I predict Mosley in 8. I say Cotto is hurt bad at the end of 7, but falls in 8.Tonight’s Cotto-Mosley fight at Madison Square Garden, though well publicized, has not had the buzz of De La Hoya-Mayweather. And that is too bad, said De La Hoya, the president of Golden Boy Promotions.
Cotto and Mosley, each known for his aggressiveness in the ring, are expected to put on an action-packed show. But star power trumps punching power. So Cotto and Mosley almost certainly will play to a smaller audience than De La Hoya and Mayweather.
“Sugar Shane Mosley always makes an exciting fight,” said De La Hoya, who employs Mosley as a co-promoter with Golden Boy. “And when you pair him up with an exciting, strong, young champion like Miguel Cotto, the fight is guaranteed to be fireworks. This is what a promoter dreams of.”
Cotto (30-0, 25 knockouts) continues to build a reputation. He is fighting in the Garden for the fourth time. He has drawn boisterous crowds each time.
Cotto, who is from Puerto Rico, fought against Zab Judah in the Garden in June, winning by technical knockout in the 11th round. In that fight, Cotto, 27, displayed his persistent, move-forward attack, setting up Judah with powerful body shots before finishing him off with blows to the head.
It is an attack he said he planned to maintain against Mosley.
“I don’t think at the age of 36 years old Shane can handle Miguel Cotto,” Cotto said, adding that he did not think Mosley was as dangerous as Judah.
But Mosley (44-4, 1 no contest) is probably the most decorated opponent Cotto has faced. He has won world titles in three weight classes and is widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of the last 15 years.
Mosley, who has two victories over De La Hoya, is known for his speed, which he transforms into power. Though his reflexes are not as sharp as they were when he was younger, Mosley is on a five-fight winning streak and he appears as dangerous as ever. He said he would retire if he lost.
“I think I’m the wrong fighter for anyone to step in the ring with at this point in my career,” he said. “I’m hungrier than ever.”
Though Mosley’s quickness sets him apart from Cotto, the fighters are similar in their willingness to face any opponent, as well as in their attacking styles. That, according to Cotto’s promoter, Todd duBoef, is what could set tonight’s fight apart.
DuBoef, the president of Top Rank Inc., said it was time the boxing world focused on the fights and not the names of the fighters.
“This fight epitomizes what the brand of boxing is about,” he said. “Everybody has abandoned the brand and kind of gravitated toward the names. And because of that, people would say, the sport suffers.”