By Ian S Palmer
One of the best matchups of the year so far comes our way this Saturday, June 7 from the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City when WBC Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez of Argentina puts his title on the line against Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto. This will be the champion’s first taste of action in the past 14 months. The 12-round bout can be seen on the HBO pay-per-view platform in America and it’s also on PPV in Canada.
Martinez has struggled a bit in his last couple of outings against Martin Murray and was close to being stopped in the last round by Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr after dominating him for the first 11. Cotto on the other hand, has had a bit of a resurgence lately by looking good against Floyd Mayweather and is now working with trainer Freddie Roach. His last bout was an impressive third-round stoppage over Delvin Rodriguez.
The 39-year-old Martinez will enter the ring with a record of 51-2-2 along with 28 Kos while the 33-year-old Cotto has a mark of 38-4 with 31 Kos. Inactivity is often an enemy of pro boxers, but in Martinez’s case it may have done him good after his last couple of performances as he’s not a youngster anymore. We’ll find out soon enough if he’s been re-energized after taking a year off or if he’s as rusty as a nail.
This could be the perfect time for Cotto to be facing Martinez even if he’s no longer in his prime. The champion may be at his most fragile at the moment and Cotto’s non-stop aggressiveness could be the perfect tactic to take advantage of it. Martinez isn’t really one of the bigger middleweights around and that’s also a bonus for Cotto, but he’s still three inches taller than the Puerto Rican at 5-foot-10 and has a six-inch reach advantage as well at 73 inches to 67. And since Martinez is a southpaw who possesses speed and power he’s not going to be easy to topple, especially with Cotto’s best punch being a left hook.
When he’s in top form Martinez has proven to be one of the best boxers around, which may be surprising to some as they regard him simply as a knockout artist. He does have a hell of a lot of power in his fists, but is also a skilled, intelligent, and athletic boxer at the same time. Look for Cotto to be the aggressor in this bout as he goes for the title while Martinez will attempt to pick him off with both hands once he gets into firing range.
Cotto’s not the speediest guy around and this may be noticeable at 160 lbs, but he’s a powerful puncher who just keeps coming forward. He has an excellent chance at taking the crown here, but it all depends on which version of Martinez shows up. Cotto will need to make sure he’s in position and his timing is down pat since he can’t match Martinez’s speed. He also needs to hope he doesn’t get cut up like he has done in the past. Martinez will have to box intelligently and take advantage of his speed while utilizing his effective straight left hand. He doesn’t really want to get roped into a brawl against Cotto.
Prediction
This fight could actually come down to power and chins. Martinez was almost taken out by Chavez Jr. a couple of bouts ago and this may inspire Cotto to go after him. If Martinez gets nailed on the button and remains upright though, then it’s going to be a long night for Cotto. Martinez should be able to use his speed, height, and reach advantages to good effect here and let’s not forget he also has better-than-average power if he lands solidly. Cotto needs to stop Martinez to take the title while the champ could retain the belt by stoppage or decision, so let’s go with Martinez by decision or late stoppage.
