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.
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.
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.
As part of his continuing effort to make himself Manny Pacquiao’s sheriff, Michael Koncz sent Coach Freddie Roach sidekick Rob Peters packing.
“Rob, who handles security and parking for Freddie at the Wild Card Gym and is one of his Boston Irish pals, came out here on his own dime or on Freddie’s. Manny didn’t pay a penny for Rob to come to Baguio,” an inflamed source told me Tuesday night.
“But Koncz went into his riot act and insisted that Rob fly back to the States immediately. I guess trainer Freddie decided it wasn’t worth making a big fuss about or upsetting Pacman in the middle of training camp so Rob flew back to Los Angeles.”
My unimpeachable source also informs that Da Pacman read my column which revealed that Koncz said in a Manila TV studio that Roach has become “a needless expense for Manny” and detailed how the fighter has clipped the trainer’s 10 percent fee for the Miguel Cotto bout by $200,000.
“Manny read your column and went beserk,” the source said. “Manny dropped a string of F bombs because he was angry that Koncz’s comments went public. The reaction in Pacland has been 99.9 percent in favor of Coach Roach. Koncz may be an oaf and a despicable cad who shines Bob Arum’s shoes but Manny knows full well the special love and reverence his fans have for Coach Roach.”
MANILA – Conditioning coach Alex Ariza said Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has become stronger than he was when he fought former junior welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton 5 months ago.
In a report posted on sports Website Insidesports.ph, Ariza said Pacquiao “looked good and strong” with six weeks left before the November 14 “Fire Power” showdown with WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.
Although Ariza admitted that the Filipino champ had problems in his first sparring session with undefeated light middleweight Shawn Porter, he said Pacquiao recovered quickly and “has been on track ever since”.
Pacquiao is currently undergoing training in Baguio City.
Ariza, who helped Pacquiao improve in terms of his power and explosiveness, explained that the Filipino boxer is gradually improving because of his “muscle memory”.
“The body and the muscles have memory so he’s just reverting back to what it used to be but a little faster than we had in the past. That’s all it is. It remembers where it was in the Hatton fight and is getting right back,” he said.
In fact, Ariza thinks Pacquiao even looks stronger than he was for the Hatton fight where the Filipino knocked the Brit out of his senses in Round 2.
“[Pacquiao] is stronger, is faster than he was in the past,” he said, stressing that “if we could hold it here until we get to America and we can hold that weight we will be right on track.”
Pacquiao plans to defeat Cotto in an attempt to win a seventh title in seven different weight classes. Their title showdown will take place at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Hall Of Fame manager-trainer and HBO commentator Emanuel Steward does not like what’s he reading and hearing about internal conflict within the Manny Pacquiao camp.
“The best thing about Freddie and Manny is their incredible chemistry. No one should mess with or interfere with that chemistry because it’s really special,” Steward said.
I spoke to the “Kronk Goldfather” Tuesday morning and the man who developed Thomas “Hitman” Hearns and trained Julio Cesar Chavez, Lennox Lewis and so many other great world champions said there’s reason to worry if, as it appears, Pacman trainer Coach Freddie Roach is losing his grip on the Pinoy Idol.
“Manny is Freddie’s signature fighter,” Steward said. “I have known Freddie since way back to 1973-74 when he fought my 106-pounder John O’Neil, who I called my little Irish midget, in Lowell, Mass. Freddie is a solid trainer who was taught so much by Eddie Futch and was a good pro boxer himself.”
I asked Steward if myself and others are making too much out of the strife between Pacquiao agent Michael Koncz on one side and Roach and trainer Buboy Fernandez on the other.
Is it, I asked, a serious issue which could lead to Manny’s demise when he fights Miguel I’m No Angel Cotto Nov. 14?
“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” Steward said. “I’m working on a book telling the inside stories of boxing now and that’s part of it. Lots of fights are won and lost in the training camp. I went through that with the first Hearns-Leonard bout and then with Hearns-Hagler.
“I look at this as a tough fight, anyway, a 50-50 fight that Cotto can win and Manny can lose.”
Steward said that Coach Roach should have complete control on training related issues, including selection of sparring partners. Roach did not want “punched ticket” Jose Luis Castillo in the Pacman camp in Baguio but Koncz brought the Mexican veteran in anyway.
“These things are so important. Freddie is the boxing guy, he should make all these decisions. There should be no discussion on that. Pacquiao reminds me of Chavez. Pacquiao may be the most popular fighter ever in his own home country so I can understand why Freddie would’ve wanted
“Training in the Philippines, because of his status, is probably the last place Manny should be right now.”
Steward said that, when a fighter achieves the financial status and importance of Pacquiao, it’s impossible to keep away all the people who have their own motives to get the boxer’s ear.
“It comes down to egos and to money,” Steward said. “So many fighters, it’s the guy or guys who are always around him, who have nothing else to do but to hang out with and eat with the fighter, who get some control. These kinds of people want to get influence over the star.
Steward rejects comparisons between Pacquiao thriving on the conflicts the way Muhammad Ali, with his huge entourage, did.
“Ali was a unique guy,” Steward said. “But he never forgot about (trainer) Angelo Dundee.
“In fact, if Ali was making a comeback tomorrow, I’m sure the first guy he’d call would be Angelo. He would say, “Okay, Angelo, let’s go back to the mountain and get ready.”
When it comes to the problems Coach Roach is dealing with, Steward knows all about it.
MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao sparred six rounds yesterday and again took some hard shots as he tried to squeeze the best from his sparring partners, Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon, at the Shape Up Gym in Baguio City.
“He took some real hard shots but overall it was a good workout,” said Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, over the phone on his way back to the Manor Hotel where he’s staying for the duration of the training.
“It was pretty good,” said the American trainer, adding that the number of rounds in sparring should move up by Saturday. He said they plan to do another six rounds on Thursday while they await a new sparring partner.
Former WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo, who figured in two brutal bouts with the late Diego Corrales in 2005 (the first one, won by Corrales, being chosen Fight of the Year), is scheduled to arrive Thursday.
“If he does, then he spars with Manny on Saturday,” said Roach of the 36-year-old Castillo, who lost two close decisions to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2002. Many thought that Castillo, a veteran of 70 fights, won the first one.
After four days of sparring, Pacquiao has logged a total of 18 rounds, the most difficult of which are those with Porter, a junior-middleweight who looks like he’s out to knock Pacquiao out.
Roach has dangled $1,000 to anyone among the sparring partners who could send Pacquiao to the canvas.
The 21-year-old Porter, with more than 200 fights as an amateur and unbeaten in 10 fights as a pro, has forced Pacquiao to keep his hands up in training, having hurt the reigning pound-for-pound champion a couple of times since last week.
Still, the 2007 National Golden Gloves champion is in awe, adding that Pacquiao, with both his power and speed, should have the upperhand when he faces Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight crown on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.
“I think Manny’s speed, quickness and power and all that would take care of the whole match for him. He’s quick. He’s very quick,” said Porter, who also excelled as a college football player.
“One of the best workouts I’ve ever had. I know he’s the best of the best, and he’ll shock the world again I think,” added Porter.
Roach said Pacquiao will close out his training in Baguio on Oct. 24 and in the evening of the same day, a Saturday, they travel to Los Angeles, rest the following day and resume training at the Wild Card Gym on Monday.
They will spend two more weeks in LA as they wrap up the sparring and begin to taper off, and should be in Las Vegas on the Monday of fight week.
Notes: The latest Nike commercial featuring Pinoy icon Manny Pacquiao, along with some of the great athletes in the world today, is out. The commercial, shot in the United States a couple of months ago, features Pacquiao along with NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, tennis champions Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, soccer star Christiano Ronaldo and 110-m hurdles world record holder Xiang Liu. In the 60-second commercial, each athlete is shown in training and in actual competition, with Pacquiao pounding the roads of Los Angeles, hitting the mitts at the gym and knocking out an opponent on the ring. It’s not the first time Pacquiao has starred in a Nike commercial with the world’s best, and certainly it won’t be the last.
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.”
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Spanish TV program “Golpe a Golpe”, Nacho Beristain talked about many issues including the upcoming superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. Beristain also gave the TV audience tactical information on how the Pacquiao vs Cotto fight may go.
On Pacquiao and Cotto:
“His left hand is like a missile, like a rocket, it has tremendous speed and his power is tremendous,” Nacho said about Pacquiao, who will face Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico on November 14 in Las Vegas.
Beristain also said, “The key to the fight is not only Pacquiao’s speed but is also the fact that he has been better with his technique. He is a technical fighter now with speed and power, and that Pacquiao is very difficult to beat. If it was difficult before, imagine now, Cotto will be in a world of trouble when he steps in the ring with Manny, besides that, I don’t think he recovered from the beating Margarito gave him, I think Pacquiao will win this fight.”
On Freddie Roach:
“I think Pacquiao is lucky to have him in his corner, Freddie Roach is one of the best trainers in the world and he has a lot of knowledge and he has made Pacquiao a better fighter who used to have a lot of flaws in his style. Pacquiao used to jump when throwing punches and now he is doing great from a technical point of view and that is Freddie’s work.”
On Arce:
“I think Jorge fights with his heart, I mean in his last fight there was something emotional going on, his brother lost to this guy from Africa who is just a basic fighter and Jorge didn’t do what we worked on in the gym. I know Jorge is also a good boxer, he is smart and he can move he has done it in sparring, but as I told him boxing is not just training; it’s about discipline. For instance I told him to stay away from spices, ice, and many other stuff. Three days before the fight one member of his crew gave him ice and he was chewing ice because he likes it and because they told him is a good exercise for his jaw. I told him not to do it, and he did it anyway, and he got a terrible cold two days before the fight and he was done when he stepped into the ring.”
On Hatton:
“De La Hoya told us there is a big possibility that the Hatton vs Marquez fight will happen. We would love to go to England and fight Ricky. Juan liked the idea and those are our plans. I think Hatton is a great fighter who will present a whole different style to Juan and Marquez will have to use all his experience and ring savvy to beat Hatton. I think Ricky still has a lot left and I hope the fight get made because is a good challenge and is a good fight for Juan financially also.”
On Mayweather:
“We took the fight because the offer was real good and the fact that the fight was going to be at 143 pounds. But the day of the weighin, Mayweather came at 146 and we were really angry at that but then again I am not the promoter so we talked with Juan Manuel and we decided that we would fight because the public was paying to see the fight and even when Mayweather was not responsible enough, I have to say he is one of the best fighters ever, he has tremendous speed and he has a great defense, he is very confident in the ring and he is really good and smart, but Juan fought with courage, with heart, and refused to go down against the best fighter pound for pound in the world.”
Nacho also talked about Israel Vazquez, and a possible fourth fight with Rafa Marquez. He said the fight is in negotiation and that if all goes well with Israel upcoming fight the fight is likely to happen.
BAGUIO CITY , Philippines – Manny Pacquiao worked out so long, so hard, so well yesterday and was amply rewarded with a big smile and a thumbs-up sign from his chief trainer, Freddie Roach.
Pacquiao pummeled Shawn Porter for three rounds and took in Urbano Antillon for two rounds as he capped his first week of sparring with six weeks left before the Miguel Cotto fight.
Pacquiao had a hard time coping with the bigger and heavier Porter, a 21-year-old junior middleweight, when they sparred two rounds last Thursday. It was so much different this time.
The hard-hitting Filipino finally showed quickness with his hands and his feet and often times caught Porter defenseless. In the second round, he hit the native of Ohio with a solid left straight to the face.
Porter froze for a second and Pacquiao could have finished him off with another good one. Earlier, the American caught Pacquiao with his best punch for the day, also a left, that sent the champ reeling to the ropes.
Overall, however, it was a far much better sparring session than Thursday’s, and as Pacquiao headed back to his corner, Roach gave him the thumbs-up sign.
“He was working on his timing and he was more focused today – less distractions, no media day, no showing off. He played a little bit in the end but I’m very happy. He just gets better as time moves on,” said Roach.
After Thursday’s sparring, Roach said Pacquiao is just 40 percent of his full potential, but said the other day that by the time they leave for Los Angeles on Oct. 24 he should be 70 to 80 percent ready for Cotto.
Porter was simply overwhelmed in the ring that his father and trainer, Ken Porter, couldn’t hide his frustration, considering that just two days ago it was the 2007 National Golden Gloves champion who was all over Pacquiao.
“What are you doing,” the elder Porter was shouting during the sparring. “You’re not doing what I want you to do.”
Pacquiao was already banging away against Urbano and the Porters were still in a discussion just off the ring.
Roach said he was glad that Pacquiao moved well against Porter, the way he would want to see him move against Cotto on Nov. 14.
“Our job is to hit him and move and get out of the way. No exchanges. The most should be a three-punch combination and then get out.
Two to three-punch combinations is what we’re working on. You wait for the fourth shot and he’s gonna hit you back,” said Roach.
During short breaks as he shadow boxed on the ring, Pacquiao spoke to scribes who were watching him closely.
“Yan ang susi (That’s the key),” he said, demonstrating some blinding combinations and then spinning out to his left or to his right. “Yan ang susi. Hit and run. Hit and run.”
After the sparring, Pacquiao let in the crowd that had gathered behind the doors of the Shape Up Gym. And before he knew it, he was surrounded by fans both young and old.
The fans were treated to a display of Pacquiao’s stamina as he did some very special excercises which were prepared by his conditioning coach, Alex Ariza.
Ariza said what they did was different from plyometrics, a form of exercise that helps a fighter build his muscles and body without giving up on speed.
It used to be that America, Mexico, and Puerto Rico were the three headed monster in the world of boxing. Of course many nations produced great fighters, but mainly it was America, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. America had the heavyweight division locked up with names such as Ali, Norton, Holmes, Foreman, Marciano, Louis, and more. Mexico had the lighter divisions locked up with names such as, Morales, Barrera, Chavez, and of course many more. Puerto Rico had greats like Camacho, Trinidad, and more recently, Miguel Cotto.
The Philippines produced some great fighters as well, but recently they have stormed onto the scene. Starting with the emergence of Manny Pacquiao, the kid from General Santos City has risen from selling smokes on the streets, to international stardom. Through his success he has paved the way for an exciting group of prize fighters making The Philippines a force to be reckoned with. The growing list of Filipino prospects, contenders, and champions is very impressive and only stands to grow in size.
In 2007, Nonito Donaire put himself on the map by blasting the arrogant and cocky Vic Darchinyan into REM state. With that being said, this writer is still confused as to why BoxRec.com has Nonito Donaire listed as the number 2 super flyweight behind Darchinyan. Nevertheless, Donaire forced everyone to take notice that he was another Filipino that cannot be ignored.
Recently, a new Filipino star has emerged. Super flyweight world champion Marvin Sonsoma grabbed his first world title with a unanimous decision over Jose Lopez. He has star quality and may very well be the next Filipino great that can inject himself into the American boxing mainstream.
One great Filipino world champion unfortunately has been the victim of Pacquiao’s immense star power, and that’s Gerry Penalosa. Gerry has been doing his thing in the ring since 1989, and truly is “fearless” so the ring name suits him perfectly. With the fame and success of Pacquiao, Penalosa’s success has been in the shadow some. The true boxing fan however, truly appreciates his warrior mentality, and grit in the ring.
There are many more Filipino’s that are contending for world titles, and some that are rising prospects. Recently Rodel Mayol made two efforts to grab a world title, but came up short against Ivan Calderon due to back to back head clashes. It looks as if he gets another title shot for the WBC light flyweight belt against Edgar Sosa in November.
These are just a few examples of how The Philippines have really grown into a boxing powerhouse. Manny Pacquiao has opened up the doors for some very exciting and gifted fighters. Move over boxing world, there is a new sheriff in town.
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.
Undefeated super-welterweight Shawn Porter, the main sparring partner of Manny Pacquiao, asserted on Wednesday that he wasn’t bothered by the Filipino’s vaunted power but admitted he was awed by the pound-for-pound king’s other inimitable trait.
“Its’ not much about his power, it’s his speed,” Porter told the Bulletin.
The Ohio-bred Porter is said to be a clone of Miguel Cotto, who Pacquiao faces on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Porter, 21, the 2007 US Golden Gloves middleweight champion and alternate on the 2008 Olympic team, battled Pacquiao for three intense rounds at the Shape Up Gym inside the Cooyeesan Hotel in Baguio City.
In Thursday’s media day, Porter is going to be sent up again to bang with Pacquiao although their session will last for only two rounds since Pacquiao has also to contend with another sparmate, lightweight Urbano Antillon, for two rounds.
“I am looking forward to my second sparring with Manny, who is a great person outside the ring,” said Porter, who flew in last Sunday but only got to Baguio the following day owing to the inclement weather.
Taking center stage as well during Thursday’s open workout for the media is Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, who is arriving this morning from the US. Arum, who heads Top Rank Inc. will be in Baguio until Sunday morning.
In the coming weeks, Pacquiao will have to deal with Porter and Antillon and possibly another one to be flown over if ever Pacquiao decides to extend his training camp in the City of Pines.
Meanwhile, Cotto’s own training camp is doing very well, Bryan Perez, the Puerto Rican’s aide-de-camp revealed on Thursday.
Cotto has been working out at the Fight Factory in Tampa, Florida, the past two weeks.
“Everything is running up pretty well right now,” said Perez, who is also joined there by chief trainer Joe Santiago and conditioning coach Phil Landman.
Cleverly-devised riddles nag anyone’s psyche like your mother did when you were seven. And to many boxing fans, there can be no greater riddle as to who is currently the top pound-for-pound king of this generation.
Does Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao retain that mythical — and largely debatable — title?
Or does former boxing champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. has stake to that claim?
For the last 20 or so months, the world bestowed Pacquiao its acknowledgement of the best fighter in the world, as Floyd tried to fade into the limelight convinced of his undying parting legacies to boxing. Ever humble as he is, the Filipino spitfire stepped up and received that title like a holy gift from God, cloaked in the proverbial mantle.
Unfortunately for Pacquiao, that riddle resurfaced when the Michigan Pretty Boy reemerged from his semi-”retirement” cocoon to beat the man widely considered to be the second best boxer in the world, Juan Manuel Marquez.
“El Dinamita” from Mexico gave Manny the fits in their last two fights, narrowly losing to the Pacman. You could consider him as Pacquiao’s kryptonite. Yet, as we witnessed last Sept. 19 at the Las Vegas MGM Grand, the Number One toyed with the Numero Uno, exactly what a cat does with its catch of mouse. Vitaliy Shaposhnikov of Diamond Boxing overheard someone in the crowd, “Mayweather, don’t play with your food!”
But enough of the fight. Now that you have two active, legitimate pound-for-pound title holders straddling a single peak, who gets to stand atop the summit?
It would be absurd to let the tension stay there, given the international boxing community’s adoration for the east Asian bomber, and Money’s super-bloated ego (probably as large as the Philippine population). There’s the demand for the fight too. A potential Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, as it seems to a large majority of fans and experts, would be boxing’s biggest draw since Ali and Frasier gave fans thrillas in Manila in 1975.
Forgive me if I have to give a flimsy analogy on why the riddle should be solved. In philosophy and metaphysics, the concept of an ultimate authority rests on the fact that there cannot be a higher authority than the perceived ultimate authority itself. (It’s okay, you can read that sentence again.)
With that said, it follows that there cannot be two or more ultimate authorities coexisting with one another.
These concepts are regularly and discreetly applied to arguments of governmental/organizational hierarchies, or to the concept of a Supreme Being itself. Two distinctly different entities that assert equal authority and power are contradictory and are bound to conflict each other. Think of all the national wars that have been waged just because two or more rulers thought they were ultimate authorities in a single territory.
Both fistic champions carry authority in the boxing world (not in the political sense of course, although Pacquiao would like to contest that). As improbable the circumstances are in creating that match in the first place, ardent boxing fans everywhere are acutely aware that these two opposing planets will someday collide.
The riddle cannot be solved by boxing pundits and fans alike in the forums, in websites, and in who-knows-where, by posting their own pound-for-pound lists, which is subject to a million subjective opinions and contested by hordes of biased followers.
Similarly, Shane Mosley was correct in saying that Mayweather cannot be the best just by saying “I am the best.” To be prove that beyond a doubt means he has to conclusively beat Mosley, Cotto, Pacquiao, and whoever else is trying to claim “ultimate authority” in boxing glory, so to speak.
The riddle demands to be answered, and it has to be solved in a boxing ring.
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.
