This week there was a lot of talk surrounding whether Cotto vs Geale was going to take place at all. Daniel Geale made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The big question: would he be able to make weight on Friday?
The Australian has now answered that question at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn. He may have looked a little on the lean side, but he will nonetheless be competing for a version of the Middleweight title tonight. To take home the WBC title, Geale will have to dethrone Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto. Not an easy task by any stretch.
Geale came in smack on the 157-pound limit, and looking scrawny, it has to be said. Cotto looked healthier and ready for battle, coming in at a ready 153.6-pounds.
HBO cameras caught all the Barclays Center action:
If Cotto vs Geale seemed like both an awful title defense and plain-out mismatch, the weigh-in didn’t seem to help its paling appeal. But it is what it is.
Going into the fight, Cotto is coming off a big – depending on your opinion – win over Sergio Martinez. The victory, which took place in June 2014, saw Cotto knock down Martinez four times en route to a 10th round Retirement.
This was Cotto’s second fight under the tutelage of new trainer Freddie Roach, a man who has helped fire up Cotto’s dissipating aggression.
As for Geale, he’s looking to rebuild following a nasty encounter with a wrecking ball. Also known as Gennady Golovkin. That fight ended in a 3rd round TKO in July 2014.
Perhaps Geale really thought he could win that fight? Perhaps it was just for the money? Whatever the reason, he at least had the balls to face the Kazakhstan monster. In the short time Geale’s senses were intact, he was lively and made a good showing of himself. And he deserves respect for that.
There are a few unknowns going into this fight, like how Cotto will cope with Geale’s high work-rate and busy feet. But popular opinion is that Geale will either be beaten ugly over 12 rounds, or be blasted out in the mid-rounds, depending how fast Cotto comes out the gate.
BoxingBase.com just wants to see a good fight. And who knows? Perhaps Geale is going to surprise us all?
How do you see Cotto vs Geale playing out, fight fans? Let us know your predictions below!
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