Cotto TKO's Margarito: 6 Reasons Cotto Could Beat Manny Pacquiao

Miguel Cotto (37-2, 30 KO) will likely pursue revenge again next year against Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO).

Cotto has recently collected a stoppage victory over Antonio Margarito (38-8, 27 KO), the foe that gave him his first loss in 2008.

Pacquiao then gave Cotto his second and last loss in November of 2009.

Cotto wants his vengeance, and he could win, as Pacquiao's past two fights against Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6-1, 39 KO) and Shane Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KO) have exposed.

Here are six reasons Cotto could defeat Pacquiao.

What Weight Division Will the Fight Be In?

Before considering Cotto's reasons he could beat Pacquiao, the weight division must be considered.

Pacquiao currently fights in the welterweight division. He defends his WBO welterweight (147 lbs) belt.

Cotto currently defends his WBA junior middleweight (154 lbs) belt. Pacquiao once fought for the belt at junior middleweight at a catchweight of 150 lbs.

Cotto is a small junior middleweight, but he most likely will want Pacquiao to be as uncomfortable a possible.

If he can make the fight at junior middleweight, then he will have a great size advantage he can impose on Pacquiao.

Madison Square Garden

Another question that has to be considered is where will the fight be held.

Madison Square Garden brings Cotto a unique advantage. New York is his hometown, and he's undefeated in nine fights in New York, including seven in Madison Square Garden.

Pacquiao will likely want Las Vegas, where Cotto has lost twice, but Cotto should stick with the town he's undefeated in to increase his likelihood of victory.

New York will ensure that if Cotto gives a good fight and the war with Pacquiao lasts the whole distance, that Cotto will get the decision.

Now, without further ado, the six reasons Cotto could beat Pacquiao.

6. Cotto's Got His Groove Back

It has been said that Cotto didn't look so hot after his loss to Margarito in 2008. He was less sure of himself and didn't seem to punch or move as confidently as before.

This is evident in such fights as Cotto vs. Joshua Clottey (36-4, 21 KO), and of course, Cotto vs Pacquiao.

Pacquiao's speed bothered Cotto, and he had lost the fight mentally by Round 7. It was only a matter of time before the fight would be stopped. In Round 12, Cotto suffered his second technical knockout loss.

But now, Cotto seemed confident and assured of his gameplan. Though he was caught in some wild exchanges, Cotto's punches appeared crisp, sharp and thudding.

When Cotto isn't confident, he won't execute the gameplan carefully and will get sloppy during tough times in wild exchanges. The Cotto that beat Margarito in the rematch was careful and far from sloppy. 

5. Cotto's Counter-Punching Ability

Cotto is a great counter-puncher, as he demonstrated time and time again against Margarito. Pacquiao doesn't do so hot against counter-punchers, as he showed in his entire trilogy with Marquez.

Marquez was a confident counter-puncher thanks to not only his experience, but his previous fights with Pacquiao. Cotto is now also confident in his ability to counter-punch.

Cotto doesn't need to mix it up like he did the first time against Pacquiao, resulting in a mangled face and a knockdown.

A Cotto with renewed confidence will take his time and counter-punch Pacquiao all night long.

Unless trainer Freddie Roach can teach his greatest pupil, Pacquiao, some new tricks in the next year or so, Pacquiao is likely to feel the pain and lose the fight.

4. Cotto's Lack of Urgency to Brawl

Cotto felt good playing keep-away with Margarito this time around. He outboxed Margarito with a long jab and then backed off to stay out of a brawl. He didn't do that the first time around, and it cost him.

He also didn't do that when he first faced Pacquiao. Pacquiao's speed and aggression brought about a sense of urgency to try to immediately fight back instead of get away, jab and keep his cool.

Cotto has clearly learned and regained his ability to keep it cool. In the rematch, he may have been lightly brushed-up in a couple of close encounters against the ropes, but he wiggled and danced his way out.

Pacquiao won't even have the big height advantage and long reach that Margarito had. He'll have to only rely on speed, and as we've seen with Marquez, speed alone doesn't get someone to engage in a brawl.

3. Pacquiao's Inability to Cut-off the Ring

In Pacquiao vs. Mosley, many saw for the first time that Mosley was running in a fight. Mosley, who is known for his power and his incredible chin, was running from an opponent.

Pacquiao had hit him hard and fast, and yet, Mosley backpedaled in a way that Pacquiao couldn't touch him too often.

The story of that fight might not of been Mosley's refusal to engage Pacquiao, but Pacquiao's inability to engage Mosley.

Mosley was tagged and downed in Round 3 and was only jogging around the ring from that point on. Pacquiao could not corner him to finish him off during the course of the next nine rounds.

Does that mean that Pacquiao won't be able to do the same to a Cotto who has better footwork and has proven to be more evasive in recent fights?

2. Cotto's Accurate Left Hooks and Jabs

Cotto, when not brawling or cornered, has an absolutely devastatingly accurate left hook and left jab.

He ended his rematch before the beginning of Round 10 by using his strong left jabs and hooks to swell and close Margarito's right eye. That type of consistent zeroing in requires accuracy.

Cotto has that in spades and performed well. If he's confident enough to not get in a brawl and just jab and dance, he could beat Pacquiao on points or on a late stoppage with the power of his accuracy.

1. Cotto's Signature Bodyshots

Cotto was once known for his famous devastating bodyshots.

Oh no! Cotto's going against a very fast opponent. Bodyshot! Bodyshot! That'll slow him down.

Oh no! Cotto's going against a very tall opponent. Bodyshot! Bodyshot! Timber!

Cotto's bodyshots turned the ring into a graveyard once upon a time.

Now his bodyshots have been absent recently, particularly against Margarito.

Who's to say Cotto won't resurrect those bodyshots to take down Pacquiao?

Pacquiao isn't a man who likes bodyshots.

Pacquiao's only two knockout losses came early in his career by what method? Bodyshots.

Pacquiao's recent opposition has consisted mainly of a rather slow bunch of opponents who headhunted instead of going to the body.

Cotto was not his confident self when he went after Pacquiao in their first encounter, but a renewed Cotto can deliver to the body against Pacquiao for yet another impressive revenge story.