Roach: "Miguel Cotto Has Trouble With Southpaws"

Trainer Freddie Roach is not convinced that WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto is comfortable with fighting southpaws in the ring. He watched Cotto's fight with Zab Judah a few times and noticed how Miguel was troubled by Judah's style in the early rounds. He thought Judah broke down along the way due to stamina. He thinks Manny Pacquiao's style and speed will present a lot of issues for Cotto on November 14.

"I've been watching that fight because it was the last southpaw that [Cotto] fought. He doesn't fight southpaws really well. He has a little bit of trouble with southpaws. When he fought Zab, Zab was getting tired. Manny can do that all night because of his conditioning," Roach told BoxingScene.com's Bill Emes.

Roach tells BoxingScene that Cotto is more dangerous than Oscar De La Hoya and believes the Puerto Rican champ will be the much larger man when Pacquiao meets him in the ring.

"By fight time Cotto will be 160-pounds and Manny will be 147. I think Miguel is a bigger puncher than [De La Hoya]. Oscar has that good left hook because he's left handed. In his prime [De La Hoya was more dangerous], maybe, but Miguel is in his prime right now and De La Hoya is a little bit older and Oscar was not the same fighter who won the welterweight title. That's why this is a good fight because you have two guys who are in their prime," Roach said.

Source: boxingscene.com