Cotto-Abdullaev Fight Predictions

Victory is sweet. Revenge is sweeter. Cotto wants to avenge the loss he suffered at the hands of Abdullaev in the 2000 Summer Games and New York’s Madison Square Garden is the venue Saturday night. In a fight broadcast on HBO, these two welterweights get it on in what looks like a competitive bout. It appears Cotto has the right stuff to beat Abdullaev, but this one could go either way. This is how The Sweet Science writers call it.

I think Abdullaev beats Cotto. The thing about Cotto is that he stands right in front of his opponent; he's there to be hit. Chop Chop showed what a fighter can do if he isn't afraid of him. Chop Chop buzzed him real good and should have finished him, but he let him off the hook. Cotto is a big puncher. Abdullaev is a volume puncher with decent power. I think if Abdullaev is the same fighter he was before he lost to Clottey, then Abdullaev should be able to hang with Cotto and outwork him. Silly as this may sound, and I haven't predicted the correct outcome of a fight since Tyson beat Marvis Frazier, but I think Abdullaev is going to be pushing Cotto around all fight. Abdullaev by decision.
Mitch Abramson

Miguel Cotto is going up against a tough individual named Mohamed Abdullaev. Although Cotto is favored, Abdullaev is dangerous. This will be a nice test for the highly touted Cotto but I look for Miguel to win by a late KO.
Jim Amato

Mohamad Abdullaev beat Cotto in the Olympics. Interesting. This ain't the Olympics, Cotto KO 4.
Robert Cassidy Jr.

Miguel will receive a VERY big scare early in the fight. Abdullaev knows that this is probably his first, last and only chance at superstardom. He will be looking to duplicate his success against Cotto in the 2000 Olympics, and most likely land something with conviction in the first couple of rounds. He'll have his moments, but Miguel will settle in and remind Muhammad that their fight in '00 was Man vs. Boy. The pro fight in '05 will be Man vs. Man, as Cotto is all grown up now. Once Abdullaev realizes this, he will be in for a beating. Cotto can take you out, but has never been a one-hitter quitter. That, coupled with the fact that Abdullaev is vulnerable but certainly not chinny, tells me that it goes some rounds before Miguel takes him and begins to make plans for the Puerto Rican Day parade the next day. Cotto TKO9 Abdullaev.
Jake Donovan

Abdullaev is a dangerous fighter, but I've got to go with Cotto just because being a world champ seems to make fighters a little better. Cotto by decision in a very hard fight.
Rick Folstad

Miguel Cotto's track record looks like the Brickyard compared to Muhammad Abdullaev's soapbox derby. Cotto TKO-4.
Tim Graham

Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, despite holding a fringe title, still has to be seen as a prospect. He is getting close to being ready for the a real championship fight with the likes of the new world champion, Ricky Hatton, or the winner of the upcoming Arturo Gatti-Floyd Mayweather WBC bout. There is the element of history between Cotto and Abdullaev that makes its viewing worthwhile. Abdullaev, an Uzbekistani living in Germany, defeated Cotto in the first round of the Sydney 2000 Olympics on a clear decision. Of course in the current computerized state of amateur boxing (that is merely counting landed blows) the Olympic sport is something very different than professional boxing. Cotto has come a great distance since the Olympic Games. He’s fought better opponents under more stressful conditions – and he’s undefeated. Abdullaev has taken a different route professionally with more modest success. Little-known Emmanuel Clottey has also stopped him. Not the kind of record that inspires tremendous confidence. Cotto will add this to his kit bag and move on to the top talent in the division. Cotto by KO in 10.
JE Grant

Fighting the main event at Madison Square Garden over the Puerto Rican Day parade weekend – this is Miquel Cotto's stage to shine and prove that he is ready to be become boxing's next “superstar.” The young, former Puerto Rican National amateur champion will show he is worthy of all the acclaim by beating Abdullaev; avenging his 2000 Olypmic loss to the tough and capable Uzbekistan fighter, who eventually took home the gold medal. Abdullaev, a solid fighter in his own right, hasn't progressed professionally at the meteoric pace of his archrival and will do all he can to keep the fight competitive before Cotto lowers the boom around the 7th or 8th round to the delight of the predominately Puerto Rican fight crowd – rooting on their new hero! Miguel Cotto via knockout over Muhammad Abdullaev.
Mike Indri

Having been an eyewitness the night Abdullaev got knocked out by Emmanuel Clottey in his only career loss, there's little question that the language barrier caused him to be counted out in a fight he already had in the bank. But there's also little question that he went down in the tenth because he was worn down by a guy who kept throwing punches all night. The first few rounds may look like Sydney all over again, but Cotto should stop him late.
George Kimball

Abdullaev is good, just not as good as Cotto, and will likely push Cotto to the end. His lone loss was a bout he has winning nearly every round and his misunderstanding of the language cost him. His corner told him to take a knee after being sent to the canvas by Clottey, but then forgot to tell him to get up and he was counted out. Look for Cotto to fight a more measured pace and Abdullaev to have some success as well. In the end Cotto is too fast, too strong and just too good as he takes a unanimous decision.
Joey Knish

Cotto looks savvy enough to have learned an invaluable lesson in his last fight, and Abdullaev is tough enough to last the distance in what should be an action-packed bout. Cotto W 12.
Bob Mladinich

I hope the chance of redemption for Cotto signals a renewed focus following his sloppy outing versus Corley, because the best of Cotto is a wonderful sight. Compact, accurate, powerful, and with an arsenal of punches thrown from a tight guard, he appears the complete package. Abdullaev has never quite reached the heights his amateur career suggested he would, and this is a shot somewhat 'out of the blue' for him. He can punch and he's tall and rangy, but despite his success in the unpaid ranks versus Cotto, I don’t predict he can outwork or out-speed him in this bout. Cotto holds the advantages and I think he returns to form here to break Abdullaev down in the mid rounds. Cotto KO7.
David Payne

People too quickly jump ship on a fighter if everything he does isn't perfect. God forbid, he gets hit and hurt; all the promise dissolves. The I-told-you-so's are out in full force. Cotto was rocked by Corley. The measure of a fighter is how he deals with it. Cotto's an ice-cool customer — the ring generalship of a veteran — good balance, good leverage, and a knockout left hook. He doesn't play to the crowd; he picks his spots.  If he can stand up to punishment, he should have a long successful career. His work rate won't be near what Abdullaev's is. It will be more selective. Abdullaev's a tougher customer than his freak KO indicates. My hunch is: Cotto finds a way to win by decision; he's the class of the two. It may look like a repeat of Cotto-N'Dou.
Joe Rein

Cotto gains revenge by getting Abdullaev out of there within 8 rounds.
Greg Smith

Miguel Cotto has certainly looked impressive since upping his level of competition in the past couple of years. He will continue his unbeaten streak Saturday night against Abdulaev. Cotto by 6th round KO.
Aaron Tallent