Miguel Cotto Sr., the father of former two-division titleholder Miguel Cotto, passed away at the age of 57 in Puerto Rico on Sunday morning, the apparent victim of a heart attack, according to El Nuevo Dia.
The the Puerto Rican daily newspaper reported that Cotto Sr., who suffered from health problems such as asthma and sometimes needed the assistance of an oxygen tank to assist his breathing, was driving early Sunday, felt ill, stopped the car and reportedly asked for help before collapsing.
Cotto Sr., who served in the Puerto Rican National Guard for 25 years and worked Cotto’s corner during the fighter’s loss to Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 14, was very close to his son.
Those in Miguel Cotto’s corner on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena made the executive, majority decision to send their fighter in for a 12th and final round with Manny Pacquiao.
The fight was called 55 seconds into the frame and awarded to Pacquiao by TKO. But, in reality, the fight ended much earlier, as Cotto was gradually worn down after two solid rounds to start the fight.
Speaking in bigger picture terms, Cotto told his fans afterward that the fight goes on in regards to his career.
Despite having both eyes nearly swollen shut and blood coming out from both his nose and a nasty cut above his left eye, Cotto remained in the ring for several minutes following the bout.
“I will continue,” he said defiantly in concluding an interview with HBO’s Larry Merchant. “I will continue fighting.”
Though Pacquiao stole the spotlight — as expected — Cotto certainly lived up to his billing throughout the main event. He proudly displayed the iron chin and the incredibly strong will which he’d long been known for in the welterweight division.
“He has always been a courageous fighter,” Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said. “A great fighter, a courageous fighter.
“It wasn’t one-sided until about the seventh round. That was the round where Miguel hurt Manny.”
It was earlier than that, however, when it became apparent to all in attendance that Pacquiao had taken control of the fight.
Cotto was given a 10-9 decision across the board from the judges following a first round in which he engaged at will with Pacquiao and displayed quickness which was far better than advertised.
But Cotto was stung once significantly in the third round, going down to his hands, and then went to the canvas officially in the fourth.
From that point on, he became visibly worn and couldn’t defend nearly as efficiently as he had at the onset.
“I didn’t know from where the punch was coming,” Cotto said of his trouble seeking out where Pacquiao’s attacks were coming from. “I didn’t protect myself from the punches.
“That really made the difference.”
It appeared as if pride was keeping Cotto going in the later rounds, as he tried to avoid Pacquiao’s flurries by simply moving away.
After the 11th round Miguel Cotto Sr. tried to stop the fight in his son’s corner. Cotto even sounded a bit unsure of going any further.
Referee Kenny Bayless looked for the first sign of trouble in the 12th to call the action, with Cotto showing no resistance to the decision when it came.
“I’ve fought everybody,” Cotto said immediately afterward. “Manny is one of the best boxer’s we’ve had of all time.”
His words over the arena’s public address system were the last any members of the media heard from Cotto, as he was taken to University Medical Center afterward for body scans. His representatives said Cotto generally felt fine and was able to walk under his own power from the dressing room to his team bus after visiting with his family.
There’s every reason to believe that Cotto will continue to fight, even though regaining his previous stature in the welterweight division might be impossible.
When all was said and done, he fared better against Pacquiao than both Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, plus his power can still be a draw, even though it didn’t get him very far on Saturday night.
His warrior-like ability to stand toe-to-toe with Pacquiao for so long, too, may have quelled a bit of the controversy surrounding his split decision victory over Joshua Clottey back in June.
He also caused more damage to Pacquiao’s face than most challengers have in recent memory, as he was quick to point at the puffiness surrounding his eyes and the wrap around his freshly-drained right ear during the post-fight press conference.
Pacquiao said that, despite trainer Freddie Roach’s disapproval, he laid against the ropes a bit during the middle rounds just to test Cotto’s power. He obviously paid a small price for it, though the outcome was never in serious danger.
Will the 29-year-old Cotto — now with a still-impressive record of 34-2 — fight again? It certainly appears that way.
It just might be a little while before that happens.
“Cotto, I think, against a normal, great welterweight, would do OK still,” Arum said. “But he obviously has to take off a considerable amount of time because he did take a beating tonight, and he has to rest his body.”
Pound-for-Pound King Manny Pacquiao delivered a masterful performance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas as he demolished former WBO Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto en route to collecting an unprecedented seventh title in as many weight divisions.
So what would be the excuse this time? Oscar De La Hoya was shot and drained that any regular Joe who knows a little about boxing could have beaten the living daylights out of him while Ricky Hatton’s camp problems and overtraining did him in leading to that second round snoozefest, and so on and so forth.
Certainly, non-believers stressed, those things won’t be happening to Miguel Cotto as he will be the only true and young welterweight that Manny Pacquiao has faced thus far, whose size and power will prove to be too much for the naturally smaller man who by their accounts have finally bitten off more than he could chew this time around.
Well, the Boricua bomber appeared to be the true welterweight indeed as proven by his more massive frame, but his size and power wasn’t enough to deter the Filipino boxing superstar from using his own speed and power as he conducted a systematic demolition job en route to making boxing history by picking up his seventh title in as many weight divisions courtesy of the WBO Welterweight title.
Freddie Roach once lamented during a conference call earlier this month that some members of the media are not giving credit where it’s due. Excuses always crop up each time Pacquiao dominates his bigger opponents well as these concerns were never mentioned prior to the aforementioned fights. He asked the assembled press during the conference call that why isn’t it mentioned enough that the Pacman had a great night and was in fact the one responsible for making his opponents look mediocre and not because they had a bad night or whatever excuses there are.
Naysayers will find it difficult to find an excuse this time as Pacquiao has beaten a legitimate welterweight who was both younger and bigger than the division-hopping Filipino. The Puerto Rican former champion was baffled all night long by the Filipino’s speed, power, and punches that seem to come out of nowhere through all sorts of weird angles, that he was virtually dominated in the score cards save for perhaps a round or two depending on the judges’ perspective. The fight never went to the cards however as referee Kenny Bayless mercifully called a stop to the bout at the 0:55 mark of the 12th and final round.
So what will the excuse be this time? The 145-pound catchweight? Even Cotto himself said that the 2-pound diffrerence is perfectly fine with them which is why they agreed to take on this fight in the first place.
Pacquiao’s left straight kept on ramming through the middle and finding Cotto’s mug all night long. A left upper cut also landed flush on the Puerto Rican’s jaw in the fourth round which sent him wobbling into his second knockdown of the night. Cotto went to his corner after that round looking completely baffled and for the first time in the fight there was a palpable look of resignation on his face. Apparently, they made the fatal mistake that others before them have also paid for dearly and the realization only sunk in after they tasted the canvass twice in the first four rounds. They underestimated Manny Pacquiao and his ability to bring his speed and power despite moving up in weight.
“He hit harder than we expected,” Cotto’s trainer Joe Santiago said in an article by the New York Times. “He was stronger than we expected. Manny broke him down.”
A change of strategy by the Puerto Rican in the fifth and sixth rounds did not help as the vaunted ‘Manila Ice’ right hook of the Pacman repeatedly found its mark when Cotto overly-emphasized on defending against Pacquiao’s dreaded left which has already tagged him several times earlier.
The seventh round onwards progressively turned into a bicyclechase for Pacquiao as Cotto backpedaled from round to round. The Pacman was visibly exasperated
as he stopped chasing the former champion several times and egged him on to stop dancing and engage him in a fight. At this point it was apparent that the proud Puerto Rican was just trying to survive and it was just pride keeping him on his feet. Freddie Roach’s mind games may have affected Cotto’s corner so much that they never bothered to try and call for a halt to the punishment that their ward was getting at the expense of his long-term safety and stability, lest they fulfill Roach’s prediction that Pacquiao will make Cotto quit before the fight is over.
By the end of the fight Miguel Cotto’s face was a swollen mask of pain and punishment that we were reminded of the horrendous beating that he received from the supposedly loaded hands of Antonio Margarito last year. We wonder if that played with Cotto’s thoughts throughout the fight as he apparently was on survival mode in the last few rounds when he went to his bicycle in order to avoid the relentless pursuit of the Filipino.
Props to Miguel Cotto however as he sucked it up and tried to finish the fight on his feet despite the fact that he was well behind on the cards and was taking a terrible beating. Any lesser fighter may have already quit on his stool or something when faced with such a winless prospect.
The classy fighter went up to Pacquiao’s corner after the stoppage and embraced the new champion in a show of profound respect which the two gentlemanly warriors have always accorded each other since day one.
“I didn’t know from where the punches were coming,” Cotto was quoted in an article by the BBC. “Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers I ever fought.”
Will Mayweather Step Up?
With his demolition job of the well-respected former WBO Welterweight champion, Manny Pacquiao once again proved that he is the best boxer of this era and certainly would be in serious consideration in the all-time great discussions. His remaining fights in the ring however may already be numbered as he is seriously contemplating on fighting in a different arena, this time the political kind, starting next year.
His record would already speak for itself and he certainly doesn’t need the money anymore but it would really be a treat if the fight that everybody has been asking for would materialize before he’s done – the much-fantasized superfight with former pound-for-pound holder Floyd Mayweather Jr.
After the fight, when the Pacman was interviewed by legendary boxing commentator Larry Merchant, the fans chanted “We want Floyd” in reference to Mayweather as Pacquiao’s next opponent. The ever-cordial Pacquiao said that he would leave the matter with Top Rank. Trainer Freddie Roach however made no bones about it and said without hesitation that they want Mayweather next as it is the fight that obviously everybody wants to see.
So how about it? Will Mayweather finally step up? And please, no excuses.
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.
After watching the arrival of both Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, I noticed that Cotto’s eyes were sunken, he looked surprised and wide eyed like he saw a ghost, that look is the look of a man who hasn’t eaten in days with no fluids in him. The same look was on previous Pacman victims, Oscar De La Hoya and Erik Morales. That is a key sign of dehydration.
For those of you who say 1 pound doesn’t make a difference in a fight, it sure does make a difference when a fighter is coming down from 175 + pounds. Pacman on the other hand was still fresh looking, no sign of dehydration at all, like he had a big glass of water right before his arrival. He had a big smile, probably from knowing that Cotto is killing himself to make weight. I don’t blame Manny, I would be smiling too if I had such an advantage over my opponent as well.
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said if Cotto goes above the 145 lb limit he will cancel the fight and call it off, basically denying fans of a fight they wanted to see. If I were Pacman and Cotto missed weight by a few pounds and weighed in at 147 lbs, I would give that to Cotto, so I could prove myself against a fresh guy and as Manny says “make the people happy”.
Another reason why Manny should still go through with the fight if Cotto doesn’t make weight is for legacy. If he lets Cotto come in at the 147 lb welterweight limit, he could finally claim that he won a title in legitimate fashion with no catch weight or stipulations.
It is the contest every fan wants to see — Floyd Mayweather Jr versus Manny Pacquiao, the world’s two best boxers battling for the title of pound-for-pound No 1. But before the semi-final has begun, the power players are saying that the final is unlikely to happen soon.
Mayweather’s name will be thrown around in Las Vegas this week, as Pacquiao prepares to challenge for Miguel Cotto’s WBO welterweight title, a bout many expect to be the best of the year. Logically, the winner should face Mayweather, who came out of retirement to beat Juan Manuel Márquez in September, but logic seldom plays a part in such things.
Some bouts are said to be so big that they must happen. But they can take years, often happening too late — as did Lennox Lewis’s contest against Mike Tyson in 2002 — when a last grab for money is the motivation.
Indeed, Mayweather appears more likely to share a ring again with Ricky Hatton than Pacquiao any time soon. Rows over money and promotional rivalries make Mayweather-Pacquiao seem a long way off.
The elite level of the sport, particularly in the United States, can resemble a carousel, revolving with the same names. It can be impossible to get on for some, but once aboard it seldom stops to let anyone off. Name recognition often comes before quality.
Hence one bout being mooted for early next year is between Roy Jones Jr and Bernard Hopkins, who boxed each other first in 1993 and will have a combined age of 86 if they do meet.
Take the case of Hatton. In May he was brutally knocked out by Pacquiao, a bout that had an end-of-career feel about it. Hatton has yet to decide if he will box on, but his brother’s IBO welterweight title bout against Lovemore N’dou tomorrow has stirred his passion again. “Being in the gym around Matthew, seeing him prepare, doing the promoting and seeing other friends being successful has made an impression on me,” he said. “I’m still undecided. But recently my feet have started tapping that little bit more.”
He has not been short of offers. Two big names who are being mentioned as possible opponents for a return in May next year in Manchester are Márquez and Juan Diaz. If Hatton were to win that, he could once more face Mayweather, who knocked him out in ten rounds in 2007.
All of which makes it seem surprising that this week’s bout is taking place. Pacquiao and Cotto are promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank. “My job is to put them in fights where they can make the most money,” Arum said. “Sure, it is tough to see one of my fighters beating up on another one, but I am confident these two guys are going to give a great account of themselves. They are on the biggest stage that boxing can offer and they are going to make a lot of money.”
The window for a Mayweather-Pacquiao bout seems to be about March next year, because Pacquiao is planning to run in the Filipino Congressional elections in May. Arum wants to feature the boxer at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Texas on March 13, but he has denied that Mayweather is being considered as an opponent. Instead, it could be Márquez.
The two have met twice, drawing the first bout and Pacquiao winning a narrow decision in the second. There would be plenty of interest in a third contest, but it is not the one the fans really want.
Dallas would seem an unlikely location, though. Las Vegas casino money is always a factor, while the new Yankee Stadium in New York — which staged the launch press conference for the Pacquiao-Cotto bout — is reportedly keen to stage boxing.
If a Pacquiao bout cannot be agreed, Mayweather would be expected to face Shane Mosley, the 38-year-old WBA welterweight champion. But Mosley will box Andre Berto, the 26-year-old WBC champion, in January. Mayweather may have to wait to face the winner in May, but whatever plans the five-weight champion has are secret.
If Cotto wins — and many believe he will — Mayweather-Cotto would appear easier to organise because the Puerto Rican’s demands would probably not be so great. “I am here for the big names and ready for the hot opponents,” Cotto said. “That’s what boxing needs, for the guys at the top to fight other guys at the top, like it was 20 years ago. Make the fights that fans want to watch. I am here for any boxer that wants to fight Miguel Cotto.”
However, what boxing needs and what boxing gets are seldom the same thing.
Manny Pacquiao made his grand arrival at the MGM Grand on Tuesday, marking the first time in the world champion’s career the Las Vegas ceremony didn’t take place at Mandalay Bay.
Although Pacquiao is known to be superstitious — he stays in the same hotel room at Mandalay Bay for each of his Las Vegas fights — head trainer Freddie Roach said Tuesday’s change wouldn’t throw off his fighter.
“He is superstitious, but stuff like that he doesn’t care about,” Roach said with a shrug.
“Of course,” he added, “He’ll still be staying in the same room.”
Pacquiao’s fans certainly had no trouble tracking him down, as they packed their way into the hotel’s lobby to catch a final glimpse of the Filipino before his WBO welterweight title fight with Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday.
By the time Cotto arrived 90 minutes later, the scene had noticeably died down a bit.
After months of promoting the fight with the reigning pound-for-pound king, however, Cotto says he’s used to Pacquiao’s crowd and that it hasn’t affected his mindset coming into the fight.
“I’ve known since we agreed to do this fight that it’s just going to be me and him in the ring,” Cotto said. “When we get in there, no one can help Manny. No one can hand him something to hit me with.
“I expected it to be like this. Everything Manny has, he has earned.”
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KO) is seeking a world title in an unprecedented seventh weight class when he takes on Cotto (34-1, 27 KO) Saturday night.
He claimed his first on Dec. 4, 1998, when he defeated Chatchai Sasakul for the WBC flyweight title in his 25th professional fight.
As time progressed and opportunities at world titles in heavier weight classes continued to present themselves, Pacquiao transformed from the 105-pound fighter he started his career as to a legitimate welterweight contender.
A transformation of such magnitude actually, that he says he can barely recognize the kid he once was.
“I watch the tape when I was fighting at 105 pounds and I think, ‘I’m just a kid,’” Pacquiao said. “I think back to moving up to 108, then 112, 115, 118, up to welterweight — I can’t believe it. It’s just happened.”
In addition to world titles, another incentive for Pacquiao to move up in weight (at least initially) may have been a desire to stop cutting weight — a process Pacquiao admits was difficult in the early stages of his career.
“It was a struggle,” he said. “When I captured my first title in the flyweight division, I lost my belt because I didn’t make the weight. I decided after that fight to move up to 122 pounds.”
Cutting down won’t be an issue this week, as Roach said they’re feeding Pacquiao five times per day to keep the weight on.
According to his trainer, Pacquiao weighed 148 pounds Tuesday morning and will weigh-in right at 145 for the Nevada Athletic Commission on Friday.
“When he doesn’t have to miss a meal and can eat before weigh-in, which he’ll do twice, he’s happy,” Roach said. “He’ll weigh 149 to 150 pounds at most on fight night. I don’t like him gaining too much weight before the fight.”
While Pacquiao has shown the ability to maintain his speed no matter how much weight he adds, Roach said he believes this will be the last stop in his move up the weight classes.
“With the right opponent we could move up again,” Roach said. “But for top-level guys, I think this is it.”
The historical implications of Saturday night is enough that Pacquiao’s father, Rosalio, will travel to the U.S. from the Philippines to watch his son box live for the first time.
Pacquiao’s mother, Dionisia, saw her son live for the first time in May when he fought Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas.
“It is the first time my father is coming so I am very excited, he wanted to see this fight,” Pacquiao said. “This is a very important fight for me because I can do it, it’s going to be history in boxing. It’s an honor.”
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Francis Thimsel J. Ochoa Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—Speaker Prospero Nograles intends not only to watch the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto super fight in person. He also hopes to enjoy the long haul flight to the US West Coast by sitting beside the Filipino champ’s celebrity mom on the plane.
Despite public calls for austerity in the wake of storm tragedies, Nograles, an unabashed Pacquiao fan, will lead a cheering squad of congressmen leaving on Friday to be at the fight site in Las Vegas on Nov. 14 (Sunday in Manila).
“It’s a long flight, I’ll enjoy it more by sitting beside her because I will not even feel the air turbulence,” Nograles said, referring to Aling Dionisia.
Nograles saw nothing wrong with flying to the United States with a bevy of lawmakers even if it was only a little over a month ago that Metro Manila and Luzon were swamped by floods.
“Just like you, congressmen have freedom of movement, you cannot stop anybody from going around, as long as they are not using government funds. We can be absent in Congress for a day or two,” Nograles, who just arrived Monday from an official US trip, told a press conference.
Nothing can stop them
Nograles said he would miss next week’s Monday session but he would be around for the Tuesday meeting. He promised approval of bills that need final reading by tomorrow (Wednesday).
Although a round-trip ticket to the United States is a luxury to most Filipinos, Nograles said he would only spend a little since his tickets would be offset by his frequent flier miles.
He said he would also save on hotel bills because he would be hosted by fellow Davaoenos in Las Vegas.
Nograles denied that at least 50 congressmen would go with him to the United States, the same number who went to see Pacquiao’s fight with Ricky Hatton.
“Who said that there will be 50 congressmen who will go to Las Vagas? There is no official travel, nobody has been authorized to go there on the House’s account,” he said.
“We can’t stop them because that’s their money, what is important is that the House would not spend for their fares,” said Majority Leader Arthur Defensor.
A good omen
Lawmakers have also been criticized for supposedly placing huge bets on the fight. Nograles said he would place a wager on Pacquiao but it was only to cover his airline economy ticket, which he estimated at $750.
Pacquiao fights have become a sort of a pilgrimage for some lawmakers, along with the public criticisms.
“I have watched at least eight fights of Pacquiao and every time he fights, this issue comes out. But he always wins his fight, so this might be a good omen,” Nograles said.
For Pacquiao, who has been training at a gym in Hollywood, the road trip to Las Vegas begins Monday.
“I’m 100-percent ready,” Pacquiao said on Sunday, when he did a little road work despite his corner’s orders to take the day off.
Pacquiao, who aims to snatch Cotto’s World Boxing Organization welterweight crown when they square off at the MGM Grand, also went to church and rehearsed a few songs for a post-match party.
Weight problems?
Pacquiao will spar four or five more rounds in Las Vegas before tapering off in his training.
His schedule: A formal welcome by MGM Grand on Tuesday, the fight’s final press conference on Wednesday and the weigh-in on Friday.
Pacquiao is expected to leave Los Angeles on Monday afternoon, arriving in Las Vegas in the evening.
Cotto, who trained in Tampa, Florida, is already in Las Vegas. On Sunday, he shrugged off insinuations that he had been struggling to make the weight.
“The last fight I spent more than 24 hours doing nothing,” he told the Examiner.com. “Just waiting for the weigh-in. My weight was 145. All I have to do is add a half hour to my work every day and I am going to reach 145 with no problem.”
Pacquiao earlier said he suspected Cotto was struggling to keep his weight down. There were also speculations the Puerto Rican would purposely miss the catch weight and go over by two pounds to gain an advantage on fight night.
Could Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto recreate 8 minutes of ring mayhem as Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns did 24 years ago ?
Promoter Bob Arum thinks it is possible.
Hagler v Hearns, at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, in April 1985, is regarded by many as the most exciting eight minutes in fight history, with Hagler the winner by a technical knockout in the third round. It was Fight of the Year after both men went at it from the opening bell like men possessed.
Miguel Cotto against Manny Pacquiao brings together two fighters who are sporting icons in Puerto Rico and the Philippines respectively, and who are regarded as boxing’s No 3 and No 1 pound-for-pound, respectively, at present.
Cotto, 29, a two-weight world champion, has fought at welterweight for three years, and has been beaten only once in 35 contests, while Pacquiao, 30, attempts to win a seventh world title in a seventh weight division, which has seen him come up over eight years from flyweight to welterweight. He has been beaten twice in his 55-fight career, with two draws.
Although this contest is taking place at 145lbs, Cotto’s World Boxing Organisation welterweight (147lb) crown is on the table.
When Hagler and Hearns met in 1985, for the WBC, WBA and IBF middleweight titles, Hagler was 30, and had lost only twice, much earlier in his career, while Hearns was 26 and had been beaten just once, stopped in the 14th round by Sugar Ray Leonard.
Arum, who promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto, visited both training camps – in Baguio City in the Philippines and Tampa, Florida.
“The way Manny and Miguel are talking about it, it could be like the three-round war between Hagler and Hearns,” the veteran promoter Arum told Telegraph Sport. “The conventional wisdom is that Cotto is best when he’s aggressive, but I don’t know if he feels he can be aggressive with this guy from the get-go. But if Cotto is aggressive, though, it could be a Hagler v Hearns all over again.”
The second installment of HBO Sport’s reality series 24/7 featured the intense workout session of Manny Pacquiao in Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym. It dispelled rumored buzz on the supposed conflict between Roach and Pacquiao, as seen during the first episode of the series. Maybe it was just editing, but nevertheless, it raised the notion of discord within Team Pacquiao. Apparently, everything is right on track. Good training scenes and an intense sparring session were also showed.
In this episode, Team Pacquiao moves out of the Philippines’ summer capital, Baguio City, and into its capital, Manila. Afterwards, he made his way to the city’s shopping malls. Then, it’s business as usual. Pacquiao has his routine training at Gerry Penalosa’s boxing gym. Roach is seen telling his ward to step up in the sparring sessions. “If you go easy on the sparring, you go easy on the fight,” Roach telling the pound-for-pound king.
In Tampa Bay, Florida, Cotto proceeds with his early morning cardiovascular workout at the local track with his son in attendance. Afterwards, Team Cotto had a team-building session down at the greens. It was the directive of Cotto’s dad, Don Miguel.
Shots of Team Cotto’s camp at the golf course showed a lighthearted side to the intense and stoic boxer from Puerto Rico. Seen with his family and friends, Miguel Cotto takes a break from training and took some time to tee off. A priceless shot was taken showing the undeniable bond shared by Cotto and his son. With three generations of the Cotto family present, it was a priceless shot indeed.
Back in Manila, Pacquiao had some roadwork on the local track. Alex Ariza, Pacquiao’s conditioning coach, had to devise a clever cardio workout on the flat-surfaced track to keep up with the preparations for the November 14 clash against the Puerto Rican boxer.
While Pacquiao allowed the HBO Sports crew to film his sparring, Cotto did not accede to the same. However, Cotto permitted snapshots of his practice fight against two sparring partners.
As for Pacquiao’s break from his rigorous training, he made an appearance in a Philippine television network. He also sang a duet with a Filipina singer. Hearing him sing, makes you grateful he’s a boxer and not a crooner.
The second episode of Cotto-Pacquiao 24/7 showed a balanced view of both boxers’ work time and playtime. In fact, it is worth noting that the HBO Sports crew was able to take a priceless shot of Cotto, along with his family and extended family, having fun at the pool. Here, Cotto is seen pulling down his best friend’s swimming trunks underwater. His best bud returned the favor.
Veteran boxing expert Moy Lainez has known boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao like the palm of his hands.
So when he says the “Pacman” is going to win his 12-round fight against Miguel Cotto for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title two weeks from now, there’s little room left to doubt the man.
“Ako tingin ko talaga mananalo si Manny. Kung ako ang pupusta, within rounds 1 to 5, baka diyan bumagsak si Cotto,” he said.
Filipino ring superstar Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican bomber Miguel Cotto. Top Rank photoPacquiao is no stranger to Lainez, who, along with the late Rod Nazario and Lito Mondejar, formed part of the original Team Pacquiao.
It was in the weekly boxing show “Blow By Blow,” produced by Nazario, Lainez and Mondejar, where the then gangling Pacquiao had his humble beginning.
It was also through them that Pacquiao won his first world title (World Boxing Council flyweight crown) in Thailand 11 years ago, and subsequently, his first foray in the rich American boxing circuit in 2001.
So familiar he is with the boxer he already considers as his son that Lainez wouldn’t dispute what trainer Freddie Roach said in passing that Pacquiao may even knock Cotto out in the first round of their November 14 showdown.
Like Hatton
“Naniniwala ako na may posibilidad pa yun. Hindi malayong maging Hatton yan,” he said.
Pacquiao’s former handler was obviously referring to the vicious second-round demolition suffered by Briton Ricky Hatton at the hands of Pacquiao when they clashed for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) light-welterweight title six months ago.
Like Hatton, Lainez said Cotto does have the size and strength factor going his way.
But as past opponents of Pacquiao would later admit, including Hatton, former world lightweight champion David Diaz and the legendary Oscar De La Hoya, it’s the speed of the current pound-for-pound king that blew them away.
Cotto would be no exception.
“Malaking factor `yung bilis ng kamay at suntok ni Pacquiao. Bibitaw yan, 1-2-3-4. Bago maka-react si Cotto, wala na agad si Manny.
“At tsaka sa welterweight, sa tingin ko mabagal si Cotto,” he said of the 28-year-old warrior from Caguas, Puerto Rico, whose World Boxing Organization (WBO) title will be at stake.
Not the same after loss to Margarito
Lainez also pointed out what other boxing expert had been saying – Cotto has never been the same fighter he once was after suffering his first career loss to Mexican Antonio Margarito last year.
Margarito stopped Cotto in the 11th round of their action-packed welterweight clash, a result that later would be held under suspicion after the Mexican was caught applying illegal hand-wraps during his fight with Sugar Shane Mosley.
“Sabihin na nating kargado si Margarito, pero si Cotto nag-deteriorate na after nung laban na yun. Parang takot ng matamaan,” Lainez said, even pointing to the outcome of Cotto’s last fight against Joshua Clottey, which the Puerto Rican won by split decision.
“Tingin ko nga panalo pa si Clottey doon. Binigay na lang kay Cotto dahil nga para maikasa itong laban kay Pacquiao,” he added.
And should Pacquiao fail to score a knockout and the fight goes the full route, the Filipino has all the more chance of winning.
“Pacquiao pa rin. Mas marami siyang sumuntok kaysa kay Cotto, eh.” said Lainez.
Only one way would Cotto be able to pull off an upset, according to the man behind the weekly boxing show “Rod Nazario’s In This Corner.”
“Sa boxing meron tayong lucky punch. Ang panalo lang ni Cotto knockout.”
MANILA, Philippines – There’s just one thing that can keep the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight from happening, and that’s if the champion from Puerto Rico weighs in at over 147 lb.
“That’s the highest we could go (147 pounds),” Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, was quoted as saying in an Internet report that came out yesterday.
Pacquiao and Cotto are fighting at a catchweight of 145 lb even if the 27-year-old Puerto Rican has agreed to stake his WBO welterweight (147 lb) crown.
At the start of the negotiations, Team Pacquiao tried to drag Cotto down to as low as 143 lb, but the latter said he can’t go lower than 145, and the fight was sealed.
“ I would call the fight off if he comes in weighing more than that,” Roach also said, meaning Cotto will have to make sure or even die trying to make the catchweight.
Or face the severe consequences, like losing all his purse, or even facing a legal battle.
Based on reports, Cotto will be fined $1 million for every pound in excess of 145. He can weigh in at 147, pay Pacquiao $2 million and go on and fight the Filipino pound-for-pound champion.
But if Cotto weighs just a fraction over 147, Roach said he’s pulling the plug on what could be or what should be the biggest fight of the year.
In the fight contract that either fighter who exceeds 145 lb will have to pay a fine, but it’s only today that the details had come out.
“We’re just protecting Manny,” Mike Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, had said.
Pacquiao is three days into training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood after spending more than 30 days training in three different gyms in the Philippines.
Before he boarded the plane to Los Angeles last Saturday, Pacquiao walked around 150 lb, and was happy to report in his regular column that he still gets to eat as much as he wants.
Cotto, on the other hand, must be bleeding to get down in weight. In New York, during the press tour last September, Cotto said he was at 160, and Pacquiao’s conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, liked what he heard.
“It means he has a lot more work to do than us in losing weight,” said Ariza.
While Manny Pacquiao is busy shaking hands and rubbing elbows with Philippine politicians, WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto assumes the role of the quiet underdog who goes about his daily training uninterrupted by the seemingly distracting world that boxing champions live.
HBO Sports returns with another four-part series that features the daily lives of two boxing titans who are about to face off on November 14, 2009, at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
On its first installment, Cotto-Pacquiao 24/7 brings forward the life of Miguel Cotto as he undergoes training and preparation for his upcoming fight with the pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. The series depicts Cotto as a very serious man who is fully immersed in a state of unwavering concentration as he toils inside his training facility in Puerto Rico.
Simple and quiet, Cotto lives the life of a warrior who is getting ready for his upcoming battle with the Filipino boxing superstar. With three weeks to go before fight night, the episode reveals a toned and in-shaped Puerto Rican. It shows a man who prefers the peace and quiet, and the company of his wife and kids away from the unnecessary nuisances of the outside world. He has secluded himself along with his trainers and friends as they put their fight plan in order.
Cotto’s training is reminiscent of Pacquiao’s old ways when he tucked himself in Freddie Roach’s not-so-remote hideaway at the latter’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood. Now, Pacquiao is seen talking politics with a certain Manny Villar, a Filipino senator hoping to become the next Philippine president. Apparently, Mr. Villar is trying to get TV mileage by throwing himself in the fray, which results in certain delays in Pacquiao’s schedule, much to the dismay of Coach Roach.
Keeping things simple and quiet is perfect for maintaining focus and concentration for the task at hand. Evidently, this is what Cotto is staying true for his upcoming fight.
LOS ANGELES — Miguel Cotto’s handlers say they will carefully scrutinize the gloves and hand wraps of Manny Pacquiao before their World Boxing Organization welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.
Miguel Cotto Sr said Tuesday they blundered by not inspecting Antonio Margarito’s gloves prior to Cotto’s lone career loss in July of last year and vow never to let it happen again.
“We only commit the same error once,” said Cotto Sr. “We will never make that mistake again.”
The increased vigilance comes after Margarito was caught using “loaded wraps” in his following fight against Shane Mosley in January.
Unlike Cotto, Mosley’s trainers entered Margarito’s dressing room prior to the fight. There they noticed that a damp hard white powder had been placed in between the rows of wrapping and tape before Margarito put his gloves on for the fight.
It has never been proven that Margarito cheated by using a plaster of Paris type substance for the Cotto fight but suspicions are strong, especially in Cotto’s camp and that’s the reason for the stepped up inspections of opponents’ gloves and wraps.
Cotto, of Puerto Rico, senses he has the public support on this one.
“A loss is a loss. Nobody knows for sure if he uses it with me, or not, just Margarito and his team,” said Cotto, after a 90 minute workout at the Pound4Pound Gym in Beverly Hills Tuesday. “But it makes me feel better (about the loss). Boxing fans are knowledgeable. They are the judges.”
A classic boxer in the true sense of the word, Cotto is 34-1 with 27 knockouts.
Cotto bristled Tuesday at suggestions by Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach that the first loss is one of the toughest for a previously unbeaten fighter to recover from.
Cotto denied that the loss to Margarito had any negative effect on his confidence in the ring.
“Why don’t you ask Manny that question because he has had three losses I have just one,” Cotto said.
“My commitment is with myself. In my last fight (Joshua Clottey) I could have stopped the fight (cuts) but I decided to stay in the ring because of my commitment to myself and my family.”
“Sometimes when you lose you win. Since Margarito great things have come to my career.
“Where is Margarito right now and where is Miguel Cotto?”
Said Cotto Sr, “We have worked a lot with his mind and staying focused. Mentally he is a strong guy.”
Roach is predicting that the November 14 fight at the MGM hotel and casino won’t go the distance and that the favoured Pacquiao will knock Cotto out capture his seventh title in seven different weight classes.
“This is the problem,” Cotto said. “Freddie Roach is not the guy who is going to climb into the ring. If he prepares Manny for just nine rounds then he has three more rounds.
“He (Roach) can say whatever he wants. One day he says the first round and the next day he says round seven. I’m preparing for 12 rounds and nobody is going to know what will happen until the night of the 14th.”
Cotto said he is focusing on this 145-pound bout and doesn’t listen to talk about Pacquiao (49-3-2, 27 KOs) possibly fighting Floyd Mayweather in a mega title fight if he beats Cotto.
“He can fight Mayweather as many times as he wants after I beat him,” Cotto said.
Cotto respects Pacquiao for the way he has come from modest roots in the Philippines to become a world class boxer who is revered by Filipinos at home and abroad.
“He has earned everything he has,” Cotto said. “Manny looked good against Oscar De La Hoya and (Ricky) Hatton. But I’m not Oscar or Hatton. Manny chose the right time to fight Oscar.”
Cotto is looking forward to wrapping up training camp, heading to Las Vegas next week and says this is the biggest fight of his life.
“It is the most important fight of my career, but we’ll have to see on the 14th if he is the toughest guy I have fought in my career,” Cotto said.
Miguel Cotto believes fighting Manny Pacquiao at 145lbs is to his advantage and not the Filipino’s.
The pair meet in Las Vegas on Saturday night for Cotto’s WBO welterweight title, but with Pacquiao more used to fighting in lower divisions, the fight has been made at a catchweight of 145lbs – 2lbs below the regular welter limit.
However, Cotto says shedding an extra two pounds will not be a problem for him and that his power at the weight is likely to prove crucial to the outcome.
Asked about the issue, Cotto said: “When we took this fight we decided that we were fine with 145. We knew we could do it and we knew we would be at our best the next night.
“We would not have taken this fight if we didn’t think I was going to be at my best the next night after the weigh-in.
“The last fight I spent more than 24 hours doing nothing. Just waiting for the weigh-in. My weight was 145. All I have to do is add a half hour to my work every day and I am going to reach 145 with no problem.”
Pacquiao has produced some explosive knockouts during his career, arguably none more spectacular than his dismissal of Ricky Hatton inside two rounds in his last outing in May.
That contest was staged at light-welterweight though and Cotto says the step up will not favour the ‘Pac Man’.
He said: “He is coming from a lower weight division and if he thinks he is going to have the same power as Miguel Cotto, his thinking is very wrong.”
The naturally lighter Pacquiao is likely to use his speed in a bid to counter Cotto, but the Puerto Rican says he’s worked on combating that aspect of his opponent’s style.
“I am prepared for anything he can bring me that night,” Cotto added. “He has a lot of things beside his speed. I have to be prepared for all he can show me.
“We know he has speed. We know he has a style and we are prepared to beat it. You’ll find out on the 14th how I am going to deal with his speed. It’s not going to be a factor even though everyone thinks it is.”
Voiced over by Liev Schreiber and described as the most anticipated fight for 2009, HBO Sports follows the lives of the two fighters who will face off on November 14, 2009, at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Dubbed as Cotto-Pacquiao 24/7, this groundbreaking HBO Sports reality series returns again with four episodes as it features the daily lives of two of the most exciting boxers today: WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
The first episode highlights Pacquiao’s training in Baguio City, Philippines. Under the watchful eyes of Coach Freddie Roach, Team Pacquiao opens its doors and lets the whole world witness what they do to the P4P king in preparation for the November 14 clash.
In one shot, they show Pacquiao doing laps in the swimming pool in lieu of the usual roadwork. Due to the strong typhoon that hit the Philippines, Team Pacquiao resorted to pool training instead of the routine run.
The episode also puts Freddie Roach on the spotlight as he spoke on how he preferred Canada as Team Pacquiao’s training site rather than Baguio City. Roach, however, was overruled because Vancouver “rains too much.”
The first installment of this series also showed the usual suspects in Team Pacquiao, with the addition of new characters, including Pacquiao’s hairdresser. Apparently, the P4P king needs to have a good hair day every day.
With Spanish music in the background, the episode segues into Miguel Cotto’s training camp in Puerto Rico. Narrator Schreiber adds that Cotto started his training a month ahead of Pacquiao’s. Festive music sounds off as the episode featured highlights of his victories against Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. The mood of the music, however, got dramatic when images of his only defeat, in the hands of Antonio Margarito, were shown.
The episode also offers a glimpse of Cotto’s training. Before leaving his camp in Puerto Rico for Florida, Cotto held an open workout session. In the next panel, viewers get to see the family-man side of the welterweight champ. Here, Cotto brought his wife and kids along as he gets inked for his ninth piece of skin design at the tattoo parlor.
Cotto also shared intimate details of his married life. He admitted that he was not always the best husband but he and his wife are working on reconciliation after having been separated for about three years.
Back in Baguio City, former lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo joins the team as Pacquiao’s new sparring partner. Also, the alleged conflict and physical altercation between advisor Michael Koncz and conditioning coach Alex Ariza has been put forward. Freddie Roach, however, just laughed it off while Koncz downplayed the well-reported incident.
“The fight is 21 days away,” the narrator pointed out.
With three more episodes to follow, the first installment of the Cotto-Pacquiao 24/7 is a good start to the series. It rightly documents the tragedy that struck the Philippines, which in turn added drama for the Pacquiao camp. In addition, the episode also casts a well-balanced view of Pacquiao’s training in the typhoon-torn Baguio City.
Cotto, on the other hand, is rightly depicted as a no-nonsense boxer. The episode casts light on him as a fighter’s fighter; a serious and unemotional man who goes about his training. The viewers are given the perspective of Cotto as someone who shows impassive patience and endurance in pursuing his quest for honor and greatness.
THERE’S A REASON why Freddie Roach has been baiting Miguel Cotto into a word war with taunting one-liners—and it has nothing to do with disrespect.
“Cotto is a tough guy, a very strong guy,” Roach said. “I respect him.”
Rather, the renowned trainer wants the Puerto Rican champion mentally roughed up on fight night when Manny Pacquiao guns for his WBO welterweight belt on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“We want him to go crazy,” Roach said. “I want him to hate my guts. I’ll get inside his head [whenever] I can.”
And that’s just phase one of Roach’s plan, which he got going by predicting Pacquiao would knock Cotto in one round. It isn’t plain needling, though. Told that Cotto is studying to become a counterpuncher for the fight dubbed “Firepower,” Roach actually hopes to rock the 29-year-old champion early to lure him into a brawl.
If he gets knocked down in the first round, he’s gonna go crazy,” Roach said. “We want to throw him off. He’s gonna try to be a counterpuncher but if Manny hits him, he’s gonna be back to his aggressive style and that’s where were gonna hit him.”
Roach has studied Cotto’s fights in the past and knows his penchant for slow starts and he expects Pacquiao to set the pace early.
“We will not give him any momentum,” Roach said. “I think we’re going to have a window of opportunity to catch him cold so we have to put some pressure on him right away but we are going to do it in a scientific way. Manny is not [the] reckless fighter that he once was. He’s a lot stronger now.
And part of that strength comes from the work the Filipino ring icon puts into training.
Talking to ESPN’s Dan Rafael, Top Rank chief Bob Arum, who is promoting the fight, praised the way Pacquiao works out in preparation for bouts.
“I know Cotto works hard, but in contrast to the other guy [Pacquiao], it looks like he’s taking a vacation,” Arum said. “Pacquiao goes for, like, four or five hours. It’s amazing. They train differently. Pacquiao is so work-intensive. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.
“When I was with Cotto, I saw him do 10 rounds one day and six rounds another day. He looked good. He’d do his two hours and be done. After two hours, Manny’s just getting started. I’m glad Manny pays Freddie a lot of money, because he earns it.”
Former lightweight champion and Pacquiao sparmate Jose Luis Castillo had the same thing to say in an interview with the LA Times’ Lance Pugmire.
“You have to have [guts] to get in the ring with [Pacquiao], he’s very dedicated and is all about constant preparation. It’s going to be a great fight. The more intelligent man will win, and Manny is very smart.”
The Pacquiao-Cotto clash features two of the best boxers today; boxers who faced up to the adversities and never backed down on big challenges. With Pacquiao’s speed and punching power, and Cotto’s size advantage and technical superiority, the November 14 mega-fight promises nothing but fireworks. With the pound-for-pound king going up against the welterweight champ, it is the unpredictability of the outcome that makes this fight the most-awaited encounter of the year.
Both Pacquiao and Cotto are not mere weekend warriors. Neither do they choose to be selective with regards to their opponents by picking those that present low risks, like smaller Mexicans for instance, and thereafter claim to be the best in the world.
Pacquiao and Cotto have climbed up the boxing food chain by beating the best that their respective divisions had to offer. From Barrera, Morales, Marquez, Dela Hoya and Hatton to Mosley, Clottey, Malignaggi and Judah, you name it; they have fought the cream of the crop.
Unlike some boxers out there who claim to be the greatest by taking on easy fights, Pacquiao and Cotto have fought the best. Accordingly, Pacquiao and Cotto are rightfully bestowed the honor and prestige of being the kings of the boxing universe.
And with their respective countrymen backing them up, the Pacquiao-Cotto clash is a sure fire mega-encounter between two of the best boxers in its truest sense. Expect fireworks on November 14.
First off, what is a “mega-fight” as used in boxing parlance? Practically, the term mega-fight is used in the business to connote a much-anticipated encounter between two very well-known pugilists. In addition, mega-fights are synonymous to sold-out stadiums and huge pay-per-view buys.
Recent mega-fights would include encounters Pacquiao-Hatton, Pacquiao-Dela Hoya, Mayweather-Hatton, and Mayweather-Dela Hoya. But the Mayweather-Marquez, it was a snoozefest!
Reports regarding the Mayweather-Marquez pay-per-view stated there were around a million buys. Ha! Did those numbers include tickets each sold at $12 by theatre houses?
Boring as it already was, the Mayweather-Marquez fight did not offer any thrill coming on to fight day. Everybody expected a Mayweather win. Look at the guy. He was 15 pounds heavier against the smaller Mexican Marquez. Unless you are member of the loyal fan base of either boxer, the fight was a clear mismatch that nobody in their right mind would pay to see.
The Pacquiao-Cotto; now that’s a mega-fight! With tickets sold out under a month to go before fight night, there has been incessant buzz about this fight. In fact, it overshadowed the Mayweather-Marquez in terms of hype and buildup.
So come November 14, tune in to this year’s most awaited slugfest: Pacquiao-Cotto Firepower.
It was reported that the pay-per-view amount generated from the fight between Oscar Dela-Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., generated over two million buys. That is a huge sales figure considering that the boxers involved are in the spotlight.
On the other hand, the recent encounter between Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez was reported to have generated around a million PPV buys. HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg expressed surprise over the unexpected results. However, he credited Marquez’s Hispanic fan base for the overwhelming PPV sales without discounting Mayweather’s PPV selling power.
On November 14, 2009, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will face off against WBO welterweight champ Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Dubbed as Firepower, there has been so much buzz and hype surrounding this mega-fight. The anticipation and thrill over Firepower is manifest by its tickets sales. In fact, Firepower tickets were sold out within a few weeks as against the Mayweather-Marquez fight, which was struggling at the gates.
Pacquiao and Cotto are practically household names, not only in the U.S. but also in their respective countries. Pacquiao, in particular, has been hailed a modern-day hero for bringing honor and prestige to the Philippines on the world stage. This is the same with Cotto in his homeland, Puerto Rico.
There is no doubt Pacquiao and Cotto can fill up an entire stadium with the Firepower mega-fight. However, can they sell over a million PPVs?
I don’t think they can sell over a million PPVs. Though I could not speak for Cotto and the rest of the Puerto Ricans, the reality with most Pinoys is that they come together in a single household to watch Pacquiao’s fights. There could be a hundred people watching the fight but only one household bought the PPV.
Pinoys love big gatherings. Whether it’s the Holidays, birthdays or any other meaningful occasion, they love to congregate and celebrate. This upcoming mega-fight with their “kababayan” is just another excuse for them to unite and watch as the Filipino hero battles it out with the Puerto Rican champion.
Come November 14, visit a Filipino household, and expect a crowded place filled with lots of food and drinks. And there will be a lot of cheering and shouting as the action unfolds.
MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao remains the heavy favorite against Miguel Cotto, and the WBO welterweight champion from Puerto Rico is using the odds stacked against him to his favor.
“Miguel is driven by the people saying Pacquiao will beat him,” Joe Santiago, the chief trainer of Cotto, told fightfan.com yesterday, just 23 short days to the fight set in Las Vegas.
“It’s extra motivation and he is coming with fire because people are saying he can’t win,” added Santiago of Cotto, who has walked the extra mile in training as compared to Pacquiao.
Fight odds coming out of Las Vegas yesterday placed Pacquiao at -250, meaning you need to put $250 to win a hundred bucks. Cotto is at -190, meaning a hundred wins $190.
Pacquiao is a non-believer of fight odds. Not because he says he doesn’t place bets on his own fights, but because he believes that all bets are off once the opening bell sounds.
Cotto, however, loves to look at the odds as a motivating factor.
Over at the Fight Factory Gym in Tampa, Florida, which serves as Cotto’s training headquarters, the younger and bigger Puerto Rican is banging away on a heavy bag with Pacquiao’s image on it.
It was a gift from Everlast, the leading manufacturer of boxing equipment, to the 27-year-old Cotto, a natural welterweight (147 lb) who will be paired against Pacquiao who started out as a skinny 106-pounder.
The fight, however, is set at a catchweight of 145 lb.
Pacquiao is into his fifth week of training, the first four weeks spent in Baguio City, which is cooler, and the last few days in Metro Manila, which is definitely hotter.
He leaves for Los Angeles tomorrow evening to resume training at the Wild Card Gym, and after two more weeks he heads to Las Vegas for what could be the fight of the year.
Pacquiao surely wouldn’t mind Cotto hitting the heavy bag with his image on it, because he’d done it before, plastering a carded image of Oscar dela Hoya on Freddie Roach’s body armor.
Pacquiao wouldn’t mind as well that Angelo Dundee, the great trainer, visited Cotto in his Florida gym, and based on pictures, looked like he was giving some pointers to the Puerto Rican champ.
But they could be the same pointers he gave Dela Hoya, who just couldn’t handle Pacquiao and had to quit on his stool in their fight last December.
Santiago says history might just repeat itself for Cotto.
“Before Miguel fought Carlos Quintana a few years ago many people were picking Quintana to win and that really motivated Miguel. The night of the fight he was so focused to prove people wrong that it really gave him a boost in the fight. We’re seeing that again with the way so many people are picking Pacquiao to win on Nov. 14,” he said.
“Everyone on the team is very confident about what we’re doing. Miguel has done everything asked of him in camp. Each week we’ve had a game plan and everything has been accomplished,” he added.
By NICK GIONGCO
Freddie Roach has a gut feeling that Miguel Cotto is not going to press the action against Manny Pacquiao but will resort to being a counter-puncher in a bid to mess up the Filipino’s all-out attacking style when they meet on November 14 in Las Vegas.
Roach’s eyes lit up when told about reports about Cotto utilizing a 24×24 ring instead of the standard 18×18 that fighters normally use in preparing for fights.
“Cotto will try to be a counter-puncher and be like (Juan Manuel) Marquez,” said Roach on Wednesday as he was awaiting the arrival of Pacquiao at the Gerry Peñalosa Boxing Gym in Mandaluyong, putting sense into reports that Cotto is indeed using an oversized ring.
A slugger by nature, Cotto is said to be learning counter-punching moves in the hopes of emulating what Marquez did in his two fights with Pacquiao.
While Marquez battled Pacquiao to a draw in the first match and was narrowly beaten in the rematch, the crafty Mexican is the only fighter who has given Pacquiao so much pain and punishment as all the others — like the legendary Oscar De La Hoya and even the rock-hard Ricky Hatton — proved no match to the Filipino’s blinding speed and paralyzing power.
Pacquiao was expected to go between 10 to 15 rounds with the mitts on Wednesday as he enters the final phase of his training in the country.
Pacquiao and the rest of his team leave for the US on Saturday night so they could resume training on Monday under more familiar conditions at the Wild Card in Hollywood.
This afternoon — behind closed doors — Pacquiao will go 10 rounds in sparring with Shawn Porter, Jose Luis Castillo, and Urbano Antillon.
by Reyma Buan-Deveza and Trina Lagura, abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA – Three artists, not just one, will sing the country’s national anthem in Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s much anticipated showdown with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on November 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The people’s champ confirmed to abs-cbnNEWS.com in an exclusive interview that “La Diva,” dubbed as the Destiny’s Child of the Philippines,” will sing “Lupang Hinirang” in the Pacquiao-Cotto “Firepower” clash.
The pop girl group is composed of “Pinoy Pop Superstar” champions Jonalyn Viray (soprano), Aicelle Santos (alto) and Maricris Garcia (mezzo-soprano).
Viray is the 1st grand champion of the singing contest, while Garcia is the 3rd Pinoy Pop Superstar champion. Santos, on the other hand, was a runner-up in the second season.
Pacquiao said the three auditioned in the early part of this year. Other artists from networks ABS-CBN and GMA 7 also took part in the audition, he said. The boxer cited Jolina Magdangal as one of those who wanted to sing the national anthem.
The Filipino boxing icon was particularly impressed by the “La Diva” when he saw them perform. He added that he believes “La Diva” will do justice in singing “Lupang Hinirang” next month.
The boxing champion also admitted that he was told that international singers Charice and Lea Salonga were interested in singing the national anthem for the fight.
“Pero hindi ko naman sila nakausap. Kung nakausap ko, siguro sila. Pero ‘yong ‘La Diva’ kasi, na-oo-han ko na. Mahirap naman at baka masabi wala akong isang salita,” Pacquiao explained.
According to law
To avoid any controversy like what happened to Nievera when he sang “Lupang Hinirang” in Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton bout on May 2, Pacman assured that the trio group will sing the national anthem according to what the law prescribes.
The National Historical Institute (NHI) lambasted Nievera for his alleged “wrong” rendition of the “Lupang Hinirang.”
Critics said Nievera sang the first part of the song too slowly and should not have belted out the last words of the song.
The NHI said this constituted a violation of Section 37 of Republic Act 8491 or the 1998 Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, which states that the rendition of the national anthem, whether played or sung, should be in accordance with the original musical arrangement of Julian Felipe, which follows a marching-type beat.
Violators may be imprisoned for not more than a year and fined at least P20,000.
MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao yesterday declared himself “70 percent” fit and ready for his Nov. 14 fight with reigning WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.
After another day of sparring at the Shape Up Gym in Baguio City, the 30-year-old Filipino ring icon said he’s happy with where he is right now.
“Sa tingin ko ngayon ay nasa 70 percent pa lang ako sa pagkahanda (I think I’m 70 percent ready),” said Pacquiao.
With only 29 days left before the fight, Pacquiao said being at 70 percent is just the right thing to do, since it’s not advisable for him to reach his peak with still some distance to the fight.
“Hindi maganda ‘yon (That won’t be good),” he said of a possible case of peaking too early or being burned out in training. Earlier this week, Pacquiao tipped the scales at 150 lb.
That gives him enough time to slowly but surely make the catchweight of 145 lb. One of his trainers, Nonoy Neri, said Pacquiao is right on track, meaning he can still eat as much as he wants as long as he trains as hard, including sparring with former world champion Jose Luis Castillo.
Last Oct. 1, Freddie Roach said Pacquiao was at 40 percent of his full potential, but added that before they leave for Los Angeles on Oct. 24, the reigning pound-for-pound champ should be “80 to 90 percent” ready.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao and Roach will be given plaque of recognition by the Baguio Elderly Assembly (BEA) during the Parangal Rites at the Rose Garden in Burnham Park on Sunday.
The popular fighter-trainer tandem will be cited for their exemplary leadership and highly meritorious list of achievements in the boxing world.
BEA is the biggest aggrupation of elderly associations in Baguio and Benguet which boasts of 25,000 members.
Over in Tampa, Florida, Cotto also reported that everything’s going on smoothly.
“We are very good, very happy, very pleased with the camp. It is the best preparation we have done. Also a little sore from the intensity of work in the afternoons here in the gym and in the mornings at the track, but we know that these pains go away and that our ‘performance’ will greatly improve,” he was quoted as saying.
Cotto, younger and bigger but not necessarly stronger than Pacquiao, also said in an article posted by the examiner.com, “I feel very calm, I do not have anxiety. Unlike many previous campings, we are enjoying our time and the day to day activities along with the people in my camp, as much in the track as in the gymnasium.”
Cotto is a couple of weeks ahead of Pacquiao in training, but said during the fight’s press tour last month in the United States that he was at 160 lb, meaning he’s got a lot more work to do in losing those pounds.
After a few weeks in Puerto Rico, he now trains at the Fight Factory Gym owned by Cuban trainer Pete Fernandez. Like Pacquiao, it’s twice-a-day of training, doing cardio, jump rope and gauntlet plus road work in the morning, and gym work in the afternoon. – Abac Cordero with report from Artemio Dumlao
TAMPA – Interesting tattoos. They spread out across the arms and torso of Miguel Cotto like a creeping vine, growing upward, closer and closer to his cheek and chin, toward that crazy Mike Tyson look that Cotto might want to avoid.
When it’s jokingly suggested by a member of the media that Cotto doesn’t let the tattoo creep up onto his face ala Tyson, Cotto just grins. He’ll do what he wants, but I’m guessing the artwork won’t stretch past the collar line.
The tattoos have grown some since the last time Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) was here training at the Fight Factory. That was this spring when he was getting ready to fight Joshua Clottey in June at Madison Square Garden. He won that fight, but it didn’t come easy. He won by split decision and received a bad cut over his eye from a head butt early in the fight. Any questions about his heart were answered.
So he and his growing tattoos and his young trainer, Joe Santiago, are back in Tampa, training for his fight with Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2) on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Cotto likes training in Tampa. There aren’t a lot of distractions here and the weather in October is hot and humid, kind of like it is back home in Puerto Rico.
“Puerto Rico is my country and that’s where I live,” he said, talking with the media after a two-hour workout that included skip roping, bag work, a session on the focus mitts and some crunches. “But there are a lot of distractions when I’m there. That’s what I like best about Tampa, there are no distractions. I do two things when I’m here. I train and I rest. Train and rest.“
Cotto’s training regimen is a lesson in routine. Everything is planned, precise and consistent. And he seldom says a word. He just listens to his music and works the rope or the bag or the mitt. The last time we were here when he was getting ready for Clottey, he went through the same routine he went through for Pacquiao, again, hardly saying a word.
He doesn’t give out secrets.
Promoter Bob Arum, who promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto, was in town this week to see how the second half of his promotion was doing. Earlier this month, he was in the Philippines checking on Pacquiao, who is training in his home country intil later this month.
“I’m very, very careful not to favor one fighter over the other,“ Arum said as he watched Cotto train. “Right now, with Manny so far away, it makes it easier (not to show favoritism). I never interfere. I just want to see that they are both getting the best possible training.”
Arum might not have a favorite, but Pacquiao is a bigger draw right now than Cotto, and he’ll get a bigger piece of the pie.
“I take great pride in this fight,“ Arum said. “We have two guys who are going to make their biggest payday on Nov. 14. Pacquiao will make over $20 million and Cotto will make over $10 million. And I helped create that.“
Still not showing any favoritism, Arum said Pacquiao’s biggest advantage going into the fight was having trainer Freddie Roach in his corner.
“Manny is an offensive machine,” he said. “He blends in his defense in the best possible way. In essence, he turns himself into a magician in the ring. He can disappear while in plain sight.
“Manny is an explosive puncher, but he doesn’t have the ultimate power Miguel has. Miguel is the bigger guy, and Manny might be vulnerable to Miguel’s left hand to the body and the head. It’s how Manny reacts to those left hands that will be the story of the fight.”
Arum said there are no secrets about what each one brings into a fight.
“They both have histories,“ he said.
The two will be fighting for Cotto’s WBO welterweight title, though they’ve abandoned the 147-pound limit and agreed to a catch weight of 145 pounds.
Asked what he thought of the catch-weight, Cotto said if he thought he’d have trouble making 145 pounds, they wouldn’t have taken the fight.
“I weighed 146 when I fought Clottey,“ he said. “I’m in my best shape ever.”
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.
Manny Pacquiao’s upcoming bout against Miguel Cotto has raised some questions, especially considering that Pacquiao will supposedly be at a disadvantage because he’s moving up in weight.
Yes, attempts have been made to even matters out by reducing the contracted weight to a couple of pounds below the welterweight limit.
But today I saw a copy of the tale of the tape, and I notice that Pacquiao has exactly the same reach as Cotto – 67 inches. That’s very interesting. Suddenly, Cotto’s advantage shrinks. When the smaller, quicker guy can match the bigger, stronger guy for reach, then it’s a different ball game. I reckon reach is a far more telling statistic than even height!
By the way, Floyd Mayweather has a reach of 72 inches – that would be a big advantage for Mayweather if he ever were to fight Pacquiao. Mayweather’s last victim, Juan Manuel Marquez, has a reach of 67 inches (the same as Pacquiao and Cotto).
MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas, 14th of November, 2009.
With the end of 2009, closing in on us all, and thoughts of vacations, and time with our friends and families, its also been a time to reflect on the past year, and also, the year ahead. Not so, for Miguel Cotto, and Manny Pacquiao. These two ring warriors are in fierce battles with themselves, preparing to face each other on November 14th. There has been some tremendous match ups this year but this is going to be special. It’s one of those fights, that just thinking about it, gives you butterfly’s in your stomach, and it’s one of those fights that you know, will live up to its name. “Firepower”.
Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao are two very different fighters, with totally different styles of fighting, but both have one thing in common. Power.
With 89 fights between them, and 64 of their opponents being relieved of their senses, with most of their knockouts coming by an accumulation of punches thrown in combinations, could this fight be dubbed as anything else?
Miguel Cotto started his career after the 2000 Olympics, and quickly stormed up the light welterweight division, fighting a mixed bag of hopefuls, and former world champions along the way.
In 2004, he fought Kelson Pinto, for the vacant WBO World title, and battered the man who had beaten him in the amateurs, to win his first world championship belt.
From that time onwards, Cotto has never taken a backwards step, moving forward, stepping up to fight quality opponents, and giving us, the fans, some memorable nights, on his path to glory. One night in particular was when he fought Ricardo Torres, at the “Boardwalk” in Atlantic City. This town gave us some brutal encounters over the years, and Cotto v Torres was another night to remember.
Ricardo Torres had come into the fight as a late replacement, and was a virtual unknown to not just the boxing fans around the world, but to the boxing media. When he entered the ring, many thought this was going to be another lamb to the slaughter, at the hands, of the man from Caguas, Puerto Rico.
Cotto came out fast, sticking the jab, and following with some fast left hooks, all the while, stalking, and targeting Torres’ body. All expectations of a good fight went out the window, when Torres went down in the first round, from a left hook from Cotto. Torres got up, with his eyes wide and clear.
In a brilliant, round two, which saw Torres eat more hooks, until, suddenly, catching Cotto on the hop, he landed a thunderbolt punch flush on the jaw of the Puerto Rican, which sent him into panic mode, but also ignited him to feel the need to trade bombs on the inside, which could have cost him the fight. Coming forward, body bent, and head bowed, all the while swinging away wildly, Cotto was nailed again by another left hook haymaker, but got up and went back to his corner, knowing he had taken Torres’s best. What a round.
As the rounds progressed, and with a growing confidence in his ability to visibly shake Cotto up, Torres foolishly left his body and head wide open, and Cotto continued to persevere and punish him, until, finally in the 7th, he let rip, a tremendous, clinical combination, that took all the fight out of Ricardo Torres, to knock him out to retain his world title.
It was now 2006, and Cotto had made his mark in the light welterweight division. After battling with his body, he decided to move up in weight, where huge money fights could be made. At his first fight at 147, it was announced Cotto would be fighting the tough southpaw, Carlos Quintana for the vacant WBA, welterweight world title, back in Atlantic City. Thousands travelled from New York to witness Cotto hammer Quintana’s body over 5 rounds, to take the title back to Puerto Rico. From there on, Cotto was on a destruction and destroy mission, beating Oktay Urkal, Zab Judah, Shane Mosley, and Alfonzo Gomez.
With great performances, better opposition, and clear cut wins, it looked like no one could beat him at the weight.
Antonio Margarito had been around a while, fighting anyone who wanted to fight. He didn’t care, he just wanted to make a better life for himself and his family. He wasn’t great to watch, didn’t speak any English, and just couldn’t get a break on the lucrative PPV primetime circuit, and while struggling through life, winning in the ring, but never taking home a decent paycheck, he was a dangerous, desperate man. Miguel Cotto could change all that for him in one night.
Cotto v Margarito was signed for July, 2008, and it was a tremendous struggle of a proud champion, taking everything from a challenger, willing to do anything to win. In the fight, Cotto, in my mind, was winning on points, until he made the fatal mistake of punching himself out, and allowing his opponent to drive unprotected shots into him, while on the ropes. It was unbelievable to watch. It was like Cotto had nothing left, while Margarito soared.
Cotto was beaten, and battered like never before.
Margarito went on to fight Shane Mosley and lose, not only his title but also his reputation. It was announced later that Margarito and his team would be under scrutiny for using illegal substances, while wrapping the man from Tijuana’s hands. All kinds of questions where asked regarding the Cotto win, and when I asked Cotto what he thought of the latest controversy, he answered, “he had a great night with me, every fighter knows what’s happening when the hands are being wrapped, that’s it.”
No doubt, it was an epic fight.
With 2008 behind him, Cotto came back to fight for the vacant WBO title against the likeable Englishman, Micheal Jennings.
Jennings was a tough, hard working boxer who had battled through life overcoming personal tragedies, and had fought in tremendous domestic battles to win the British welterweight title, and then win the WBU crown, to justify fighting for the WBO world title.
He was a fighter and if you get a call to fight for the highest honour, what do you do? You take it, and that’s what he did. In the fight, Cotto was relentless and was too much for Jennings, taking him out in the 5th round.
Less than 4 months later, he was matched to face the “Grand master” from Accra, Ghana, Joshua Cottey. Clottey was a good fighter who, like Margarito, no one wanted to fight him. He had gone the distance with Margarito at the end of 2006, and gave Zab Judah hell, in his last outing in Vegas.
In the fight, Cotto decked Clottey in the first round with a jab, and in the 5th round, he used Clottey as a heavy bag, punching out, well worked combinations, for just over a minute. Clottey to his credit, came back in periods of the fight, finding success with fast combinations, particularly right hands, due to Cotto not being able to see, as his eye was a bloodied mess from a headbutt early on in the fight, but overall, Cotto, was too precise and controlled to win by a split decision at Madison Square Garden.
Manny Pacquiao has been fighting since 1995, and in that time, he has fought his way up the rankings, boxing his first 23 fights in the Philippines, then winning world titles at flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight, and when he fights Miguel Cotto, for his title, he will be fighting for the chance to become the first person to win world titles in 7 weight divisions.
Who would have thought it possible? Manny Pacquiao did.
With huge wins and epic battles over the divisions elite fighters, men like Eric Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, and Ricky Hatton, Pacquiao has made hundreds of millions of dollars, but still isn’t satisfied. When I spoke to him, he told me he wants everything!! If you read into that, it means he wants his legacy intact, a fistful of dollars more, and Miguel Cotto. I would say, at this point in his life, he will fight Cotto, then win or lose, he will retire. I interviewed him before the Ricky Hatton fight and he told me he wanted one more and he was out.
THE FIGHT.
For me, this is a tremendous match up for the fans, and I believe it will be a very tough fight for both fighters. You have the bigger man in Cotto, and his power, against the smaller, faster Pacquiao. Both have tasted defeat, and both have been down in their fights. Cotto is relentless with controlled pressure, while Pacquiao is relentless. Cotto has had no problems with southpaws, (Corley, TKO 5th, Quintana, 5th, and Judah, TKO 11th round) and Pacquiao hasn’t had many problems.
Pacquiao has been knocked out early on in his career (once to the body, and once to the head). Cotto has been knocked down a couple of times but always got up. [Other than the Margarito fight.]
For Pacquiao to win this fight, he has to stay in the middle of the ring, and double up on his southpaw jab, followed by left hooks, and right hand counters. As the fight goes on, Miguel will gradually try to make himself smaller stooping in, with his back bent over, and his head hanging in. This will allow Manny to catch him with left hooks, and uppercuts at will. Cotto will use his tremendous jab, and throw his usual jab, wide left hook, followed by his signature left hook to the body, and try to take him out early. If that doesn’t hit the mark, then watch for the left jab, straight right, wide left hook to the body. Meanwhile, Pacquiao isn’t going to wait around for Cotto to do his best work, so Pacquiao will throw punches from all angles, hard and fast, particularly, right hands. If you watch Cotto, when he gets stunned or hurt, he does not know how to hang on or tie up his opponents arms. He never has. Freddie Roach will have noticed this and that’s what they will be working on in the gym. I feel Cotto knows this is his hardest fight, and he will be his usual “quiet assassin” and train accordingly. Pacquiao will be in the best shape possible as he knows this is for his legacy. A few questions will be asked, and answered, but my only question is ”how much does Cotto have left inside him after the Margarito fight?”
This will be a “Trial by fire” for him. Pacquiao is peaking right now as a fighter and I’m convinced Cotto has already peaked, mid to late 2007. [He was devastating in his fights with Mosley, Judah, and Gomez.]
This fight is a mega fight, with one man achieving a greatness that will never be equaled and another man fighting his demons of the past, and also a chance to fight for his own greatness, next year, fighting the best fighter on the planet, Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
Miguel Cotto will want a rough, ugly fight with Manny Pacquiao. Cotto fights close to the border, has a hard head, and will use it if he has to. Pacquiao must be wary.
Yes, Cotto can use an ‘accidental’ low blow when necessary. Cotto will want to use his left hook to the body against Pacquiao, and to catch him with his jab. Pacquiao must be wary.
Cotto will be patient; he will box happily from distance; but he may also try to walk Pacquiao down in this fight, particularly to go to Pacquiao’s body. He will need to show his ring generalship, which is excellent, to trap Pacquiao. But going to the body is a must for Cotto, as he has arguably one of the best body attacks in the sport. Pacquiao must be wary again.
Cotto’s two victories over Zab Judah and then Shane Mosely were proof of his great boxing skills, and adaptability. Pacquiao must employ his speed, his footwork, lateral movement, and keep it on the bounce for at least eight rounds. Roach will have worked out openings into Cotto’s defence. Because of Cotto’s adaptability, the Filipino/Hollywood game plan may have a switch in strategy in the middle rounds.
But there is one thing. Pacquiao’s speed could exploit Cotto’s chin. Cotto’s chin has looked as if it could get him in trouble more than once. But what he does it protect it brilliantly. The fight is 33 days away…and counting. The juices are flowing for this fight. It has the makings of ‘Fight of the Year’.
Freddie Roach told the Philippine Daily Inquirer today that he wants to make sure that the referee is very strict about low blows in the Pacquiao/Cotto fight on November 14th, to the point where he will seek an automatic disqualification for the first low blow deemed intentional.
“Cotto tends to get dirty when the going gets tough in most of his fights and I don’t want that to happen,” Roach said. He added that he was concerned about the choice of referee in the bout, mentioning that Puerto Rican ref Joe Cortez was in the running for the job and he didn’t want Cortez to let Cotto get away with any roughhouse tactics. I guess Freddie thinks that all Puerto Ricans are good pals and okay with the low-blow thing.
Dubious Puerto Rican connection or not, there is a precedent to cite concerning Cotto and low blows, most notably the Zab Judah fight, which Freddie mentions in this piece. In the video below, you can see the first low blow Cotto laid on Judah, which takes place at around 3:55 of the vid. Cotto recently had eaten a counter-left-uppercut from Zab that had stunned him, and the argument went (from Cotto bashers) that he landed this low shot to get some breathing room.
Me, I’ve always thought the intentional low-blow accusations at Cotto based on this fight were a little weak, because Zab is the consummate drama queen, and he hams it up on this one to excess. Only thing is… he waited just this split second of overlong reaction time, just enough to make me believe, then as now, that it was all an act of gamesmanship. It did not look like a man who had been seriously hurt by a low blow. It looked like a man who got hit low, took a second to realize where the punch had landed, and then reacted in cartoonish fashion to draw attention to the fact that he’d been egregiously fouled.
For that reason, it doesn’t stand to me as an example of why Cotto is a dirty fighter so much as it does an example of why Zab is a loser. He had his man hurt, he was winning the round and in control, and then he gets hit a little south of the border, admittedly low and in the groin area but not right on the cojones by any means, and rather than shake it off and stay on the hunt, he throws a ridiculous hissyfit to get a little edge with the ref (the ref, being Arthur Mercante Jr., having none of it). As so often with Zab, it felt like a guy who was looking for a way out, and this even when it seemed like he was winning.
