Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank

3 Keys to Victory for Miguel Cotto

This weekend, boxing veteran Miguel Cotto takes on young Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. In what feels like one of the best matchups of the year–or quite possibly this decade–expect to see some great boxing and an abundance of action.

Cotto has been in this game for quite some time now, yet as a boxing fan I find this to be one of the most anticipated bouts of Cotto’s career. Should he defeat Canelo this weekend, Cotto will be another testament to how boxing intelligence, tremendous physical training, and cumulative fighting style adjustments can make a fighter virtually ageless in the ring.

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but truth be told, Cotto doesn’t need any. For him, it’s a matter of perfecting his known strengths and executing them in the most effective fashion.

Here are three keys for Miguel Cotto to score a victory over Canelo Alvarez.

1. Double Jab

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Miguel Cotto has a mighty jab. A boxer puncher like Canelo Alvarez is looking to come straight forward and land devastating punches. Cotto needs to focus on using his jab to make Canelo think twice about his approach and keep his distance from the known power puncher when necessary.

Canelo doesn’t tend to move his head much, which is why Cotto should consider not just single jabs, but double jabs as well.

Double jabs can deter an attack and send a message to Cotto’s opponent that he’s ready to fire at any given moment. The double jab will also give Cotto leeway to work around Canelo’s reach and quite possibly set up more blows to the head and body.

2. Head Movement and Defensive Footwork

Photo by Hector Santos Guia/Roc Nation/Cotto Promotions

A power puncher like Canelo Alvarez is initially going to focus on trying to knock Miguel Cotto out–it’s just in his nature. The best strategy for Cotto is to make Canelo feel ineffective, which can be accomplished with a solid defensive game.

Cotto should think about trying to make Canelo miss with deliberate, timed head movement (think slipping jabs, or rolling after combinations). Canelo tends to throw every punch with the same intensity, so making him miss often will drain him of much-needed energy.

Cotto needs to casually and rhythmically move his head in between punches to establish himself as a moving target. One of Canelo’s best strengths is his punch placement. Cotto keeping his head in a static position will make punches upstairs a piece of cake for Canelo.

Cotto also must think about moving his feet strategically after and in between combinations. Canelo is most effective when he can set and throw combinations (because he’s flat footed), so Cotto will want to avoid giving him this opportunity at all costs.

3. Left Hook

Photo by Ken Goldfield

The left hook is arguably Miguel Cotto’s best punch, and should not be left out of his game plan. One thing I’ve noticed about the more improved Cotto is that he’s much quicker and sharper than before.

This is important to note because in order to land his hook, he’s going to have to work around Canelo Alvarez’s reach advantage. This can be helped by using the double jab.

If Cotto is quick and calculating, he can try this on Canelo by stepping to the left first and stunning him with a surprise check hook. If anything, the left hook would be a loud exclamation mark at the end of a well-executed combination.

Either way it would give Cotto the chance to test Canelo’s chin and break him down slowly.