WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto is set to defend his title for the first time on June 6 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Rumor has it there are plans for a showdown with Canelo Alvarez in the fall if both Cotto and Alvarez are successful in their upcoming bouts.
The mandatory challenger for Cotto's middleweight crown is Gennady Golovkin, who knocked Geale out last summer, but Cotto's shown little interest in fighting the undefeated slugger, as he'd be an underdog in that bout. Currently, Golovkin's handlers have said Cotto's team is pursuing a "step aside" deal to allow Cotto to fight Alvarez in the fall without shedding his title.
A move like that shows they're overlooking Geale, who may have lost two of his last four fights, but is still a former champion and a fighter used to campaigning at middleweight. Here are three keys for Geale spoiling Cotto's plans for a Canelo payday.
Keep Moving Left
Geale was thought of as an interesting opponent for Golovkin because of his mobility. Geale isn't necessarily a runner, but he's more boxer than puncher. Unfortunately for Geale, Golovkin is a master of cutting off the ring, and has the power to slow anyone down. Cotto has great skill in the ring, but he does not pack the same power at 160 pounds-or 157 actually for this bout-as Golovkin does.
Cotto's career has been resurrected with trainer Freddie Roach, and largely because he returned to his roots as a body puncher with a mean left hook. Of all the shots in his arsenal, the left hook is his most potent. Geale needs to use his feet expertly and keep out of range of that left.
Don't Stop Moving
Cotto is a pressure fighter, and pressuring requires a great amount of effort. Cotto is a consummate professional, so this is no knock on him, but he has shown signs of wearing down in the past. He's not getting younger, and after all the wars he's been through that is probably a flaw that won't correct itself. If Geale can keep away from those left hands, and keep Cotto chasing him around, he might be able to tire the Puerto Rican out and land something big in the later rounds.
Stick And Move
Movement is a theme here, but as Lamont Peterson learned earlier this month against Danny Garcia, you've still got to punch to win. It's not enough to frustrate your opponent and make him throw wildly-which Cotto is unlikely to do anyway-you have to fight. Geale needs to get away from the left, get in position, and let his hands go before picking up and shifting again. It may be exhausting work, but he won't win standing and trading with Cotto. He may not be Golovkin, but he wrecked Sergio Martinez last summer and for all the talk about Martinez's hobbled leg, he was the favorite.
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