Mayweather-Cotto: Emanuel Steward’s "Keys To The Fight"

By Kieran Mulvaney

Hall-of-Fame trainer and HBO boxing analyst Emanuel Steward is no stranger to big fights. He’s been in the corner of, among others, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis – and, for two fights, Miguel Cotto. So we asked him to turn his encyclopedic knowledge and first-hand experience toward analyzing this Saturday’s matchup between Cotto and Floyd Mayweather, and ticking off the keys to either man securing victory.

Floyd Mayweather

1. Keep it slow. And fast.

Floyd can make his body move at one speed, and punch at a different speed. It’s very difficult for fighters to adjust to that. Because usually you move at a certain rhythm and you punch at the same rhythm. He doesn’t do that. He has a very smooth, systematic way of moving and he punches at a different speed. That’s something very few fighters master. So I expect him to try and force Miguel to fight at a slower pace, a pace at which Floyd is comfortable and still able to throw fast punches.

2. It’s technical

I think Floyd’s going to come out and try to make it a technical fight. In recent fights he has become a much more physical fighter than we have given him credit for. With Mosley and these guys he’s walking them down, blocking punches, not backing away. I expect him to jab, come forward, be patient and place his punches very well.

3. It’s all in the head

Floyd has an unbelievable ability to keep calm and think in all conditions. Ray Leonard had that ability, and Muhammad Ali. I think the best way to illustrate that is when there was all that trouble in the fight with Zab Judah. When everybody was in the ring going crazy, he just walked to the corner and watched everybody, very relaxed. That’s a big factor he has going for him: the ability to think under all conditions.

He has an ego, but I think it helps. He has a total obsession with never losing a fight. I think that works to his advantage, because apart from anything else, he always makes sure he is in excellent condition.

Miguel Cotto

1. Stand tall

He has to maintain his height to a certain degree, not get excessively low, the way he was when he was fighting Manny Pacquiao, for example. When I was training him, I pointed it out. I said “Look at these pictures here. Pacquiao looks about seven inches taller than you are, because you’re fighting too low. You’re giving your height away. And your legs are spread too far apart, which means you can’t get in and out as fast as you should.”

2. Back him up

He has to back Floyd up, but back him up with a good, authoritative jab and maintain his balance when he does it, not with his legs too far apart. A hard, authoritative jab to back Floyd up and then hard left hooks. And when Floyd moves away, Miguel’s got to keep pressure on him again. It’s very important for Miguel to take Floyd out of his comfort zone. Very important. That’s the key, key thing in his fight. Make Floyd feel uncomfortable by constantly putting pressure on him.

3. Hit him with his best shot

Miguel still has one of the best punches there’s ever been in boxing – specifically, his left hook. And what’s amazing, very few people ever realized it, but he is almost 100 percent a left hook fighter. He almost never does damage with his right hand. For him to win, he needs to come out and apply intelligent pressure. He needs to fight behind a very hard jab, a jab where he will be forcing Mayweather to lose power a little bit, by moving him back so his weight will be on his right foot. And Mayweather will be in his defensive mode, where he rolls his left hand around his body, to move him into that position with hard left jabs and then to unleash vicious left hooks when Floyd is all twisted up.

Last We Saw Mayweather and Cotto ...

By Eric Raskin

Most of the time when a boxer is launching his fists at another man’s head, it’s strictly business, nothing personal. But there are some occasions when it’s very, very personal. Sometimes we witness the release of personal emotion built up over the course of years. Other times it’s an intense feeling that’s only been brewing for a few seconds.

In their most recent fights, Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather each rode this emotion into a moment of personal revenge, albeit under dramatically different circumstances.

Boxing’s Best of 2011: Cotto vs. Margarito 2

Cotto’s December 3, 2011, victory over Antonio Margarito was the conclusion of a three-year, four-month odyssey for the Puerto Rican warrior. Back in 2008, he’d suffered his first defeat, via 11th-round stoppage, at the hands of Margarito. But from the moment Margarito’s hand-wraps scandal began unraveling a few months later, Cotto suspected he’d been defeated unfairly. The rematch was about redemption. It was about Cotto proving he could take Margarito’s punch if he knew for sure there were no foreign objects behind it. It was a chance for Cotto to add a win and, to a certain extent, erase a loss.

Over 10 fiercely competitive rounds at Madison Square Garden, Cotto did precisely that. Like their first fight, the action was furious and every punch carried drama. In front of 21,239 screaming fans, Cotto and Margarito added a fitting second—and presumably final—chapter to their rivalry.

Boxing’s Best of 2011: Mayweather vs. Ortiz

On September 17, 2011, Mayweather secured a measure of justice of his own. But his revenge was for an act perpetrated only 30 seconds earlier. In the heat of battle, Victor Ortiz lost his composure and launched his head at Mayweather’s, a flagrant foul that cost Ortiz a point. Ortiz apologized. Then he apologized again. Then referee Joe Cortez ordered the fighters to box, Ortiz insisted upon apologizing a third time, and Mayweather, his lip bloodied by the foul, made the emotional (but 100-percent legal) decision to throw punches at a man who had dropped his guard. A left hook buzzed Ortiz. A straight right hand flattened him. Fourth-round knockout.

It was an ending that got the sports world buzzing. For some, it was further evidence of Mayweather’s greatness. For others, it was further reason to hate him. Either way, the explosive conclusion solidified this as one of the most memorable rumbles that Mayweather has ever been in.

Undercard Overview: Will Youth Be Served?

By Eric Raskin

Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto are from roughly the same pugilistic generation. They’re both in their 30s, separated by a single Olympic class. But their undercard is built around cross-generational matchups, pitting rising twentysomething talents against veterans nearing middle age. It’s Generation X vs. Generation Y, and here’s the A-to-Z of each bout:

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (39-0-1, 27 KOs) vs. Shane Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs)
12 Rounds, Junior Middleweights

Canelo Alvarez, Shane Mosley - Photo Credit: Will Hart

Three-division former champ Mosley will waltz into the International Boxing Hall of Fame five years after he retires, and there are some who believe Alvarez has the ability to ensure that date comes five years after this Saturday night. Does Sugar Shane have anything left at age 40? He’s coming off a shutout loss to Manny Pacquiao, an ugly draw against Sergio Mora, and a one-sided defeat to Mayweather. On paper, it looks like Mosley is nearing the end. Then again, his defeats did come against the two best fighters in the world, and most observers felt Mosley deserved to win the Mora fight.

The 21-year-old Alvarez is no Pacquiao or Mayweather — at least not yet — but he’s earning more and more respect from the boxing community with each fight as his ability and accomplishment gradually catch up with his enormous popularity. He’s coming off of TKO wins over the veteran trio of Ryan Rhodes, Alfonso Gomez, and Kermit Cintron, and one compelling plotline here is whether he can run that streak to four straight knockouts against a legend in Mosley who has never been stopped in 54 pro fights.

Alvarez is the clear betting favorite, and he has most of the physical advantages. But it should be noted that hand speed has never been Canelo’s forte, whereas the prime version of Sugar Shane was one of the fastest fighters around. Even at 40, can Mosley’s punches get there first?

Jessie Vargas (18-0, 9 KOs) vs. Steve Forbes (35-10, 11 KOs)
10 Rounds, Welterweights

Jesse Vargas, Steve Forbes - Photo Credit: Will Hart

Vargas was given a prime slot on the last Mayweather undercard and neither excelled nor repelled. In an entertaining bout that could have gone either way, Vargas captured a split decision over Josesito Lopez to remain unbeaten. This Saturday, the 22-year-old Vargas will look to win more definitively over former world titleholder Forbes, a 35-year-old craftsman who is notoriously difficult to look good against.

Forbes, best known for a run to the finals on the second season of ‘The Contender,’ is filling in on short notice for fellow ‘Contender’ alum Alfonso Gomez. He’ll need to turn back the clock at least a few years to have a shot against Vargas. But Forbes always gives an honest effort, and the challenge for Vargas is not just to keep the zero on the end of his record, but to give his hometown Las Vegas fans something to cheer about along the way.

DeAndre Latimore (23-3, 17 KOs) vs. Carlos Quintana (28-3, 22 KOs)
10 Rounds, Junior Middleweights

DeAndre Latimore, Carlos Quintana - Photo Credit: Will Hart

 As the first man to defeat both Paul Williams and Joel Julio, Quintana is no stranger to spoiling the ascent of a young fighter. Latimore isn’t quite the mega-prospect that both Williams and Julio were at the time of their unfortunate run-ins with “El Indio,” but he is in his physical prime at 26 and has shown flashes of world-class talent. The 35-year-old Quintana is a perfect barometer of whether Latimore can reach that next level—while still having enough left in the tank himself that an impressive win over Latimore can potentially earn him another major opportunity.

This battle of southpaws looks like the most even matchup on the undercard. Quintana should have the edge in skill, Latimore the edge in power. Quintana has a bit more elite-level experience. Latimore has the advantages of youth.

Like Alvarez and Vargas, he’s hoping youth can prevail on May 5.

Stars Cross In Mayweather vs. Cotto

By Eric Raskin

Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather - Photo Credits: Ed Mulholland, Will Hart

The last time Floyd Mayweather fought, the event was dubbed “Star Power.” This time, that name fits even better.

With Mayweather and Miguel Cotto sharing the prize ring, Saturday’s main event brings together two of the three biggest attractions in the sport in America. Mayweather is either “1a” or “1b” on that list, and Cotto has proven himself at the gate to the point that he’s clearly number three. Some fans will forever dwell on the fight that isn’t happening, between Mayweather and the other “1a/1b,” Manny Pacquiao. But if those fans focus on the fight that’s in front of them, they’ll see it’s the next best thing—or, at the very least, the next biggest thing.

Every boxing writer or fan has, at one time or another, criticized Mayweather’s choices in opposition. The chorus grew particularly loud back in 2005, when arguably the best boxer in the world marked time against Henry Bruseles and Sharmba Mitchell. But now, for the second fight in a row, “Money” is about to take on an opponent who is younger than he is, is probably bigger and physically stronger than he is, and is coming off a noteworthy victory. Sure, there was room to criticize the selection of Victor Ortiz last September, and the same goes for Cotto (hey, it’s hard to find a matchup that satisfies everyone). But you can make a valid case that, Pacquiao aside, Mayweather has taken on the toughest available opponent in each of his last two fights.

The question the boxing world will debate all week until the opening bell is, just how tough will this particular toughest available opponent make it on Floyd? Cotto is the underdog, of course—everyone is against Mayweather. But there are many who believe Cotto, fighting at his natural weight of 154 pounds, is a very live ’dog.

“Nobody is invincible in life,” Cotto stated at a recent media workout, acknowledging Mayweather’s undefeated record. “I’m ready for anything Floyd brings me on May 5. The question is, is Floyd ready for anything Miguel can bring to him?”

There will be plenty of time this week to break down the Xs and Os, and we’ll do quite a bit of that here at InsideHBOBoxing.com. But before the fight takes center stage, let’s appreciate what Mayweather vs. Cotto means as an event. These are two men each with their own massive fan bases, each with distinct personalities, each experienced on boxing’s grandest stage.

They’re calling this one “Ring Kings,” and that’s a name that fits just fine. But it’s the “Star Power” that brought these ring kings together.

Mayweather vs. Cotto: A Master in the Art of Defense

By Hamilton Nolan

Photo Credit: Will Hart

Floyd Mayweather has several things that Miguel Cotto does not: some of the fastest hands inboxing, steel trap defensive skills, and all of the gloating self-indulgence of a classic anti-hero.Miguel Cotto has at least one thing that Floyd Mayweather does not: grace. Unfortunately forCotto, in boxing, the bad guys often win.

The most spectacular thing in this sport is not a crushing Klitschko knockout, or a blinding flurryfrom Manny Pacquiao; it is the sight of Floyd Mayweather—by all appearances possessed ofthe same human body as the rest of us—disappearing behind an impenetrable defensive cageof shoulders, hands, and elbows. Mayweather has the eerie ability to stand in front of a verygood fighter and never get hit. A rolled shoulder there, a lifted forearm there, a bend at thewaist there, and next thing you know, he's 42-0 and you can count on one hand the numberof clean punches he's taken in the past five years. Since he can't be hit, Mayweather prefersto luxuriate in the ring, picking his preferred spots, demoralizing his opponents with sharp jabsalong with left hooks and straight rights that both fly just as fast and connect as often as jabs,leaving an opponent with no offensive or defensive weak spots to key on. Besides the bestdefense in boxing, Mayweather is also boxing's most precise puncher, and one of its smartestring tacticians. It really doesn't seem fair, sometimes.

Read More at HBO.com

Read more on your mobile device