MANILA, Philippines – Unless a 50/50 purse split will be put in place, a Manny Pacquiao superfight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. will not take place.
This was Pacquiao’s stand on the issue, saying that there is no way he’s going to climb up the ring against Mayweather if the split on prize money and other revenues are not even or in other way favorable to the unbeaten American fighter.
“ If it’s going to be a 50/50 split, the fight will definitely push through,” said Pacquiao in an exclusive interview with the Freeman at his suite at Waterfront-Cebu City Hotel and Casino
last Sunday.
Pacquiao and wife Jinkee were in Cebu during the Father’s Day celebration. It was his first trip to the Queen City of the South since he was elected congressman in the lone district of Saranggani province.
“Right now, it’s not year clear. He’s afraid to fight me,” said Pacquiao, who recently received the “Fighter of the Decade” award from the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).
After Pacquiao’s clinical 12-round whipping of Joshua Clottey last March 15 in Texas, Mayweather’s name cropped up as the next possible opponent of the Filipino icon.
But initial negotiations of what could be the richest bout in boxing history fizzled out after Mayweather insisted on an Olympic-style drug testing, which was rejected by Team Pacquiao.
Pacquiao, however, later agreed to drug test procedure provided it wouldn’t be done near fight day but Mayweather reportedly wanted drug testing up to the day of the fight.
The American’s handlers later purportedly demanded for a 60/40 purse split, something that Pacman’s camp wouldn’t agree.
“That is too much for Mayweather to ask. Besides, that’s unfair to Pacquiao because he’s the main draw being the current pound-for-pound king,” said Pacquiao’s confidant and top advisor Rex “Wakee” Salud.
But according to a blog posted on www.usanewsweek.com, the best solution for the megabout to happen is for both fighters to agree on a 50/50 split.
He doubts though if Mayweather will agree to such set-up.
When asked for her comment, Jinkee said her husband is likely to face next Mayweather because “there’s no viable opponent out there other than Floyd.”
It’s interesting to notice that Pacquiao’s pre-fight nights have become like Christmas Eve for me. Man, you’ve got to hand it to Manny. It seems almost everybody I meet on the street is talking up some Pacquiao strategy, or Pacquiao past fights, opinions, predictions, or Pacquiao this, Pacquiao that, or whatnot.
Lately, I’ve heard some news that extremist rebels in the south just released a captive priest simply so they could watch Firepower. If that’s not indicative of what Manny can do to the morale-boosted Filipino psyche, I don’t know what else does.
History beckons as fiery Filipino Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao dukes it out tomorrow with Puerto Rico’s pride Miguel Angel Cotto.
At stake, more than that ludicrous diamond belt prize WBO is dangling in front of the two fighters, is the pride of two warring countries (in the boxing arena of course), the distinction of being the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and, for Pacquiao, a shot at immortality if he wins this extravagant fistic exchange over Cotto.
If victorious, Manny Pacquiao will hold the distinction of blazing through several weight divisions and claiming seven world titles in the process, a feat that no other boxer in the modern times has achieved. It’s just so surreal that, a while ago, we looked up to Henry Armstrong as the barometer of such a feat, having won three world titles in the 1930’s simultaneously.
Yet lately, an Asian from a third-world country wanted to defy the odds and outdo Homicide Hank’s achievements.
And defy them he did. Well, almost.
While Pacquiao approaches the crossroads of boxing history, Cotto is right in the middle of it. History will be determined in the nitty-gritty details of leather-exchange inside the ring.
Yes, Manny has undeniably heavenly assets in boxing skills and pure athleticism, but no one in his right mind should ever try to discredit what Cotto brings to the table. Despite that however, I think the major factors favor Pacquiao — and ever so slightly — to covet the Boricua’s welterweight belt.
Size
It does not matter. Yes, I am one of those (in the minority, perhaps) who doesn’t think Pacquiao is bothered by the breadth of Cotto’s midsections. Those who think that it does may have forgotten that Manny’s main sparring partner was Shawn Porter, who is a legitimate middleweight. The “Showtime” from Ohio may have decked Manny clean early in his training, but if you have been following Pacquiao’s relatively chaotic training camp, you would have known that it was Pacquiao who gave Porter the fits that made Roach smile for most of the training days.
Of course, others do point out the weight increase Cotto will bring on fight night. What’s up with the idea of Cotto weighing in more than 15 pounds than Manny? A fighter can only add so much bulk within a 24-hour period; experts believe that it’s unhealthy to gain more than 10% of a boxer’s contracted weight during fight night. Even if Miguel can handle the spike in poundage, will he be able to handle the sluggishness that comes with more weight?
Power
I may have to give this one to Cotto, for obvious reasons. Miguel mostly fights flat-footed, with torso-twisting strength and superior frame lending power to two bombs. Cotto is known to pummel his opponents with sledgehammer hooks to the body until the other boxer could handle it no more.
On the other side of the equation, Pacquiao has carried that same devastating power of his through the weight classes. He was a one-punch, one-knockout wonder before; now, his lethality consists of a barrage of power punches at unorthodox angles designed to weaken the opponent. Sparring partners have said he has the power of a middleweight.
Will Pacquiao KO Cotto? Maybe. Still I wouldn’t place my bet on that one, ‘coz it might be the other way around.
Speed
Much has been said of Pacquiao’s speed and outstanding footwork. I’m afraid Miguel might have to find a way to neutralize his speed, probably hammering away to Pacquiao’s body to take away his breath, or go like Marquez and counterpunch whatever Manny brings. At any rate, Cotto will have a heck of a time executing whatever counter-method he’ll dish out, as virtually no one in Pacquiao’s last several fights, save Marquez, has been able to get past his blazing speed effectively.
Heart
Is Cotto really damaged goods? Will he be able to fight Pacquiao with a “pre-Margarito” mindset? I’ll let that question linger up to the fight, where his mind/heart condition will be crystal-clear. The picture of guts he displayed during that Clottey fight wasn’t entirely convincing. Pacquiao’s heart on the other hand, has been clearly unquestioned ever since… he plunged himself into dirt-paying amateur fights in Manila. Notwithstanding the uncertainties, both fighters have undoubtedly the biggest hearts in today’s boxing, giving us the Firepower match the boxing world really needs right now.
I have Pacquiao giving Cotto a KO anywhere in the first six rounds of the fight. Other than that, I’d be more than happy to let anything go.
Proving that last week’s bad weather was never an issue in training camp, Manny Pacquiao dominated his sparring partners Tuesday at the Shape-Up Gym in Cooyesan Hotel in Baguio City. Pacquiao sparred with highly touted former two-time world lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico for three rounds. Pacquiao is preparing for his upcoming world welterweight with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto set for 12-rounds at a catch weight of 145lbs scheduled on November 14 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. In his anticipated sparring with Castillo, Pacquiao used his vastly improved lateral movements in trying to avoid the Mexican’s uppercuts and body shots. Pacquiao stalled Castillo’s aggressive attacks with three to five punch combos and counter left straights.
The 35-year-old Castillo (60-9-1, 52 KOs) ended his first day of sparring with specks of blood in his left nostril.
“I can’t see his left. It’s very fast and strong. I think that will be a big problem of Cotto,” Castillo told Fightnews after the work out.
Chief trainer Freddie Roach, who at first seemed cautious when it comes to having Castillo as a sparring partner now expressed his contentment in having the Mexican inside the gym.
“Castillo looked to be off a little bit and he’s never sparred as fast as anyone like Manny. But I like his movement because he moves similar to Cotto. Overall it was a great workout and I was very happy,” said Roach.
In sparring with Porter, Pacquiao again worked on his footwork and stiff combinations while moving out of harm’s way.
“That will one of Manny’s best assets. His ability to throw strong punches while moving out of the ropes,” said two-time world champion Dodie Boy Penalosa who now works as one of Pacquiao’s assistant trainers.
Meanwhile Roach denied reports circulating on the internet that Pacquiao was knocked down in one sparring session last week.
Roach said no one has come close to flooring Pacquiao in any of their sparring sessions in their Baguio training camp.
Last weekend internet forums were deluged with queries and reports that Pacquiao got tagged by American sparring partner Shawn Porter.
“That’s a lie. I would know because I would have to pay. He’s getting hit but he’s never been floored ever. Not in eight years. The money is still in my pocket,” said Roach.
Roach has promised $1,000 for anyone among the sparring partners who could put down Pacquiao during sparring.
Freddie Roach never liked the idea of having to go to The Philippines, and usually he’s spot on with his thinking on things as it pertains to Manny Pacquiao. Already we are hearing about the negative impact that has transpired due to training in the PI. Manny continues to be distracted by the mass amount of attention that he gets.
Pacquiao has been reduced to swimming in a pool rather than running because of the amount of attention that he gets over there. The weather has been horrible, with floods and the extremely sad news of those who have lost their lives in the typhoon.
This writer has been getting mixed signals from the camp, and does not get the same feeling as previous camps. Yes, there are always little messy things prior to one of Manny’s fights but they get worked out and things resort to normalcy. This time around there seems to be more to it. The distractions with the fans, the weather, and then mix in the all out war between Roach and Michael Koncz, it’s more than messy.
The team will be arriving back in Los Angeles later this month, and it could not be a moment sooner. Roach and Manny will have about 3 good weeks to adjust back to the time difference. With Roach being back in his nest at Wild Card, he will have a firmer grip on the Koncz situation as well. Roach will have more of his soldiers, more of his confidants surrounding him. Being thousands of miles away, halfway across the world from Los Angeles has it’s problems, and we have seen them clearly so far.
The good news is that apparently Pacquiao has had some very good sparring. Jr Middleweight Shawn Porter has been a blessing. More good news is the fact that Pacquiao is naturally a hard working athlete. His natural ability mixed in with his work ethic, and a great game-plan by Roach should provide what he needs to get the job done.
Boxing fans of Manny Pacquiao are ‘up in arms’ for Team Pacquiao’s decision to train the popular boxer in Baguio City in the Philippines for his next mega fight with Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico, citing too many distractions such as weather and politics.
Boxing experts and fans from around the world want Manny Pacquiao to pack up immediately and leave his Shape Up training ground in Baguio City in the Philippines.
Most of the comments from the article by famous boxing sportswriter, Michael Marley are favoring the immediate training relocation for the famous Filipino boxer. They cited distractions like, movies, politics, flooding and mudslides as among the reasons why Manny shyould pack up and move to Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.
Some of the comments by fans from Marley’s article include:
Strategist says: ‘It was doomed from the start. ANYWHERE for Pacquiao to train EXCEPT in the Philippines where distractions to him are as common as air. At the end of the day, it’s Pacquiao’s fault to have dug his own grave.
Baguio, Cebu, Manila, General Santos, ANYWHERE IN THE PHILIPPINES: bad idea to train for the Pacman’.
Freddie Roots says:
‘Manny could suffer the same fate as Linares if he doesn’t listen to Marley. To Team Pacquiao: pack up and leave Baguio now! Are you still waiting for the next landslide? typhoon? Manny should have listened to Roach – to hold training camp in Toluca or Canada. PACK UP AND LEAVE BAGUIO NOW FOR THE SAKE OF MILLIONS OF FANS WHO WERE DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE LATELY DUE TO YOUR TOO MUCH DISTRACTIONS IN YOUR TRAINING CAMP. We don’t want you to lose Manny… so leave now while there is still time’.
afp1957 says:
‘What a waste of effort and energy… if Pacman had listened to Roach, there would had been no cramming instead.Now he has to make up for the lost time and it is running short. the guy opposite next to him is no patsy and is capable of dispatching him anytime of the day. What i see here is disaster like the one brought by those typhoons. I hope I am wrong because there’s no one to blame here except Pacman himself. Is there any clause for rematch in the contract coz I smell something wrong is going to happen’?
BAGUIO CITY — Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao has taken up swimming to make up for the road work he has lost to the weather.
“For the last eight years I’ve been trying to get Manny in the pool,” Roach told the Philippine Daily Inquirer yesterday. “With the rain here we finally got him in the pool.”
Pacquiao has missed days of road work due to intermittent rains here. The experience may have not been pleasant for Pacquiao but overall, Roach believes his prized ward has acknowledged the positive effect of it.
“He swallowed a lot of chlorine but he learned to swim quite quickly,” said Roach. “I think I actually liked it overall because when he started to work out he realized how hard it was.”
Pacquiao’s date with the pool last Friday lasted for 26 minutes.
Roach expects Pacquiao to be sore in the muscles and that, added the trainer, comes with the territory.
“It’s like weightlifting but it doesn’t make you tight and slow so it’s a really a wonderful workout. I think we’ll get him back there again,” added Roach.
Roach has been urging his fighters to make swimming a part of their regimen and most, if not all of them realized its many benefits.
Meanwhile, former WBC lightweight king Jose Luis Castillo is set to arrive today here via a private plane to begin sparring sessions with Pacquiao, who is preparing for his November 14 bout with Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Castillo arrived Friday but had to stay in Manila as all roads to and from this city remains impassable.
Pacquiao’s other two sparring mates are Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon, and in the recent week, he has had mixed results with the two.
“Shawn and Urbano pretty evened up with Manny, but last Thursday Manny dominated both,” said Roach.
In other developments, Team Pacquiao is reportedly planning to leave for the US earlier than the planned October 24 schedule because the storm that hit this vacation capital recently has caused a lot of hitches in training.
With still 34 days before the big fight, Manny Pacquiao hovered around 150 lb and should have no problem making the catchweight of 145 lb when he faces Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight crown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Nonoy Neri of Team Pacquiao yesterday said Pacquiao tipped the scales at 150 the other day after working at the Shape Up Gym in Baguio City. He said the reigning pound-for-pound champ is now training as hard and eating as much.
“He’s very comfortable right now because he gets to eat anything he likes. And by training so hard, he stays at 150. He can lose the five pounds in the last two weeks of training and he’ll be safe,” said Neri, a long-time Pacquiao assistant.
Cotto, who agreed to stake his 147 lb title at a catchweight two pounds lower, said during last month’s press tour in the United States he was at 160 lb, and Pacquiao’s conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, said this should favor the Filipino icon.
“Cotto has to work harder than us making weight,” said Ariza.
Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, said Pacquiao is where he should be right now as they entered their third week of training in the country’s summer capital. They will move to Los Angeles on Oct. 24, and to Las Vegas a week before the Nov. 14 fight.
There were reports, however, that Pacquiao might fly to the US earlier because of the spate of typhoons that have hit the country and may have had an effect on his training in Baguio City, which has been terribly affected by typhoon “Pepeng” this week.
Jose Luis Castillo, the former WBC lightweight champion, arrived in Manila yesterday along with super-lightweight Danny Escobar but couldn’t proceed to Baguio to spar with Pacquiao because the major roads leading to the city are impassable due to flooding or landslides.
It’s the first time Pacquiao will fight at 145 lb, even if he took on Oscar dela Hoya at 147 last December. For the fight against the Golden Boy, Pacquiao tipped the scales on the eve of the fight at 142 lb and climbed the ring at 148 1/2.
For this fight, Roach has set the numbers.
“I see him (Pacquiao) coming into the fight at 149 lb, the heaviest he’ll be in,” said Roach.”He was 148 1/2 for Oscar and 147 for Ricky Hatton last May.”
“But I don’t want him going over 150 because going past 150 will make him sluggish. I don’t care if Cotto climbs the ring at 165. We’ll stay at 150 or less,” said Roach, adding that for the official weigh-in the Pinoy champ should be at arounf 143 lb.
Take it from someone who, only a few days ago, felt the power of Manny Pacquiao.
“Definitely, he’s the best in the world today,” said Shawn Porter, the main sparmarte of the boxing champion in his Baguio training camp.
Then without batting an eyelash, he dropped the bomb on what he thinks would be the outcome of Pacquiao’s Nov. 14 title fight with Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“He’s gonna shock the world again,” he said of Pacquiao, who previously stunned the boxing community with remarkable victories over the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Lehlo Ledwaba and the legendary Oscar De La Hoya.
Unbeaten in 10 fights (with eight KOs), Porter had been dominant in his first five rounds of sparring with Pacquiao until Saturday when the Filipino ring icon, slowly getting back into fight shape, finally got the better end of his solid exchanges with the former U.S. Olympic team alternate in three punishing rounds.
The spirited effort certainly satisfied American trainer Freddie Roach, who rated Pacquiao’s present condition to be within the 40 percent range.
But he expects the 30-year-old Filipino superstar to get much, much better as the fight approaches,
Porter readily agreed.
“He’s boxing better each passing day,” said Porter, 21. “Is he (Pacquiao) strong? Yeah, definitely.”
Barring any last minute hitch, former World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo is set to join Porter and Urbano Antillon as Pacquiao sparmates in his training camp at the Shape-Up gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel in Baguio City.
Castillo (60-9-1, with 52 KOs) fought memorable wars with the likes of the late Diego Corrales, Joel Casamayor, Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao is already priming himself up for the coming tough three weeks of training at the famed mountain hideaway, arriving in Baguio City near midnight of Sunday after spending the rest of the day in Manila distributing relief goods to victims of tropical storm “Ondoy.”
He was back at the gym Monday, spending 15 draining rounds of sparring at the mitts with Roach and at least half an hour of isometrics with conditioning coach Alex Ariza.
Sparring resumes Tuesday with Pacquiao expected to go six rounds.
Top Rank’s Bob Arum told the Manila Bulletin on Monday that Manny Pacquiao’s 2010 debut would fall in the second week of March. The working date of March 13 is being tossed around. Arum warned that Pacquiao, and everyone else, should not look past the November 14 clash with WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.
If Pacquiao is able to beat Cotto, Arum told the paper that he plans to begin negotiations with Mayweather’s camp. If Arum is unable to reach a deal within a few weeks, he plans to find another opponent for Pacquiao. The negotiations are going to be very tough. Both Pacquiao and Mayweather have taken a hard line with the money. Both are asking for a bulk of the money. Both of them have refused a 50-50 split.
Legendary Mexican trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain told the Mexican newspaper Primera Hora that he thinks Pacquiao will knock Cotto out, saying, “I believe Pacquiao should put him on the canvas in five or six rounds.”
Obviously, Beristain’s opinion is of great interest given the fact that he has trained two fighters to face Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez (twice) and Oscar De La Hoya. Marquez gave Pacquiao two of his greatest battles, a draw in 2004 and then a much-disputed split decision for Pacquiao in March of 2008. De La Hoya dropped to welterweight to face Pacquiao last December with Beristain as his trainer and received the beating of a lifetime from the Filipino, one that forced him to retire on his stool and then sent him into retirement for good.
One of the enduring memories from the De La Hoya/Pacquiao fight is of Beristain urging Oscar to stop fighting, telling him of Pacquiao, “He’s too fast, he’s just too fast for you.” And Nacho thinks the same breakneck speed that conquered the Golden Boy will prove Cotto’s undoing as well. He says that Cotto is not the same fighter that he was before his crushing defeat at the hands of Antonio Margarito in July of 2008, and that he is making a mistake taking a fight against Pacquiao so soon after changing his trainer. Cotto elevated Joe Santiago, formerly his nutritionist, to become his trainer after firing his former trainer (also his uncle) Evangelista Cotto following a physical confrontation the two had at their gym in Puerto Rico this past April.
Beristain cites Cotto’s June fight with Joshua Clottey as evidence of Cotto’s deteriorating skills. “In the fight against Clottey,” he said, “you could see some of the aftermath of what happened with Margarito. Clottey is not a top-level fighter and nevertheless, in some moments, Cotto was put in predicaments and the punches were affecting him… Before he [Cotto] was a fighter with good technique, fast and well cared for, but he doesn’t seem like himself. He changed his coach, changed some of his habits and catches more punches.”
With the month of October underway the countdown to Pacquiao-Cotto has begun. On November 14th boxing will see the biggest and most anticipated fight of 2009 realized. When this fight was first announced shortly after Cotto won a split decision over Joshua Clottey, it was easy to see why Pacquiao was installed as a 3-to-1 favorite by the Vegas oddsmakers. Six weeks before Cotto nudged by Clottey, Pacquiao blew out the once beaten Ricky Hatton in two rounds. And no fighter gets more hype and is perceived to be unbeatable more so than a big puncher like Pacquiao coming off a spectacular one punch knockout.
Add to that Cotto wasn’t anything close to overwhelming against Clottey, and in reality Clottey blew the fight in the last two rounds as much as Cotto won it, who wouldn’t view Pacquiao as the favorite? What’s been lost in the debate up to this point is Clottey was a much more formidable opponent than Hatton. In a head to head match up Clottey would be an even harder fight for Pacquiao than Cotto based on strength, style and durability.
Speaking of comparing and contrasting fighters, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach commented on the difference between fighting Hatton and Cotto a few weeks ago. Roach said Miguel Cotto has a lot in common with Ricky Hatton. and stated “both boast of jaw-breaking left hooks, both are big and strong, ultra-aggressive and love to go to the body to soften up their foes.”
Then he added, “Miguel Cotto is a lot smarter than Ricky Hatton,” and emphasized that’s the biggest difference between them and that makes Cotto more dangerous. After that Freddie said if Pacquiao thinks he’s in for another easy fight he could be terribly mistaken. It’s easy to see why Roach was asked to compare Cotto and Hatton, and after doing so it’s more than obvious to conclude that they’re in different leagues as fighters.
Other than both going to the body, there’s not much to compare. Hatton is a reckless somewhat face first attacker who comes in with his chin up. Ricky attacks in spurts and doesn’t apply bell-to-bell pressure. Cotto is much more versatile and can either bring the heat and break his opponent down or he can step away and counter-punch like he did when he fought Shane Mosley and Joshua Clottey. Cotto and Hatton are also different in their aggression. Cotto comes in low and is better at cutting off the ring and getting under punches. He also gives his opponent more upper-body and head movement. Hatton is one of those fighters who starts out giving his opponent some side-to-side head movement early in the fight, but once he gets nailed his chin goes up as he looks to load up on every shot.
Hatton is easier to neutralize because his punches come in on an arc and can be blocked or slipped with less effort and movement, as opposed to Cotto who keeps his hands close to his body and is not only harder to hold and tie up, but can get off better inside because his hands are free to punch. Physically, Cotto is clearly stronger than Hatton and is the type of fighter who can wear a smaller opponent down by just trying to hold him off as he presses forward without even engaging with him.
When it comes down to who’s a bigger puncher, it’s not even close. Cotto is an exponentially bigger puncher than Hatton. Cotto fought three welterweight title bouts against Mosley, Margarito and Clottey who happen to have first tier chins. Mosley and Clottey have never been stopped and Margarito’s only stoppage loss came in his last fight against Mosley. Is it even plausible to think Hatton could bother Mosley, Margarito or Clottey with his Sunday left-hook to the head or body? No, it’s not.
The one thing that can be said about Hatton over Cotto is he throws more punches than Miguel does. Cumulatively they don’t add up to being nearly as effective as Cotto’s lesser output, but it’s the only category in which Ricky gets the edge.
As a fighter Cotto is clearly a step up from Hatton. He does everything better and is more versatile. Having said that – I give Roach all due credit for recognizing how smart Cotto is because he’s extremely smart. Miguel is capable of thinking his way through a fight and has shown the ability to change and adjust his style in big fights. Whereas Hatton is the same fighter every time out and isn’t nearly as calm or calculated in the heat of a firefight. When comparing Cotto and Hatton starting with conditioning and all that comes after that, Miguel gets the check mark in his column.
However, Cotto’s versatility advantage over Hatton won’t be a big plus for him against Pacquiao because he’ll have to press and attack Pacquiao like Hatton had hoped to. Just as it was impossible to envision Hatton beating Pacquiao by waiting on him and counter-punching, the same applies to Cotto.
For Cotto to beat Pacquiao he’ll have to survive Manny’s early assault and get out of the first couple rounds. And he’s much better equipped to do that than Hatton was.
There is a quiet confidence among Cotto nation. Miguel Cotto’s training camp has been off and running for quite sometime now, and barely a peep has been heard. The Puerto Rican brawler isn’t much of a talker anyway, he lets his hands to his talking for him, which most boxing fans can appreciate.
Cotto understands clearly just how big a victory this would be for his career. A win over the pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao would launch his stock through earth’s atmosphere and beyond. Most people favor Pacquiao to win this fight, however there is a slightly growing trend that is leaning toward a Cotto upset.
In order for an upset to happen, Miguel Cotto is going to have to hit Manny Pacquiao hard enough to take him out of his groove. When Manny attacks, Cotto will have to be able to hit him hard enough as to where Manny thinks twice about stealing the real estate. If Cotto can make Pacquiao pay for getting in too close, it may turn the tide in his favor. The problem with that is, Pacquiao is so fast that Cotto will have to be able to catch him to hit him.
You can take it to the bank that Freddie Roach has the plan, and I am guessing that they will keep turning Cotto all night long, and they will refrain from too many inside slug outs. Pacquiao will have to get in, and get out fast, he can’t stick around and bang with Cotto. If Cotto can land flush shots on Manny, it could be a very interesting night.
Manny will have to stick with the game-plan to the letter, no mistakes. Miguel Cotto is a dangerous fighter that cannot be taken lightly. Cotto on the other hand will have to fight a perfect fight, and he will have to capitalize on any mistakes that Pacquiao makes. Cotto cannot take rounds off, he has to steal as many rounds as possible in order to win this thing.
According to reports out of the Philippines, Roach says that Manny is 40 percent ready. Roach has also changed his mind, and is predicting a Pacquiao knockout. Roach unlike me is usually right, so put your money on Roach.
WHILE MANNY PACQUIAO continues to rock Baguio City with his mere presence as he prepares for his last fight of the year, his opponent, Miguel Cotto, is quietly getting himself ready for the bout scheduled Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.
“Just getting back from the gym, everything excellent,” Cotto posted in his Twitter page, even as his team has started getting busy trying to come up with a game plan against the hard-punching Pacquiao.
“[I’m] relaxed and feeling good,” added Cotto, who has been posting regular updates on his Twitter page.
“Up until today we’ve held several meetings to examine what Manny can bring to the fight,” Cotto trainer Joe James told PrimeraHora.com. “We are watching many Pacquiao fights. We also saw his two fights where he was defeated, but we are still watching more. Although he has dominated, there is always something we can capitalize on. We do not rule out any fight.”
Cotto had earlier said he was aware of the Filipino ring icon’s vaunted punching power, remarking during a recent press tour that “the punch he gave Ricky Hatton, if he hits with this kind of punch, he can throw Mike Tyson to the canvas.”
“But I’m not Ricky Hatton,” Cotto added.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach, however, said the reigning pound-for-pound king will overwhelm Cotto with speed.
Roach predicted a knockout victory for his ward.
“I picked him to win by decision, but until I started working with him to this camp, the way he’s punching, his speed, we will knock this guy out,” Roach said.
“We will bust him up a little bit. Basically we’re going to have a fast start and we’re not going to give [Cotto] any momentum.”
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 knockouts) will battle Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) over 12-rounds for the Puerto Rican’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Both combatants agreed to fight at a catch weight of 145 lb.
A win by Pacquiao will make him the first boxer to win world crowns in seven different weight divisions, including linear titles.
Meanwhile, Floyd Mayweather Sr. continues to harbor the belief that Pacquiao is no match to his undefeated son, Floyd Jr., who is coming off a 12-round decision over Juan Manuel Marquez.
“Pacquiao had [Marquez] down three times in one round and hurt bad and couldn’t finish him,” Mayweather told FightHype.com. “Not only could he not finish him, he got his ears boxed off after that, so what do you think my son would do to him?”
“Pretty Boy” Floyd and the Pacman are headed on a megabuck collision course next year.
Mayweather may also be headed for a pre-Pacquiao showdown against Shane Mosley, who called out the former pound-for-pound king right on the ring after the Marquez duel.
It’s been quite a spectacle over at the Pacland forumers site, with one like-minded group trying to “boycott” (as if they could) the fistic advance between Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather and Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez this September 19 at the Las Vegas MGM Grand.
The ad hoc movement isn’t confined in that raucous forum alone. It seems that the nearer “Numero Uno vs. Number One” gets, the more intensified the activity is in various news commentary. The rest of the majority seem to throw up their hands in the air and mentally assign them to the category of “nutjobs” or whatever label they can come up with.
Yes, Marquez and Mayweather will not detract from their fighting styles. Technically, counterpunching is boring. Waiting. Running. Not getting hit. The style requires mental savviness, diligence, and patience to dish out damage when the opponent least expects it.
True, it does not have the fireworks of Manny Pacquiao’s style. Even Mexicans resent Marquez’s counterpunching propensities, as they claim “Mexicans do not fight that way”.
I will give you that.
But, puh-leeez. Get real. While many indeed agree that the resulting match would be a relatively “boring fight” — due to the style similarities between all-time greats — no one would doubt that this fight will be a very significant one.
The results I mean.
One would probably expect to: 1) yawn, 2) go back to your lunch, 3) heed the call of nature in the middle of the action, when you crowd yourselves at a local PPV venue. But no doubt there will be anticipation to finally know as to who deserves to challenge Pacquiao’s pound-for-pound crown. No matter how “boring” these fighters are, at the end of that fight, one of them understandably has all the right to tug at Manny shorts begging for a shot at the P4P mantle.
Face it. You’re secretly itching to watch a replay later on while denouncing that in the forums. Heck, you may even have a PPV ticket in your pocket right now.
HBO PPV’s May 2 Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight generated north of 800,000 buys, according to several pay-per-view industry sources. HBO officials… Read full article…
True in typical Pacnuthugging fashion, various movie images get Photoshopped with astounding wit or predictable inanity.
For those of you who haven’t been icebroken with the term “Pacnuthugger”, you clearly haven’t been to the hotbed of Pacmania madness: the Philboxing forum, and its front act, mannypacquiao.ph.
Okay, we all know a nuthugger is someone who hugs… well…… that scrawny bundle containing little white ninjas that make you a man (or a father, if you got careless). It’s actually a metaphor for someone whose loyalty for someone else is so way up in the sky, it may exceed rational or logical constraints, and derails balanced opinion-making. It’s meant for one who ignores facts and bashes just about anyone who tries to denigrate his/her idol. The extreme types are bad-mouthed, bigoted, and sometimes overtly racist, and they usually frequent in forums because they don’t have the balls (pun intended) to personally square off with those who disagree with them.
Obviously, you know who a Pacnuthugger will die for.
But they have their good sides, like humoring us with the below picture for instance. (I’m not really sure if that’s a product of Pacnuthuggerism, but it’s a good one anyway and it got me floored.)
Manny just crossed over from DC Comics to Marvel.
Me? I’m just a really really big fan of Pacman, whom I see still has weaknesses in his boxing repertoire, despite his incredible, mind-blowing improvement. As fond as I am of him, I’m not just gonna throw my brains away.
———-
That’s right. And that’s something like what Hatton did against Manny. Once the Hitman was aggravated, he chose to revert back to an amateurish, 10-year-old strategy that worked against B-class fighters; a club fighting strategy that failed miserably against elite pugilists like Mayweather and Pacquiao.
If only Hatton held his right arm guard much higher, he would have lasted more rounds. Sorry man. Even if you had prior rifts with “Joy” Mayweather Sr., listening to your coach does really pay off.
FILIPINO beakbuster Manny Pacquiao broke many Englishmen’s hearts by dealing their countryman his most devastating defeat with a spectacular second round… Read full article…
The proverbial London bridge fell down on Saturday as the current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao put Ricky Hatton, the junior welterweight champion, out of commission with a devastating left hook that sent the Brit packing, and perhaps; possibly into retirement.
The knockout punch, a solid, overwhelming left hook flush to the Hitman’s chin, was delivered beautifully by the now-legendary Filipino fighter in the final seconds of Round 2. Call it picture-perfect punch, a painting, a portrait, a priceless film-reel moment, but it’s doubtful many adjectives will fail to describe that historic moment when an Eastern bomb rocked a Western iron-clad chin out cold.
Pacquiao’s handling of Hatton was complete and utter domination. Earlier in round one, Manny sent Ricky to the floor twice, punishing him for coming too close to him and trying to stand toe-to-toe with the pound for pound king. Loud-mouthed Floyd Mayweather Snr., Hatton’s trainer, had told him not to engage Pacman on the inside, but to box him intelligently. Yet, as Freddie Roach so accurately argued: box as he must; once Pacquiao does the aggravation, the Hitman will revert to the old “glorified club fighter” who mauls and brawls for a living; who is wide open to the Pacman’s arsenal of punches.
Or as Cus D’amato had it: square pegs do not die round.
Round 1 – Signs of Trouble
That fight night and the millions of fans glued to the bout absolutely found that argument true.
From the onset of the fight, Hatton tried to test the waters by staying true to Mayweather Senior’s gameplan. Pacquiao was slow at first but was just getting warmed up as well. When the Filipino phenom infused pressure by sending a barrage of combos, Hatton seemed to let his heart rule over his head, trying to bridge the distance by lunging himself to Pacquiao and hugging him for dear life.
Well-connected body shots didn’t seem to faze Pacquiao, who, in several times, glided away with little trouble from Hatton’s street fighting predilections. The General Santos native wisely covered his face with his forearms during the cuddling sessions, and if Hatton still wanted to stay intimate with accompanying body shots, referee Kenny Bayless untangled them up, wanting none of those.
Pacquiao sets up a left for Hatton.
All those months of technical training in the Las Vegas outskirts was thrown out the window like a bag of bricks as Hatton reverted back to his true form.
The Hitman got his first taste of the Rockstar logo below as he ate a short but thundering right hook from Pacquiao, just as he was cocking up with his left hook. He got up to his knees just before Bayless’ count ended. For a moment there, Hatton was in a brief reflective mood and probably wondered what the heck he had gotten himself into.
Many of Pacman’s opponents have regretted the hour when they stepped into the twilight zone of Pacmania.
Thereafter, the Filipino’s fury was unleashed before the helpless Hatton, whose face was now reddened by the continuous battering. Ropes to post. Post to center. A thrashing treatment did Hatton receive.
At the end of the tirade Pacquiao managed to send the Mancunian down with an oppressive left straight. Flicking his head like he was saying “tsk”, the gallant Brit beat the count once again but was timely saved by the bell from another occasion of chastisement.
Round 2 – The Concluding Stroke
Ricky seemed to be in his senses once again as he engaged Pacquiao on the outside. The two had rather heated exchanges, but again, Bayless warns Ricky about excessive holding. Manny desperately tries to get out of the body locks and sends a powerful message of his own, including a flurry of vicious left straights and swift hooks from unconventional angles.
With the old Ricky Hatton out, the Hitman didn’t stand a chance against Pacman’s blistering combos.
Manny Pacquiao finally buries all doubts about his lethality by knocking Hatton’s lights out before the round’s end. The spitfire of the Orient, sensing that Hatton already had an eye for his right hook, contributed to the Hitman’s possible retirement by feinting a right jab in front of Hatton’s face but following it up with a huge left hook, planting it square on his right chin. For a split second there, the bomb disfigured Hatton’s face and immediately shut him down, making him thud to the canvas violently to a prone position.
2:59 in Round 2 to be exact.
For Bayless, there was no need to count him out. He dismisses the fight as soon as he sees Ricky’s eyes lost in another world called Disbelief.
Hatton’s sprawled out, prone arrangement was his worst position of his career inside the ring. For many boxing pundits, it signaled the end of his once glorious career that destroyed the likes of Kostya Tszyu and Paulie Malignaggi.
Ricky’s career however, was farthest from the nearest throng’s minds as they saw concern for the Brit’s health. For many Filipinos, Hatton looked like a total mess; a fish out of water gasping for air. Ring physicians ardently checked him out. Fiancee Jennifer Dooley let out a heartbreaking scream. Hatton’s mom dared not to look. And the millions of Brits inside the MGM Grand, who were really better off as soccer fans, were upstaged by their Filipino counterparts, realizing that their own boxing son had finally hit a solid wall.
The Aftermath
Hatton spent the next several minutes on canvas hell while Pacquiao was up on limelight heaven.
Ring doctors were finally relieved that Hatton had the strength to walk away from the ring, albeit, in limping mode.
Mayweather Sr. was nowhere to be seen with the Hatton camp. Instead, Joy spent time signing autographs for the recognition he barely deserves. The rift in the camp beforehand became totally apparent as he pins the loss straight on Hatton, who he claims disobeyed his ring instructions to box and not engage; to fight with his head, not with a foolhardy heart.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao, ever his humble self, was surprised that it was all so easy.
Unsurprising words from someone who eats sparring partners for breakfast.
Nonetheless, his humility still shines through as he credits Hatton for being very strong and possessing significant lead punching.
Freddie Roach, in the post-fight conference, concedes being the best trainer only because of the Philippine’s National Fist.
And Bob Arum, with a smile of a Cheshire Cat, spouts off a load of seeming hyperboles of how Manny is one of the all-time greats.
Many a fighter would go gaga and bloat their heads over his declarations, but Pacquiao handles it quite well by not flinching and simply sipping from a bottle of mineral water.
Pacman rides on to victory.
Certainly, Manny Pacquiao has erased all the doubting Thomases of the boxing world concerning his right as the pound-for-pound sovereign. Many fans expected Manny to win, but not at such a terrifying quickness and intensity. Against Ricky Hatton, all reservations about his elite skill — his vaunted power, lightning speed, ever-increasing skill set, and ever-improving defense — are conclusively laid to rest. No respectable boxing pundit from here on would dare try to belittle Pacquiao.
Not only that. Manny’s greatness also comes from the same humility, magnanimity, and spirituality, which are too astonishing to even think that they exist at his level of international and historical greatness. Muhammad Ali could’ve learned a thing or two from him if they were contemporaries.
With his victory last Saturday, Pacquiao may claim all the right to rise above the pound-for-pound mantle to be in one of the pantheon of history’s greatest boxers.
So far, boxing contenders for the top junior welterweight crown Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton have been so respectful and cordial to each other, the contrast will be all too apparent as the fighters will drum up total devastation on Saturday evening, May 2, at the MGM Grand.
Despite media concerns about Pacquiao’s overworking tendencies and his nagging worry about swine flu, the Filipino spitfire claims he is pumped up a 110 percent and is rearing to crack the British slugger’s ironman frame. Pacquiao’s celebrity trainer Freddie Roach thinks so too.
“He’s been the best I’ve ever seen him in training camp,” Freddie remarked. “He was so sharp… [H]e fought like four perfect rounds… [I]t was really good to see, I was so happy. He came back to the corner, I gave him a drink of water and I didn’t even have to say anything to him.”
Pacquiao’s mother, Dionisia, is in town to watch her son fight for the first time. Nanay Dionisia’s presence seems to have wound up Pacman’s spring dial a few notches tighter.
Even the Hitman was in physical, mental, and emotional peaks. “This is the best Ricky Hatton’s ever been… [I] haven’t lost too many rounds at junior welterweight, never mind fights, because I’ve been too strong,” he said.
The Mancunian has been rather too happy to acknowledge that he continues to be the huge underdog for this fight, saying that he had been in these occasions before. “I love it, I love it,” stated Hatton. “The way people are talking about Manny, you’d think he should be fighting Godzilla.“
In the final press conference at the MGM Grand Casino Resort, the two sensational pugilists only had mutual respect for each other, leaving all the trash-talking to their trainers. Roach characteristically harped on how he’d be disappointed if Pacquiao didn’t stop Hatton at round 3. Meanwhile, the Hitman’s sensei-come-poet Floyd Mayweather Sr. rhymed out his fight opinions, although in a more poetic flair.
In the ring, however, the two won’t be so nice to each other. Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound best fighter by consensus, is heavily favored and is expected to use his bread-and-butter superior punching speed and agile footwork for defense. Hatton, undefeated at 140 lbs., will certainly rely on brute strength and his size advantage over Pacman. The Hitman claimed he’ll certainly add more tactical flavoring to his pressuring and strength-based fighting style. He concluded, “They call this the Battle of East and West. And our worlds will collide in the ring on Saturday night.”
“We haven’t come here to tickle each other,” the Hitman said.
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