Fight Pick & Preview – Cotto vs. Rodriguez:
On Saturday, October 5, Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto returns to the ring after a 10 month absence to face veteran Delvin Rodriguez. Cotto will be days away from his 33rd birthday when he faces Rodriguez and the inevitable question is what does the future Hall of Famer have left in the tank? Rodriguez is a good enough fighter to provide answers.
- Date: Saturday, October 5, 2013
- Site: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
- Weight Class: Junior Middleweights: 12 Rounds
Miguel Cotto, 37-4 (30 KOs), Caguas, Puerto Rico
Vs.
Delvin Rodriguez, 28-6-3 (16 KOs), Danbury, Connecticut
Cotto lost his last fight–a decision to Austin Trout, who then went on to lose to Canelo Alvarez. It was a disappointing performance for Cotto in front of his fans at MSG, but maybe Trout’s style had something to do with that. In addition, the judges seemed harsh on Cotto, with one judge even making it a 119-109 fight. It may have been a little closer than that. Still, he lost and with all his mileage, it’s time to starting asking tough questions.
Rodriguez, 33, also lost to Trout, though he has since scored two straight wins. Hats off to Rodriguez for reviving his career, when it seemed he was finished. After losing to Isaac Hlatshwayo, Rafal Jackiewicz, and Ashley Theophane in 3 out of 4 fights, it looked like it was a wrap. Then he battled to a thrilling draw as a huge underdog against Pawel Wolak and won a decision in the rematch. The Trout fight was a bit of a letdown, but at least he was in a position to get that fight–something that didn’t seem possible a few years before.
Rodriguez did not look so good in his last fight against Freddy Hernandez, a cut-eye stoppage win for Delvin. He wasn’t able to get much separation from the unexceptional Hernandez–a fighter who always flopped when he jumped up in class. Even so, Rodriguez remains a crafty campaigner, a classy veteran contender who has bounced back from a lot of adversity.
I was wrong about Cotto after the Pacquiao loss, where he took a ton of punishment. I thought it best he call it quits, but he came back and showed he still had something left. But now, it’s not so clear what the goal is. Not that he took a lot of punishment in his losses to Mayweather or Trout, but he’s an older, slower, undersized junior middleweight where it’s hard to make a case for him fitting in at the top anymore. He may still have enough to beat guys like Carlos Molina, Cornelius Bundrage, and other guys on that second tier. He would be an underdog to Canelo, Erislandy Lara, Trout, or anyone who is truly top-tier. It’s just when looking at Cotto now, it’s hard not to think “Where is this going?”
That doesn’t mean there isn’t some fight left in the multi-time former champion. At first thought, he seems a bit too robust for Rodriguez. Though Delvin has shown he can handle aggressive fighters before, Cotto is no Pawel Wolak. He is a fighter who mixes some thoughtfulness and boxing skill into his aggression. Rodriguez is a durable guy, but Cotto possesses a deeper repertoire of skills and versatility.
Rodriguez at his best is a slashing puncher, a really dangerous boxer at nearly six-foot. Despite his gangly appearance, he can also punish his foes. He often times cuts up his opponents with his quick shots and is willing to engage in the trenches, though his physical tools would serve him better on the outside. The Dominican-born battler is a bit of a throwback to when guys could lose and bounce back and will fight anybody. He has experienced a lot in his nearly 15-year career and shouldn’t be sold short.
Although Cotto seemed like a dulled knife in the Trout fight, that was probably attributable to the style of his opponent. He actually received praise for his performance against Mayweather prior to that, but he still hasn’t won in almost two years and that win came against an Antonio Margarito who was no longer the fighter of old. At one time 32-0, Cotto is 5-4 in his last 9 fights. If Rodriguez were to score an upset over a big-name fighter in his career, this seems as good an opportunity as any.
Cotto vs. Rodriguez Prediction
I still think Cotto takes this one. Rodriguez will test him, but unless Cotto’s tires are utterly threadbare, he will have enough to repel what should be a game challenge from Rodriguez. He probably won’t stop Rodriguez, who is typically very durable and gutty, but a unanimous decision seems like the right pick here.
Prediction: Miguel Cotto wins by unanimous decision.
