Mayweather vs. Cotto: Why Cotto Must Use Defense to Beat Money at His Own Game

It’s no secret that Floyd Mayweather’s defense is the main reason he enters his bout against Miguel Cotto with an undefeated 42-0 record.

The only way Cotto is truly going to defeat the champ is by staying patient and forcing Money May to be the aggressor.

Mayweather has perfected the shoulder roll technique of defense, where he utilizes angles with his left forearm over his abs while he keeps his right arm perpendicular. Couple this with insane anticipation and you begin to realize why he’s such a strong fighter. He blocks almost everything.

So how does Cotto beat him at his own game?

The good news is that Cotto has improved his defensive tactics drastically in the past few years, and he's stopped zeroing-in on bashing his opponents' brains in. He knows this is a chess match, and Cotto’s footwork has improved with this revelation.  

As shown in HBO’s 24/7 series, Cotto’s training regimen has put a strong emphasis on this aspect of his game. It's also led to an ability to move out of harm’s way in a quicker and more efficient fashion. Furthermore, his improved footwork gives him much better balance, which is essential when the opponent is swinging forceful punches at you.

This used to be his glaring weakness. Now it’s something Cotto uses to his advantage.

If he can improve on his protection, his ability to avoid situations where he leaves his body wide-open and susceptible, Cotto’s defense will infuriate Mayweather into making poor decisions. It will force him to become the aggressor, and that will open him up to punches.

Cotto is the better finisher in this bout. If he can win the first few rounds and make Mayweather force the issue, his fast fists will take care of the rest.

It’s not going to be easy, but as long as Cotto relies on his footwork and avoids leaving himself vulnerable for the crushing blow Money May is known for, we are in for one of the bigger upsets the sport of boxing has seen in the last two decades. 

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