT
Madison Square Garden, New York
12 rounds for :
Martinez's WBC world middleweight
title (159 lbs / 71kg catch weight)
title (159 lbs / 71kg catch weight)
PREDICTION : Sergio Martinez
Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez and Miguel Cotto are obviously two complete fighters who have built up big names for themselves in boxing. With these types of fighters there will be a lot of improvisation going on during the fight but the main strategy is fairly obvious. Sergio will elusively circle the ring looking to get off lead left hands from his southpaw (left handed) stance and Cotto will attempt to cut off the ring and land jabs and left hooks. There are a lot of story lines going into this fight that you've likely already heard, the main ones being Sergio's previous injuries and Cotto's move up to a larger middleweight division. This article will focus mainly on the strategy of the fight and what to look for when watching what might be a "Fight of the Year" contender.Main Strategy
Sergio Movement - Sergio rarely stays still and fights straight up. Rather he constantly circles the ring creating angles. This is often referred to as 'running' by opponents who don't have the skill to handle this style. This is because when a fighter is moving laterally they are very hard to hit unless they are backed up against the ropes. The opponent can never get their feet set to load up on power shots. To fight in this style requires rare footwork skills of which Sergio is exceptional. Most of the time Sergio circles to his left for the reason that this allows him to better throw his favorite punch which is the lead left hand.
Cotto cuts off the ring. See how he stays over the opponents left shoulder. |
- The combination of thee strategies if carried out as predicted could make for a combustible situation. Cotto will be lined up directly opposite Sergio's dangerous left hand straight and Sergio straight in front of Cotto's jab / left hook. It then becomes a battle of who executes their best punch better.
Other fight notes
Cotto - is naturally left handed but fights in an orthodox stance (right handed stance). This enables him to keep his stronger left hand as a lead to land jabs and hooks. He is not so good with his right hand.
"The Martinez": Sergio slips the jab while countering with his straight left. |
These fighters represent the epitome of intelligence and discipline in boxing. Therefore their strategies will be well planned and the fight will come down to who executes it better on the night. Martinez is significantly bigger and faster with his feet and hands. It is therefore hard to see what Cotto can bring to the table that gives him any advantage. He had better hope Sergio's past injuries are still bothering him and slow him down, otherwise it may be a career ending fight. The odds on this fight have Martinez as a solid favourite at 1.44. Not great odds but still the best bet for this fight between two legends.