Boxing: Hatton sees Mayweather beating Cotto

By Allan Fox: Ricky Hatton compares WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto to himself in the way that Hatton was wiped out by unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. five years ago in a 10th round TKO defeat in December 2007. On Saturday night, Cotto will be facing Mayweather and Hatton doesn’t see it going well for Cotto. Hatton said “I think it [Mayweather-Cotto] could have a similar pattern to my fight against Mayweather…I think Mayweather will take the sting out of him and come through on a late stoppage.” Hatton fought Mayweather tough for the first six rounds of their fight. However, Hatton’s main problem seemed to be with referee Joe Cortez breaking up the action quickly each time Hatton would attempt to work on the inside against Mayweather. Cortez would jump in and separate the two fighters, giving Mayweather badly needed space for which to work. In the second half of the fight, Mayweather started to get the better of Hatton even in close, landing short right hands and left hooks. By then it didn’t matter if Hatton was on the outside or the inside, he was taking a beating and not doing well at all. In contrast, Cotto isn’t as good an inside fighter as Hatton, and he has far less options to use to win. He’s not really a good outside fighter other than when he’s jabbing. Mayweather is a lot better on the inside because he can land his fast right hand and left hooks, whereas Cotto is limited to mostly his jab. He doesn’t have the arm length to beat Mayweather in a fight on the outside. Hatton for some reason says he hopes Cotto beats Mayweather. Why Hatton wants Cotto to win is a good question. It’s not as if it’ll change anything that happened five years ago in Hatton’s loss to Mayweather. What’s done is done. Hatton is still very impressed with Mayweather’s skills, and sees him as the best fighter he’s ever faced.