Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto Latest News and Updates

The Legend of Manny Pacquiao

2009-11-29T06:08:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao-Cotto tops Mayweather in PPV

2009-11-20T20:49:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao's historic 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas on Saturday night did big business.

The Top Rank-promoted fight generated 1.25 million buys and $70 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue, HBO announced Friday. If historical trends hold, the numbers will increase when all of the buys are officially audited.

The 1.25 million buys, the most for a boxing pay-per-view this year, came from 650,000 from cable homes and 600,000 from satellite services.

Cotto, who is from Puerto Rico, helped drive the fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to an all-time record for buys on the island with 110,000 units sold.

Combined with the approximately 1.05 million buys generated by Floyd Mayweather's dominant decision victory against Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19, it was the first time since 1999 -- when Felix Trinidad claimed a decision against Oscar De La Hoya in a welterweight unification fight and Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield fought to a highly controversial draw for the undisputed heavyweight championship -- that two pay-per-view fights have generated at least 1 million buys in the same calendar year.

It was also the first time that back-to-back pay-per-views have reached seven figures.

With the victory, Pacquiao, who won his first world title in the 112-pound flyweight division, became the first fighter in history to win titles in seven divisions when he claimed Cotto's 147-pound welterweight title. HBO will replay the bout Saturday night (10 ET/PT).

The victories by Pacquiao and Mayweather set the stage for what likely will be the biggest money fight ever.

"They have to deliver," HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg told The Associated Press. "The American public wants that fight."

Their representatives are planning to open negotiations in the coming days for a showdown that would likely take place in the spring.

"The two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world in the same weight class in the prime of their careers," Greenburg said. "It just doesn't get any better than that."

Promoter Bob Arum agreed.

"The way I look at it now, boxing is really on a roll," Arum said. "We would be idiots now to slow the momentum and the only way we can keep the momentum is to make this fight."

Arum, who represents Pacquiao, was expected to begin talks as early as next week with Richard Schaefer, who heads Golden Boy Promotions and will represent Mayweather in the negotiations.

Though each fighter believes he should get a bigger percentage of the purse, the total revenues will be so high that a 50-50 split may not be all that difficult to achieve.

Arum said Pacquiao will end up making some $22 million for his 12th-round stoppage of Cotto, while Cotto will end up with around $12 million. That is far higher than either fighter was guaranteed because, as is the case with most big fights, they worked for a percentage of the total sales.

It was the third consecutive blockbuster pay-per-view fight for Pacquiao, who also drew 1.25 million buys for his eighth-round destruction of De La Hoya in December 2008 and approximately 830,000 buys for his second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton to win the junior welterweight championship in May.

Pacquiao-Cotto also generated a live gate of $8,847,550 from an official crowd of 15,930, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. That makes it the 14th-biggest gate in Nevada history.

The potential of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is so big that Arum said casino magnate Steve Wynn had already spoken to him about constructing a 30,000-seat outdoor arena on what is now a vacant lot across from his two resorts to host the bout, with other casinos joining in as partners.

Outdoor arenas were a staple of the big fights in Las Vegas in the 1980s, beginning with the Muhammad Ali-Larry Holmes fight at Caesars Palace.

"A lot of people are interested," Arum said. "The problem with having it in the East, though, is that the taxes are so big that the fighters would have to give up millions in extra taxes."

Greenburg credited the recent strong sales to a new willingness by promoters to match their best fighters, and to the new -- and younger -- fans drawn to the sport by the success of the network's "24/7" reality shows in the weeks before the fights.

There would be no lack of material for a Pacquiao-Mayweather show, which would match a Filipino hero with a colorful cast surrounding him against a fighter with a dysfunctional family who has played the role of villain in his biggest fights.

"There's just so much drama and subplots for this," Greenburg said.

Source: espn.go.com

I’m not Impressed with Pacquiao’s win

2009-11-18T03:16:00.000-08:00

By Manuel Perez: First of all, I’m not quitting. I don’t care if Miguel Cotto lost, Manny Pacquiao looked like crap to me. And while Pacquiao won Cotto’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title, I personally don’t consider Pacquiao to be the WBO champion because the fight was held at an energy draining 145 instead of the full welterweight limit of 147. The win is tainted as far as I’m concerned. I think Juan Manuel Marquez would have beaten Pacquiao the way he fought on Saturday night and so would have Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Paul Williams.

It’ interesting how Cotto was selected for Pacquiao instead of Mosley, Marquez and Williams. I wonder why that is? Could it be that Cotton was chosen because he had problems in his last fight and was beaten nearly senseless by Antonio Margarito last year? I think Cotto is a great fighter, but it looks like the combination of having to strip off weight to make the 145 pound catch weight and his beating by Margarito took too much out of him, making him vulnerable against the Filipino.
I don’t give Pacquiao credit for this win, because he picked an opponent that was going through big problems in two out of his last three fights and then made it necessary for him to lose weight to come in at a 145 catch weight. When I saw the emaciated looking Cotto at the weigh-in, I knew he was going to have problems because he looked like a human skeleton. Cotto was all bones and didn’t look the least bit healthy.

I thought maybe he might have enough energy to fight hard for a round or three, but after that he looked too weak to put up much of a fight. That’s why I hate catch weights. It’s easy for the fighter coming up in weight, but pure hell for the fighter having to come down in weight to meet the limit. Okay, so Cotto looked not well for this fight because of the catch weight limit, and I think that was the major cause for his loss.

So what we have here is a fighter that was took weak to fight well and who just never seemed to get into the fight because of his lethargic look. Cotto looked like he needed to be resting on a couch rather than fighting in championship bout. He still fought pretty well, barring the flash knock down in the 3rd and the other knock down in the 4th.

Cotto wasn’t hurt by either punch and was merely off balance when he got hit. You notice how Pacquiao didn’t go after him? Pacquiao knew better. If he had gone after Cotto, Cotto would have caught him with something big and probably taken him out.

Maybe Cotto got beat, but he held up well in the first half of the fight. In the second part, Cotto just looked tired and didn’t seem to have anything left to answer Pacquiao. It was still far from being a one-sided fight, because Cotto was still landing well even into the 12th round. I don’t know why the referee stopped the fight. Cotto was fighting fine and would have made it out of the round if the referee hadn’t jumped in between them after Pacquiao landed a hard left hand in the 12th. They would have had to kill me. I wouldn’t have stopped fighting for anything.

Okay, so people are starting to think that Pacquiao is some great hot shot fighter now that he beat De La Hoya and Cotto, both in catch weight fights. Well, I’m not impressed at all with Pacquiao and like I said, I’m not impressed with his sloppy performance against Cotto. Pacquiao used his face to stop punches all night long and didn’t look good at all in my book. Pacquiao is lucky he wasn’t in there with Marquez, Mayweather, Williams or Mosley last Saturday night because that would have been curtains for him.

Everyone is talking about Pacquiao fighting Mayweather next, so I guess that’s the fight Pacquiao will be taking next. But if anyone thinks that Pacquiao can honestly beat Mayweather, they must be deceiving himself. Pacquiao will be destroyed badly in that fight and it won’t be even slightly close. It takes talent to beat Mayweather.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Pacquiao vs Cotto Full Fight

2009-11-16T05:55:00.000-08:00

Part1

Part2

Part3

Part4

Part5

Pacquiao vs Cotto Fight Pictures

2009-11-16T05:36:00.000-08:00

Source: CNNSI & YahooSports

Pacquiao dominates Cotto

2009-11-16T04:34:00.001-08:00

by Paoee Natanawan: Saturday November 14, 2009 marked an event in history where Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao solidified his claim as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in world and the first boxer ever to win seven titles in seven different weight divisions. The last record was held by Manny and Oscar De La Hoya with both six title in six different weight class. First of all, congratulations to Manny for a very well earned victory.

In spite of what critics and other boxing analyst and even fans all around the world says, Manny still came and proved them all wrong. Now after the fight excuses are piling up and still everyone has something to say. Some claiming that Miguel Cotto was weight drained for the fight and Manny just fought a shadow of Cotto (Some of you readers might have an idea who said that and like you I am laughing my heart out at that guy who have no word and now I can’t even classify as man.), or Cotto never got over the Margarito fight, or some might say he’s overrated, or even Pacquiao has illegal wraps.
Here’s what I have to say about it and I don’t think everyone will agree with me on some of what I have to say.

Prefight:

Both camp did very well on their camp. But, for me it’s really clear what the difference is between the two and I already saw weaknesses on both sides.

First on Cotto’s camp, Cotto started his training earlier than Pacquiao. Might be good or can also be bad. Bad meaning he reached his top condition earlier and you can’t actually hold it with still a week remaining before the fight. Given the fact that he is on a diet. As some of you have seen on the episodes of HBO 24/7, Cotto was really moody in the last week before the fight. That shows a lot and Pacquiao is right. The catch weight is affecting him and he is on a diet. But still Cotto was able to make the catch weight and still for me look pretty good on the weigh-in(Liam said he looks like a lollipop).

On the other hand, we have Manny’s very crazy camp. Started in Baguio, a high altitude place which I would prefer than Manila and all the distractions it brings. Went down the mountains to Manila due to typhoon bound to hit Baguio. Then distracted with all politicians and people trying to get close to Manny which pissed Freddie a lot. Then flew to LA’s Wild Card gym which for me is the best gym to train in. With the place’s effect on the boxer’s body which should be proven scientifically I guess. Then I believe Pacquiao reached his top condition just in time and he doesn’t have to worry about his weight.

Now if you look into both camps you can see the difference. Cotto has a green camp. Joe Santiago for me is just not yet ready to handle Cotto and he’s a yes-man kind of trainer which is really bad. The boxer should have someone who can discipline him and don’t spoil him or does whatever he said. The Cotto camp is literally Cotto’s camp. He calls the shot and decide for himself and they just agrees with him. On Pacquiao you have a master. Freddie is without a doubt one of the best trainer. Doesn’t give in to what Manny wants. Freddie wants to pack up and leave and that’s what happened. They left Manila earlier than expected. Manny apologizes to Freddie for what happened in Manila and they’re back on track. And no matter what they say, Freddie really got into everyone’s head in Cotto’s camp.

For sparring partners, Cotto has Kenny Abril(9-3-1) and Fred Turkes(southpaw 7-1-1) while Pacquiao has Jose Luis Castillo (60-9-1) and Shawn Porter (10-0) and reserves Escobar and Antillon. A clear edge on Manny in this aspect. You can argue with me about it.

The Fight:

The first round I give to Cotto. He’s really showing his game. He even tagged Pacquiao with jabs and body shots. Round two Cotto is still showing some good signs. Though Pacquiao started to connect and get his rhythm. I have it even. Then the start of Cotto’s downfall, round three. Pacquiao scored a knockdown but Cotto was able to recover from it and still connects with his punches. Then forth round a clear uppercut to the right chin of Cotto rocked the Puerto Rican sending him to the canvass for the second time that night. With that I believed Cotto’s strength was reduced to half or even more. Starting to doubt himself, his power and his game plan Cotto switch stances and began to backpedal which receives boos from the crowd. Cotto’s game plan change from attack to defense to just survive and ended with referee Bayles stopping the fight on the 12th round.

Analysis:

First the boxers, Cotto was without a doubt strong. It’s just that Manny is stronger. Don’t say things like he’s drained or what. He may be bigger but when they faced each other that night can you honestly say that there is a difference? But as other analyst said, the speed of Manny gives him an edge. Sure Cotto was fast too. He was able to tag Pacquiao with his jabs. But Pacquiao is faster. If you watch the replays you would see Cotto doesn’t have an idea on where the punches where coming from and what part of his body is he going to defend. Pacquiao’s punches were hitting him even before he could close on his gloves. As for Pacquiao’s part, he was able to execute his game plan better than Cotto and he showed he can fight a real welter and has the power to rock even someone like Cotto. From that you can easily assume that the punching power of Pacquiao is either at par with Margarito’s LOADED gloves or even better with blinding speed to be able to knockdown Cotto. The speed multiplied that power. But Pacquiao for me was careless on that fight. He often times, Stands in front of Cotto with his defenses up and literally asking him to hit him with his famous body shots and even allowed Cotto to caught him on the ropes which he could easily rolled out off but he didn’t. For me he is showing to Cotto that he can take his shots and that made Cotto doubt his ability. But Pacquiao didn’t have to do that. He just risked having unwanted injuries. He was already winning. He could avoid Cotto’s punches but he didn’t. He walked through them. He showed toughness.

For the corner, Joe Santiago was of no help at all to Cotto. All he could say is “Are you OK?”, or “one more, one more” as if asking him(Cotto) to just survive. He could at least give the guy a third-man’s point view. On how he sees the fight is going. That shows just how inexperienced he is. Nothing can be said on the other corner. Everything is going according to plan.

In the end, Freddie was right with one of his pre-fight comments. I would like to quote this one “We’re gonna make him quit.” That is what they did. Freddie was really unsure if they could knockout Cotto (in spite all the talks about first round KO or whatever round he predicted, its just to get into the heads of the other camp.) but he is sure though that they will make him quit.

Kudos for both fighters. I hope Cotto can bounce back after this loss. I would suggest a more solid staff next time and fight on the odds in favor to you. For Pacquiao, stay humble and don’t get overconfident because that could lead to your downfall.

Source: boxingnews24.com

PACQUIAO/COTTO - FINAL THOUGHTS

2009-11-16T04:32:00.000-08:00

* Astonishing to watch how the tables turned during Saturday night's big showdown. Miguel Cotto started as the bigger man, the stronger man and the puncher. He looked good taking the opening session, but as soon as Pacquiao started to unload those blazing combinations in round two, things changed in a hurry. And that second knockdown in the fourth effectively ended the fight as a contest. From then on it was a systematic beating with only Cotto's bravery keeping him upright.

* Seemed a little unfair that Cotto got so close to the final bell, but didn't hear it. The safety of the fighters must be paramount of course, but with that in mind why wasn't it stopped after round nine? Miguel was finished then and had nothing left to give. All that followed was more punishment.

* Pacquiao's body of work in the last 18 months has been just about perfect. In crushing David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Cotto, he lost just a round on my cards - the opener on Saturday night.

* Pacquiao truly is a freak of nature - if you didn't believe it before Saturday night, believe it now. Normally when smaller fighters go up in weight their speed and power tends to diminish. Not so in Manny's case. He's actually improved the higher he's gone. And there's an argument that says he looked better than ever in Las Vegas last week, both on the scales at 144lbs and in the ring on Saturday night.

* Floyd Mayweather Jr said on Monday that Pacquiao is "one-dimensional" with no versatility. If he believes that he could be in for a lot of trouble if they do meet. As Cotto said afterwards, it's the amount of punches and the angles they come from that is so difficult to deal with. The first knockdown came not from the first punch in a Pacman flurry, but the third or fourth. The speed, allied to the power, is the real killer.

* Love how Manny has started to refer to Freddie Roach as "Master Freddie Roach". Clearly a sense of humour as well as a fearsome work ethic and ability to learn.

* After watching HBO's excellent 24/7, you have to marvel at how Pacquiao can succeed with so many things going on around him, starting with the terrible typhoons that hit his homeland during training camp. Clearly the laid-back persona he displays outside the ring is a massive asset.

* According to several reports coming out of Vegas last week, Manny spent a couple of hours every day practising his singing for a post-fight concert at Mandalay Bay. Though having watched him warbling "Sometimes When We Touch" on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, I'd advise him not to give up his day job.

* It's been a long time since the P4P king was not only the best fighter in the sport, but also the most exciting and the classiest. The man amazes in so many ways - a gentleman outside the ropes, a chilling destroyer inside them.

* Pacquiao/Mayweather has to happen, and it has to happen now. The sport's history is littered with marquee match-ups that happened too late, or never happened at all. Lennox Lewis fought Mike Tyson when the latter was shot, and he never fought Riddick Bowe in the pros. Joe Calzaghe fought Roy Jones Jr and Bernard Hopkins when they were past their primes. And Jones and Hopkins are set to finally rematch in 2010 - eight years after they were haggling over the purse when they were mega attractions. If it doesn't happen it's also another occasion when boxing shoots itself in the foot. We're all set for back-to-back million-buy pay-per-view bouts, and if the big two meet boxing might well be on the front pages as well as the back.

* There appears to be two things getting in the way of Pacquiao/Mayweather happening in 2010 - Floyd's ego and the fact he'd have to negotiate with Bob Arum. If 'Money' really still believes he deserves the lion's share of the purse after Saturday night, he's delusional.

* Floyd has used a ton of reasons for avoiding certain bouts in the past, and one of them is cash. If the Mayweather mantra is: "if it makes money, it makes sense", then he can't duck this one. There's plenty to go round.

Source: sportinglife.com

What we learned: Pacquiao-Cotto

2009-11-16T04:29:00.000-08:00

1. Manny Pacquiao cemented his legacy as one of history's greatest fighters.
With the 50th and perhaps most difficult victory of his career, Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao has chiseled his name alongside all-time pound-for-pound greats like Willie Pep, Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Robinson. With Saturday's 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao captured the WBO welterweight title and became the first fighter to collect world championships in seven different weight classes between 112 to 147 pounds -- an incredible and unprecedented feat for a one-time flyweight who turned pro at a wraith-like 106 pounds.

2. The record books will read TKO 12, but Pacquiao ended this one back in the fourth.
Cotto was game early, controlling distance with the left jab and keeping Pacquiao from getting inside. It was clear the Filipino respected Cotto's punching power. Pacquiao looked more comfortable in the second round, circling the ring and penetrating Cotto's defense with straight lefts and rights. Midway through the second, Cotto lost the plot and starting trading. Pacquiao dropped Cotto in the third with a left to the body and a right hook upstairs -- and again in the fourth with a right hook and a vicious left to the jaw. Cotto was never the same again. He spent the next seven-and-a-half rounds just trying to get to the finish line -- ostensibly trying to counter-punch and box but, in reality, hovering like a fly waiting for the windshield on the freeway.

3. Pacquiao can absorb the punch of a true welterweight.
The stage for Saturday's history-making showdown was set over the past year-and-a-half with Pacquiao's three-pack of victories over David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Each fight taught us something about the Filipino southpaw. The ninth-round knockout of Diaz revealed that Pacquiao could pick apart a larger fighter of limited ability. The ninth-round stoppage of De La Hoya taught us Pacquiao could dismantle a fighter at 147 pounds, albeit one way past his prime. The second-round starching of Hatton demonstrated what Pacquiao could do against opponents of anything but the highest caliber. Saturday's stoppage of Cotto provided an emphatic answer to the biggest question looming over Pacquiao's camp in the months leading up to it: could the Filipino stand in and exchange against a true welterweight. He could. Pacquiao took more punches than we'd seen him take against Diaz, De La Hoya or Hatton -- but was never hurt. Once self-doubt crept in and Cotto got tentative, moving backwards and releasing the pressure from Pacquiao, it was over. The Filipino's ring generalship never wavered. He was too fast, too sharp, too busy for Cotto and the result was deserved.

4. No one can doubt Cotto's courage.
You've got to give Cotto credit. A modern-day Boricua folk hero in the mold of Carlos Ortiz, Wilfred Benitez and Felix Trinidad, Cotto would sooner leave the ring on his shield than quit. His face resembled tomato pie for the second half of the fight, with blood flowing from his nose and wounds, yet he persevered. Cotto's corner man Joe Santiago, a 30-year-old greenhorn, never considered stopping it; you wonder if a more experienced trainer might have thrown in the towel several rounds earlier, once it became obvious Cotto had no chance to win. When referee Kenny Bayless stopped the action 55 seconds into the final round, it was clear this was a career-defining fight for both men. Many wondered if Antonio Margarito took something from Cotto in that dubious July 2008 stoppage that Cotto would never be able to get back. That question may have been answered Saturday in Las Vegas.

5. The countdown for Pacquiao-Mayweather is under way.
Now Pacquiao can turn his attention to his personal Everest: Floyd Mayweather Jr. The specter of a megafight between Pacquiao and Mayweather hung over the Cotto fight from the day it was announced. The millions who followed live blogs and watched on pirated Internet streams, unwilling to drop $54.95 on Saturday's fight in a recession, would happily pay that sum to see the sport's finest two pound-for-pound fighters meet in a superfight that would set the bar high for the decade soon to be known as the 2010s. Yes, they'll squabble over the money split and Pacquiao was non-committal in the post-fight interview -- but trainer Freddie Roach considers it an inevitability. "I honestly think it has to happen because boxing needs that fight," Roach told SI.com. "The best need to fight the best."

Source: cnn.com

Pacquiao earns 7th title in 7th class

2009-11-16T04:19:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao's speed and power were way too much for Miguel Cotto's heart.

Pacquiao put on yet another dominating performance Saturday night, knocking down Cotto twice and turning his face into a bloody mess before finally stopping him at 55 seconds of the 12th round.

The Filipino star used his blazing speed and power from both hands to win his seventh title in seven weight classes and cement his stature as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Cotto took such a beating that his face was a river of red from the fury of Pacquiao's punches, but he refused to quit even as his corner tried to throw in the towel after the 11th round.

I didn't know from where the punches were coming," Cotto said.

The fight was billed as a 145-pound classic, and in the early rounds it didn't disappoint. The two went after each other with a vengeance and Cotto more than held his own as they traded punches in the center of the ring before a roaring sellout crowd at the MGM Grand arena.

Pacquiao dropped Cotto with a right hand early in the third round, but he wasn't badly hurt and came back to finish the round strong. But after Pacquiao put Cotto on the canvas with a big left hand late in the fourth round, the Puerto Rican was never the same again.

Cotto won two rounds on the scorecards of two ringside judges and just one round on the card of the third. The Associated Press gave Cotto just the first round.

"Our plan was not to hurry, but to take our time," Pacquiao said. "It was a hard fight tonight and I needed time to test his power."

Cotto's face was marked early and he was bleeding midway through the fight as Pacquiao kept bouncing around and throwing punches in his unorthodox southpaw style. Cotto tried to keep taking the fight to Pacquiao, but by then his punches had lost their sting and his only real chance was to land a big punch from nowhere.

"He hit harder than we expected and he was a lot stronger than we expected," Cotto's trainer, Joe Santiago, said.

Cotto fought gamely, but in the later rounds he was just trying to survive as blood flowed down his face and Pacquiao came after him relentlessly. Santiago tried to stop the fight after the 11th round, but Cotto went back out to take even more punishment before a final flurry along the ropes prompted referee Kenny Bayless to end it.

Cotto's wife and child, who were at ringside, left after the ninth round, unable to watch the beating any longer. They later accompanied him to a local hospital for a post-fight examination.

"My health comes first. I just want to make sure I'm fine, but I feel great. I'm swollen but that's all," Cotto said.

His face swollen, Cotto was bleeding from his nose and his cuts, and he simply couldn't stop Pacquiao from bouncing inside and throwing both hands at will.

"Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers I ever fought," Cotto said.

Pacquiao, coming off of spectacular wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, added another one against Cotto, who had lost only once and held the WBO version of the welterweight title.

Pacquiao did it in his trademark way, throwing punches in flurries and from all angles until Cotto began to slow down. Then he pursued him nonstop until the end.

The fight likely will set up an even bigger one against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and many in crowd were already chanting, "We want Floyd! We want Floyd."

"I want to see him fight Mayweather," trainer Freddie Roach said.

Mayweather may have second thoughts after Pacquiao did what no fighter has done before -- win a belt in a seventh weight class. More impressive, though, is how he has fought, dismantling opponents despite moving up consistently from 106 pounds to the 144 he weighed for the fight.

The welterweight ranks will be the last ones Pacquiao conquers, though.

"This is the last weight division for me," Pacquiao said. "It's history for me and more importantly a Filipino did it."

He was so dominant in the later rounds that Cotto was fighting backward most of the way, simply trying to survive. Pacquiao was credited with landing almost twice as many punches -- 336-172 -- as Cotto.

"I knew when Cotto started backing up, the fight was over," Roach said.

Pacquiao earned a minimum $13 million, while Cotto got $7 million.

Pacquiao was favored, largely off his last two performances in which he forced De La Hoya to quit on his stool and then knocked out Hatton with a huge left hook in the second round. Some in boxing, including Roach, thought Cotto had been slowed by his devastating loss last year to Antonio Margarito and would be further slowed by having to come in 2 pounds lower than his normal weight.

That wasn't the case early in the fight, with Cotto winning the first round and fighting well. Once he was knocked down by a big left hand late in the fourth round, though, he slowed noticeably.

Source: espn.go.com

The Generation's Best

2009-11-16T04:12:00.000-08:00

There are many times when you can accuse promoter Bob Arum of hyperbole or exaggeration. But you cant really blame him, after all, that’s his job. But what was once considered another brash statement by the Harvard educated pitchman, must now be considered seriously. Last Wednesday night on a certain internet radio show( where he hung up when some smart-ass host asked him about his ’spectacular’ undercard’) he stated that Manny Pacquiao was the greatest fighter he had ever seen. This from a man who has promoted the likes of Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard.

It seemed like boxing blasphemy at the time. But after Pacquiao’s systematic and brutal dispatching of Miguel Cotto over 12 rounds this past Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, you can no longer roll your eyes or snicker when such utterances are made.

"The best fighter I have ever seen," Arum, said once again, at the post-fight press conference.

Some of you will still believe that Arum is exorbitant in his praise. But this much is clear, as that famous saying goes: the class he’s in, it doesn’t take too long to conduct roll call. I don’t know where he ranks all-time( I’m still waaaay to young to make those observations) but you can certainly make the case that he’s the best fighter of this generation. And perhaps that’s the only fair comparison to make. The bottom line is that the sport and the business of boxing has changed. Fighters simply don’t perform nearly as often as they used to. And it’s difficult to compare boxers with well over 100 fights, to those who now perform twice a year. Then there is the proliferation of weight classes and title belts, which many believe have diluted the sport.

Nobody has accomplished what Pacquiao has in the past couple of decades. Winning titles in seven weight classes, from flyweight to welterweight. And in between engaging in a heated round-robin with the ’Three Mexican Musketeers’( Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez) and then moving up in weight to physically dominate the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and now, Cotto. Against those aforementioned names- several of whom are locks to have their fists encased in Canastota, one day- his record is 8-1-1 with six stoppages to his credit and at least a dozen knockdowns.

He’s the most mesmerizing combination of speed and power the game has. As he started to let his hands go in the second round versus Cotto, he reminded you of Bruce Lee with his hard, striking, accurate combinations that bruised and battered the body and head of Cotto, who skipped the post-fight presser to get a full body scan at a local hospital. It wasn’t that Pacquiao just hit hard, he hit often. To a point where Cotto was getting deluged by a torrent of leather that he was unable to fend off. After Pacquiao’s second knockdown in the fourth round( after scoring one in a back-and-forth third frame), Cotto was visibly stunned and from that juncture unable to hold off this Filipino storm. Just as typhoons had ravaged his country, Pacquiao would do so to Cotto, with almost the same devastating effect.

But what was perhaps the most stunning aspect of this conquest was that in the early rounds Cotto seemingly had Pacquiao where he wanted him- retreating and with his back to the ropes. And Cotto, a noted body-puncher, banged away downstairs with violent force. It’s one thing to allow sparring partners to beat on your sides as if you’re a heavy-bag, it’s an entirely different to let Cotto do it. His trainer, Freddie Roach didn’t like this tactic." I yelled at him every time.’Why are you fighting his fight?’"

But Pacquiao, perhaps on his own instinct, was doing his own version of the rope-a-dope. "I heard that he’s a stronger man than me. I wanted to test his power," he explained. Psychologically, he showed he could absorb whatever the supposedly bigger man could dish out without flinching. As he was hit to the body, he did his best to mask any pain. He stated that he was fighting this battle,"In my mind." But make no doubt about it, this was as physical a fight as Pacquiao has ever been involved in. There was a price to pay for this strategy. His right ear was bandaged up afterwords and there was noticeable swelling and bruising all over his face. We knew a lot about Pacquiao before, on this night we found out he also has a world-class set of whiskers. He’s tough as he is talented.

From a tactical standpoint, Pacquiao began to find counter-punching opportunities on Cotto, who Roach believed gave away his punches, specifically his left-hook, as he shifted most of his weight to his front foot. Also, with his elbows so flared out, he gives up what they call in hockey, ’the five hole’- in other words, an opening right up the middle. The ’boxing master’, as he was called by his pupil, studied Cotto’s life-and-death struggle with DeMarcus Corley, at great length. The right-hook and uppercuts would be vital to their game plan. And while the hand-speed of Pacquiao gave Cotto fits, there was also a great disparity in foot-speed. While Pacquiao could dart in and out with ease, and change directions, Cotto simply could not deal with the angles provided by Pacquiao.

As the on-slaught continued, the fight had a familiar quality to it for Cotto. As the damage mounted and he began to retreat, this looked more and more like his loss to Antonio Margarito last summer. The body language said it all from ringside. This was no longer about winning, but surviving. It was a bit stunning to see the supposedly bigger man, in a full-blown back pedal, circling the canvas. When Cotto gets up on his toes, it’s not so much boxing, but an attempt to run out the clock.

The fight was mercifully waved off by referee Kenny Bayless in the 12Th and final round as Pacquiao delivered another hard left that had Cotto buckling on the ropes. A very good, proud fighter, was simply beaten down by an all-time great. Cotto, should be lauded for his courage, and unfortunately, his corner, led by a novice- Joe Santiago- should be chastised for being much too courageous on behalf of their boxer. Because by the late rounds, what was once a great fight in the early rounds had become a landslide.

To see the technical improvements in the last year or so from Pacquiao is startling. There was a time when he was viewed as crowd-pleasing, yet flawed fighter. He was an offensive force with his left-hand but considered predictable and one-dimensional. Now he is a two-fisted wrecking machine with greatly improved defense and balance. And under the tutelage of Roach, his boxing IQ has risen exponentially. There have been some legendary duo’s in this sport, from Chappie Blackburn and Joe Louis, to Angelo Dundee and Muhammad Ali, it’s not a stretch to include this dynamic duo. These two are like Johnny Sakko and his Giant Robot. Whatever Roach tells him to do, the marching orders are executed to frightening efficiency with a wide variety of weapons at his disposal. The only difference is that Roach whispers into Pacquiao’s ears during the fight and not a wristwatch.

Who knows where Pacquiao goes next. You get the sense that despite the chants that were heard from the rafters of the Grand Garden Arena( WE WANT FLOYD!!! WE WANT FLOYD!!!) that a hook-up with Mayweather wont come to fruition immediately. But where he certainly isn’t going is up any more weight classes. He stated unequivocally,"This is my last weight division." Which is too bad, this is the one guy capable of getting either Klitschko into an entertaining fight.( OK, OK, admittedly, THAT is hyperbole.)

The man who had enough hubris to schedule a post-fight concert at the Mandalay Bay, still considers himself, ’ordinary’ as a fighter. Which prompted his trainer to correct him." Manny, you’re not an ordinary fighter," said Roach.

He later added," He’s the greatest of this era, that’s for sure."

I wont argue with that statement.

Source: maxboxing.com

Pacquiao stops Cotto in 12

2009-11-15T02:18:00.000-08:00

In an amazing, violent fight, Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) stopped WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) in round twelve to win another world title in an unprecedented seventh weight division on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Both fighters were on the attack from the opening bell. Pacman dropped Cotto with a right hook in round three. Cotto dominated round four, but was dropped by a left uppercut at the end of the round. Cotto fought courageously but was rocked again in the sixth by Pacman’s hurtful shots coming in from all angles. Cotto began to box from the outside in the seventh with some success. However, Pacquiao continued to stalk him and break him down. Cotto was in survival mode down the stretch. Referee Kenny Bayless finally waved in off in round twelve. Time was :55.

Source: fightnews.com

Pacquiao vs Cotto 24/7 - Episode 4

2009-11-14T01:48:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas Weigh in Video

2009-11-13T22:48:00.000-08:00

Weigh in Pictures

2009-11-13T22:24:00.000-08:00

Weights from Las Vegas

2009-11-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao 144 vs Miguel Cotto 145
(WBO welterweight championship/WBC Diamond belt)
Alfonso Gomez 145.5 vs Jesus Soto-Karass 148**
Matt Korobov 160.5 vs James Winchester 158
Eden Sonsona? 121 vs Eilon Kedem 119.5
Abner Cotto 133 vs Lupe Guzman 134.5
Ernie Marquez 112 vs Richie Mepranum 113.5
Rodrigo Garcia 150 vs Martin Guerra 152
**Soto-Karass stripped down naked and reweighed at 147.5. Has to lose 1/2 pound.

Source: fightnews.com

Roach goes from 'coach' to 'master'

2009-11-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

There would have never been a Karate Kid if Mr. Miyagi didn’t show Daniel Son how to “wax on, wax off.” It took the Zen Master, Phil Jackson, to understand and accelerate the undeniable talents of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and mold the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant en route to claiming nine NBA championships in 18 seasons as a coach.

And then there’s “Master” Freddie Roach.

There’s a reason why Manny Pacquiao calls Roach his “master.” With Roach calling the shots in Manny’s corner, the Pac Man has amassed a record of 17-1-2 while wreaking havoc and earning titles from featherweight to light welterweight. It’s difficult to not crown the Pac Man as the current king of boxing. It makes it even more difficult to not call Freddie Roach the best trainer on the planet.

Roach has transformed Pacquiao from a one punch wrecking machine into a multi-faceted monster that no fighter seems to have an answer for. Ask Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera what it’s like to be on the wrong end of a Pacquiao blitzkrieg.

On Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden, “Master” Roach prepares Pacquiao for what looks to be an all out firefight with true welterweight Miguel Cotto. If Pacquiao comes out on top – as Roach predicts – the Pac Man will add yet another championship in a record seventh weight class.

Roach sat down to discuss what makes his relationship with Pacquiao unique and why his fighter will make Miguel Cotto quit.

Roach provides the guidance figure that Pacquiao needs. There’s a special relationship between the two that only Roach and Pacquiao truly understand. Roach keeps his fighter grounded and focused at the task at hand – no matter what else is going on around Pacquiao.

Prime example would be Pacquiao’s love for his Filipino countrymen. What Pacquiao represents to his homeland is a glimmer of hope. He is the biggest star by far in the Phillipines and the weight of his country lands squarely on Pac Man’s shoulders. When the devastating typhoons hit his native Phillipines, Pacquiao was stretched thin between his country and preparing for what could be the biggest fight of his career. Roach understands the balance but does his job to keep things in perspective for Pacquiao.

“I’m honest with him,” Roach explains when having to pull his fighter away from being a public figure and turning him back into the boxer that means the world to his country. “His focus in Manilla sucked. We had a long talk about it and he apologized to me. The second day in LA during workouts he said ‘I’m back!’ and I know Manny he’ll get back on track. Manilla wasn’t the greatest. It was rough to be around death. He knows his countrymen need something to lift them up and a win will do that. He likes that pressure and he will perform for them.”

Roach says that Pacquiao understands him and knows that Roach has his Pacquiao’s best interests at heart. Once away from the distractions of the Philippines, Roach states that Pacquiao has focused totally on the upcoming fight and is easily in the best shape of his career. That is the way he is going to have to come in when fighting Cotto if he wants to bring another victory home to his countrymen.

Interestingly enough, Roach doesn’t see this fight panning out much different than the destruction of Ricky Hatton. If you recall, Pacquiao obliterated Hatton with a left hook that separated his body from his spirit. To make things even more interesting, Roach explains that, at this point in his career, Cotto is not much better than Ricky Hatton.

“I think he was (better than Hatton) but what I saw in the (Joshua) Clottey fight, no,” Roach explains. FightNews asked Roach if he was at all impressed with Cotto’s gutsy win against Clottey.

“No,” Roach flatly stated. “He got hit too much. He holds his hands up high and drops them when he’s ready to throw. He got hit with a lot of punches down the middle and uppercuts. He makes a lot of mistakes and he hasn’t corrected them.”

Roach has paid very close attention to Cotto before and after the Margarito beating. Regardless of what Cotto says, Roach believes that the Puerto Rican still has yet to recover mentally from the brutal stoppage.

“It takes a lot to get over a loss like that. But he just hasn’t gotten over it yet. He’s going in the right direction though,” Roach explains. “The first fight back he didn’t look that good. The second fight he looked a little better and that’s why in the first round of this fight we’re going to have Manny make a statement. We’re not going to allow him to gain momentum. If you let him get momentum, he’ll get stronger. We’re going to start quick. That’s our game anyway, we always start quick.”

While it’s Pac Man’s job to step into the ring and put his physical abilities on display, Roach’s job is to prepare his fighter for what his opponent may throw at Pacquiao. Roach doesn’t believe that Cotto has the skill set and the mentality to put together a game plan that will give Pacquiao problems.

“Either he’s going to use his strength and come forward to show us he’s the bigger and stronger guy or he’s going to try and become Juan Manuel Marquez like a lot of people try to do because he gave us trouble being a counterpuncher,” Roach explains as if he’s seen this strategy before when other fighters attempt to dethrone Pac Man as the king of boxing. “You can’t become somebody else in an eight week period. I’m ready for whatever he brings. We have the perfect game plan.”

As for Cotto’s game plan, Roach made a statement during HBO’s 24/7 show that he doesn’t believe Cotto’s corner has the experience to help his fighter adjust after he gets smacked with the brutal reality that Manny is stronger and faster than he. When FightNews asked Roach if he feels Cotto and his corner will be able to make any adjustments during the fight, Roach quipped back with a resounding “No.”

“Once he gets hit, he’ll go back to what he knows. Our job is to keep the fight in the middle of the ring,” Roach says confidently. He truly believes that Cotto’s trainer Joe Santiago won’t be of any help as the fight progresses. With that being said, the combination of an inexperienced corner and a shell shocked fighter makes for the perfect opponent for Pacquiao to impose his will upon.

“I think at one time Cotto made adjustments but since the Margarito fight he hasn’t been the same. I’ve been studying tapes before and after the Margarito fight and he’s a different fighter now. When he fought Mosley and others he made adjustments but his last two fights he hasn’t shown that,” Roach said.

And then Roach peers through his spectacles and makes a statement that lingers in the air as surrounding media stare in amazement at the supreme confidence that Roach has in his fighter.

“I honestly don’t think we’re going to knock him out,” Roach says. “We’re going to make him quit.”

To make a fighter quit is far more than a devastating punch that knocks a fighter out cold. It is far worse than beating a fighter until a referee steps in to save a courageous fighter from harm. Making a fighter quit is the ultimate statement. It simply means that the fighter’s will has been broken and, with no other way out, simply reverts to the Roberto Duran’s statement against Sugar Ray Leonard with 15 seconds left in the eighth round of their 1980 bout.

“No Mas.”

To say that Pacquiao will do that to Cotto is the ultimate statement. And if Pacquiao is able to demolish Cotto as he has his past few opponents, it should put him in line for a monster clash with Floyd Mayweather Jr. If that fight were to happen, Roach says that he would like it to be his last fight.

“I’d personally like to see him fight Mayweather and be done,” Roach says when talking about the future. But the problem with making the fight lies in the money. Ultimately, if the fight were to never happen, Pacquiao wouldn’t be hung up by any means.

“He doesn’t care about (the Mayweather fight). Whoever comes next, he’ll fight. He doesn’t care.”

The only thing he does care about is his homeland. As long as he is giving back, Pacquiao will remain pleased.

“He loves the big stage and he loves to make them happy. That’s his drive,” Roach says.

And truthfully, that’s the only thing that matters.

Source: fightnewsextra.com

NO ANXIETY - Cotto already at 144

2009-11-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS - A lengthy training of over 12 weeks that included 130 rounds of sparring, two months of their barracks in Tampa and another 12 days of intense work in this city, ended yesterday.

"I feel very happy and satisfied with their work. I am in top condition and now what remains is to relax and wait for Saturday, "a relaxed Miguel Cotto to speak to the press after finishing the training at the Top Rank gym, which for an hour and a half did work floor and several rounds of gauntlets.

"We're comfortable, and the weight is fine. There is anxiety, the anxiety begins moments before climbing into the ring, meanwhile still normal. Tomorrow (today) we will run if necessary, "said Cotto, who left the gym at 144 pounds, below the maximum weight of 145 pounds that make today will have both fighters weighed in will be at 3:00 pm (7:00 pm ET, Puerto Rico), at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and will be open to the public.

The WBO welterweight champion vowed that tomorrow will see a Miguel Cotto better than we have seen before. We know who leads Pacquiao in force, we who have fought in this division for three years and we know also that he excels in speed and we have prepared for it with great defense, with many lateral movements. I'm ready for my fight, no matter what pattern Pacquiao fight will do. We'll see if he was prepared for what Miguel Cotto brings.

At home in Las Vegas

Cotto said he has been very beneficial to get to Las Vegas on November 1, two weeks before the fight, when his habit was to arrive a week earlier.

"Make a difference, we are used to the schedule. The four-hour time difference makes a dent, most of us athletes. And we acclimated to the schedule, the low-rise city of Las Vegas and we feel good. "

Yesterday, Cotto was back in the betting at a rate of two and a half to one, but that does not lose sleep at boricua. Nor is his promoter Bob Arum that he referred to as an icon Pacquiao and him as a great fighter.

"I know nothing about gambling or interest me. Whether or not the favorite does not add anything extra. I'm not here to become an 'icon' or the best pound for pound. I am here to do what I do, make my money, go with health and enjoy what I did with sacrifice and sweat through all these years, "said the boxer, who trained in the presence of his mother, his wife and three children.

"My children are the main reason for what I do every day and are here to support me full of happiness and it helps to distract me and spend the better days and happy," said Cotto who lost no time to kiss and smile at their children within minutes of rest between training.

Meanwhile, Coach Joe Santiago, expressed his dissatisfaction with the time of weighing, which will be at 3:00 pm Las Vegas.

"Every boxer weighing wait that long to bother him. It must have been earlier but this is something we have to work and Miguel will weigh eaten (without starving). Before weighing decide if for some light exercise.

Evangelist in mind

On the other hand, Santiago thanked the expressions of Evangelista Cotto, who backed him in a recent interview.

"I expected nothing less from Mr. Evangelista Cotto. Everyone knows it was my teacher and although he is in Puerto Rico, my heart and I still appreciate. One gives you more confidence to have the support of those who have been their teachers, "said Santiago.

The fledgling 32-year coach said recently over a week spoke with Evangelista, who supplanted as head at the corner of Cotto from the bout against Joshua Clottey last June.

"We talked about boxing, but do not talk about Miguel Cotto or this fight. I am the 'matchmaker' promotions Miguel Cotto and discussed plans to continue with other boxers in the business. "

Source: especiales.elnuevodia.com

Is Cotto past Margarito debacle?

2009-11-13T02:50:00.000-08:00

Source: ESPN.com

No Excuses, Says Roach

2009-11-13T02:45:00.000-08:00

After the IRS imposed exile to Baguio, followed by the malaise of Manila, trainer Freddie Roach was satisfied with where his charge, Manny Pacquiao, was- physically and mentally- as they headed down the home stretch of their training camp at their familiar haunts of the Wild Card Boxing Club, last week. This Saturday night, they face WBO welterweight champion, Miguel Cotto, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, in the years most anticipated event.

"Manny told me,’I’m back’," said Roach, last Thursday afternoon, one of their last days in Hollywood before they took off for Las Vegas."He’s back, no problem, at all. Focus is there, the conditioning was never a problem. We worked everyday. Baguio, Manila, wherever we were. We never missed a day of working out and running and so forth. So we got back here, his running has been really great, boxing’s been really good. He sparred eight rounds the other day, looked really good, 100-percent."

On this afternoon, Pacquiao went through six rounds of sparring( three each with Urbano Antillon and Ray Beltran) before finishing off his days work with an energetic session on the heavy-bag and a few rounds on the double-end bag, jumping rope and then shadow-boxing. His workout took approximately three hours and it was marked by Filipino’s trademark energy and enthusiasm. For all that surrounds ’Planet Pacquiao’, nobody works harder in the gym then he does.

"My training camp for this fight is good," said ’the Pac Man’ after his days work."We’re doing great and we work hard for this fight." He added," I feel strong, I feel strong enough for a 12-round fight."

Their last week in Hollywood was hectic, as it included an appearance on ’the Jimmy Kimmel Show’ and a media day at the Wild Card. But Roach says that these obligations do not overload his fighter.

" Jimmy Kimmel, we filmed that at like 5:30 in the afternoon. So it wasn’t really late day. It loosened him up a little bit because he likes the singing part of it. Media day, is actually like a day off because we don’t really show that much, just give you guys a taste of what we’re up to because the whole workout would be impossible with as many people that came to the gym," said the well-regarded trainer."Yesterday, we ran him really hard in the morning on the track and then we just went four rounds on the mitts, a couple on the speed-bag and on the rope, stuff like that. The mitt day before was 16 rounds, straight."

Pacquiao said of his appearance on the late night ABC talk show,"It was very fun. I was very happy for that show. It was funny, I sing one song."

There is always the lingering question of whether Pacquiao is distracted or not. It’s become a permanent storyline of any fight he participates in. But Roach, says with a grin,"Y’know what? We like drama. We have enough in our lifetime that we must like it. Otherwise, we would change things. We’ve always had problems, there’s always something going in Camp Pacquiao."

The large focus of this camp has been the on-going animosity between strength-and-conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, and adviser Mike Koncz, who had a well-documented physical altercation while in the Philippines. Roach laughs this off as being a non-issue. The trainer has been through it all with Pacquiao. From when he was getting fleeced by Murad Muhammad or the multitude of fans that swarmed the gym on a daily basis before the first match-up with Erik Morales.

Those were real distractions that hindered his focus. The extra-curricular stuff he’s now involved in? To him, it’s a necessary diversion.

"He enjoys it, he thrives on it," Roach stated."He thrives off it, it’s a challenge. People say he can’t do it. It’s just like after the fight, he’s in concert at the Mandalay Bay."

Win, lose or draw on Saturday night, there will be no alibi’s from them.

" No excuses for this fight," said Pacquiao."I’m ready to fight and I will do my best."

Roach echoes those thoughts," No excuses, 100-percent. No excuses."

COTTO

So what are Pacquiao’s thoughts on his upcoming foe?

"Everyone knows he’s bigger than me, he’s stronger. I know he hits hard but I’m very confident in myself and my speed, my power."

But Roach wonders if Cotto is irrevocably damaged following his loss to Antonio Margarito last year.

"To be quite honest, studying his tapes, he was a very good fighter early in his career but he’s not the same guy after the beating he took with Margarito. I don’t think he has his confidence back, his defense seemed to be poor in the Clottey fight and he was very slow," he opined."I think everyone reacts differently on the first knockout loss, some people never get over it, some people get over it quickly. They say, ’Well, Manny should be the one shot because he got KO’d twice.’ But yeah, that was 20 years ago. We’re obviously gotten over that. So he’s one of those guys who can get over it.

"Can Cotto get over his KO loss? I don’t think so. He hasn’t shown it, yet."

BUZZ

Judging by the reaction the two fighters received on Tuesday afternoon at the MGM Grand, there’s no doubt that ’Firepower’ is building a lot of momentum. I’m told it was the biggest reception ever for a promotion.

One way you can gauge just how well an event will do is to see just how many fans show up to the weigh-in( which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at 3:00 on Friday afternoon, with the main event fighters getting on the scale at 3:10). I expect to see a raucous crowd there.

Just a hunch, but I think this fight will exceed one million pay-per-view buys, and perhaps even rival what the Pacquiao-De La Hoya fight did last year( which did right around 1.4 million.)

Source: maxboxing.com

Cotto's biggest disadvantage may reside in his corner

2009-11-13T02:41:00.000-08:00

In boxing, a fighter's relationship with his trainer, is either his biggest asset or greatest liability. The bond between the two can't be measured, but its effects can certainly be seen.

Juan Manuel Marquez developed into a three-division champion under a lifetime of guidance from Nacho Beristain. Wladimir Klitschko only emerged as boxing's top heavyweight after Emanuel Steward took over in his corner. And Manny Pacquiao, who has, perhaps, the most successful fighter-trainer relationship, has worked his way to the top of boxing's pound-for-pound rankings after eight years with Freddie Roach. Together, they've forged a bond that Steward says is "unlike any I have ever seen."
Miguel Cotto doesn't have that luxury, or anything remotely close to it. When Cotto steps into the ring to defend his WBO welterweight title against Pacquiao next month, the man dispensing the advice will be Joe Santiago, a longtime member of Cotto's team who will be making his second appearance as lead trainer. The Cotto-Santiago merger was a marriage of necessity: Last April, Cotto and his uncle, Evangelista, who had trained Cotto for the last 18 years, reportedly came to blows after Cotto fired him for refusing to move the training camp from Caguas, Puerto Rico, to Tampa Bay. The fight continued at Cotto's home, when Evangelista allegedly threw a brick at Cotto, which smashed through the window of champion's 2009 Jaguar.

"The trainers could be a factor," said Steward. "Going down the stretch in these types of fights, [the corner] could swing it. Having your longtime trainer there is definitely an advantage."

Trainer-less for the first time in his career, Cotto asked his promoter, Bob Arum, for a list of potential replacements. After reviewing the list, Cotto elected to go with Santiago, a longtime protégé of Evangelista who has played a variety of roles in his training over the past seven years.

"I think Miguel feels comfortable with Joe," said Arum. "You have to understand [my] position. As the promoters, we're not responsible for the fighter getting into shape. That's up to the fighter and his team. We went along with whatever they decided ... whether Santiago is the right trainer for him is hard to tell."

The uncertainty surrounding the choice stems from Santiago's shaky performance in Cotto's fight against Joshua Clottey last June. In the third round, an accidental head butt opened up a grotesque cut on Cotto's left eyelid. A more seasoned trainer might have lobbied for the fight to be stopped. But Santiago allowed the fight to continue and watched helplessly as a blinded Cotto absorbed a beating from Clottey. Only a late rally saved Cotto from an embarrassing and costly defeat.

"I think [dealing with the cut] was a very dicey moment," said Arum. "Miguel was winning the fight quite handily and the eye was severely cut. I don't think Joe made any mistakes. I don't know if any trainer would have handled it different."

Added Santiago, "There were really no mistakes about the way we wanted to do the fight. I think the strategy was fine. I have known [Cotto] for seven years and I know they had talked about bringing in well-known trainers, but I think the fact that I have known him a long time and he feels comfortable with me gave me an advantage over all those guys. I think it's just a question of getting everybody on the same page and I think we've done that."

Those that argue that the change in trainers won't impact Cotto when he faces Pacquiao point to the estranged relationship between the fighter and his uncle. The problems between the two date back to 2007, when Cotto confronted Evangelista after he berated Cotto's brother, Jose, during Jose's world title fight against Prawet Singwancha. The confrontation was caught by the Telefutura cameras.

Because their relationship has been so bad for so long, the argument goes, Cotto has effectively been training himself.

"Cotto and his uncle were like a married couple that just grew apart," Steward told SI.com. "You could feel the distance between them. They went years barely speaking. And Cotto makes great adjustments on his own. When he fought Muhammad Abdullaev [in 2005], I was amazed at how he got on his toes and boxed beautifully. And against Zab Judah [in 2007], he got very physical. He's just an adaptable and adjustable guy."
Still, both Arum and Steward agree that in a fight that is predicted to be as closely contested as Cotto-Pacquiao, having an experienced and familiar voice in your corner is a tremendous advantage.

"Chemistry between the trainer and fighter is very important," said Arum. "Manny and Freddie are a finely tuned team. That doesn't mean that Joe can't do a good job for Miguel, but in the nitty gritty, I'd like to have Freddie."

Source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Manny Pacquiao on a mission

2009-11-13T02:39:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS - Manny Pacquiao, or at least his image, is everywhere these days.

It’s on the cover of the Asian edition of Time magazine, a blow-up of which is on an easel in the corner of the press room at the MGM Grand as if it’s a work of art. Considering how difficult it has been in recent years to get a boxing article even in Time’s sister publication, Sports Illustrated, one can see why people think so.

He’s on the front page of the Sunday New York Times [NYT] sports section, which apparently rediscovered boxing existed this week after its sports editor took a public lambasting from HBO Boxing analyst Larry Merchant. The story makes Pacquiao sound like the savior of a nation.

He’s in The Wall Street Journal as the financial engine reviving the oft-buried but never quite dead fight game, and on the Jimmy Kimmel Show singing a ballad like the Filipino version of Andy Williams.

Oh, and tomorrow night, in case anyone forgets to mention it, he’ll be in the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena performing his real job - boxing better than anyone else in the world.

Pacquiao will be trying to win what, through the use of the kind of loose accounting practices that got the world economy into its present straits, is being billed as a record seventh world title. If Pacquiao does, he will have gone from a 112-pound flyweight title holder to a champion in a division 35 pounds heavier. He will also have fulfilled the expectations of most boxing experts, who feel his speed and power is intersecting with WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto’s physical decline in a perfectly concussive parabola.

Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KO) is a delightful fellow, an unusual blend of geniality outside the ring and ferocity in it. He never has a bad word to say about his opponents but that doesn’t dissuade him from brutally dismissing them with a powerful left hand and a sweeping right hook that is a relatively new addition to his arsenal.

Couple that with speed and a strong willingness to engage in hand-to-hand combat at the ringing of a bell, and you have the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world - and the most popular.

Yet his kind of popularity is a double edged sword.

While it has made him wealthy beyond any dreams he had when he ran away from a life of poverty in General Santos City at 14 after his father ate his dog, it has also brought great feelings of responsibility for his many countrymen still in desperate economic straits.

He has given away so much money his promoter, Bob Arum, says he may have to fight until he’s 50, while his trainer, Dedham native Freddie Roach, needs a full-time security detail at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood during the weeks Pacquiao trains there because the crowds are so large they can’t get anything done otherwise.

“Manny’s a throwback,” Roach said. “He’s like a Henry Armstrong type. You don’t have fighters like that today that move up in weight like this to win championships in all these different weight divisions.

“He’s carrying his punch and his power with him along with his speed. He’s passing people like Sugar Ray Leonard, who was a six-time world champion. He’s on a level of the top five fighters of all time.”

Arum and HBO hope the magnitude of the challenge and Pacquiao’s popularity will drive pay-per-view sales over a million. Early indications hint they could approach 1.4 million, which was a record for a non-heavyweight fight until Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. did 2.4 million two years ago.

Considering that only 25 fights in boxing history have done over a million buys, it would be a remarkable feat that harkens back to the climate for boxing 25 years ago, in the days of Leonard, Hearns, Hagler and Duran.

“Even Mike Tyson didn’t have the drawing power that Manny has right now,” Roach said. “The way Manny arrived the other day people were swarming to try and get a touch or a look at him.”

Tomorrow night, only one man will be trying to touch him, however, and it will be someone who couldn’t care less about his place in boxing history or in the eyes of his countrymen. The most popular fighter in the world hasn’t lost sight of that, which in his job is a good thing.

“This fight is a challenge,” Pacquiao said. “Cotto is a good fighter and a hard puncher. But I’m confident in my ability. I always believe in my power.”

Inside the ring or out, he’s earned the right to feel that way.

Source: bostonherald.com

Miguel Cotto's strengths include Phil Landman

2009-11-13T02:34:00.000-08:00

Reporting from Las Vegas - A small, airless gym smelling of sweat and urine. An old, shuffling fighter-turned-trainer whose study of strength and nutrition stopped in junior high health class.

Think Burgess Meredith in "Rocky" or Clint Eastwood in "Million Dollar Baby."

That was Phil Landman's image of boxing gyms and the men who worked there when he was recruited out of a West Los Angeles fitness club to work with world champion Miguel Cotto three years ago. And he hasn't seen too much since then that has changed his mind.

"Boxing is just very much back as it was maybe 10, 15, 20, even 50 years ago," Landman says. "With the same training and the same techniques. And hopefully what I'm doing with Miguel so far, I've been able to kind of influence the sport in some way."

He's certainly influenced Cotto, 29, who will put Landman's methods to their most severe test Saturday when he meets six-time world champion Manny Pacquiao in a WBO welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"I feel more strength, more power. And I know now what things I can eat," Cotto says. "It's different. He puts more science into my training."

Landman was hired as Cotto's strength and conditioning coach in the summer of 2006 after being introduced to the Puerto Rican fighter by his promoter, Bob Arum.

"The stuff that they're doing becomes, at some point, just redundant," Landman says of old-school boxing trainers. "The body just will stop responding at some stage to some of the stuff that they just continue over and over. So I've been introducing other things."

Such as a strict diet for Cotto, a focused running program and an ever-changing series of weightlifting and flexibility exercises that, in addition to improving his strength and conditioning, also limits the time he spends in the boxing gym.

"Every time I come into camp I always change his program," says Landman, whose five-hour daily workouts with Cotto begin about two to three months before each fight. "He's never done the same conditioning work in any [two] camps. I always take bits and pieces and work on areas that I feel like maybe he needs to improve a little bit. We work well together to kind of figure out what will be the best for him."

That wasn't the case when Arum introduced Cotto, and his uncle-trainer Evangelista Cotto, to the staff at Jon Jon Park's fitness facility in West Los Angeles. The Cotto team was initially suspicious. But Arum had seen this training program work with another of his fighters, Oscar De La Hoya, and offered to pay Landman's salary if Cotto would give his methods a chance.

"Conditioning is conditioning," Arum says. "We knew they weren't boxing people. But we knew it worked."

And in Cotto's case, it worked immediately. In his first fight under Landman's tutelage, Cotto knocked out previously unbeaten Carlos Quintana in five rounds to win the WBA welterweight title. It was Cotto's quickest win in nearly two years. Landman didn't know much about boxing when he began working with Cotto.

Landman, 37, grew up in South Africa, and he played soccer and competed at an elite level in cycling, cricket, rugby and motor sports. "I've always enjoyed being involved in the different sports and trying to understand what it requires to become good at those sports," he says.

Boxing presented its own challenges, in part, because much of what passed for training had been passed down from previous generations with little change. "Boxing is one of the sports that is taking a little bit longer to progress. They are way behind. But I think they will catch up," Landman says. "I do get a lot of people wondering why I do things and how I do them. Once the questions have been answered and explained, people are interested."

Despite Cotto's record of 34-1, with 27 KOs, he is a 3-1 underdog to Pacquiao.

So an upset of Pacquiao on Saturday would certainly increase the interest in Landman's conditioning program.

And a win would perhaps put to rest rumors that Cotto was irreparably damaged in his only loss as a professional, a bloody, 11th-round TKO to Antonio Margarito 16 months ago.

Margarito was caught with illegal plaster in his hand wraps before his next fight and there are suspicions his gloves may have been loaded in the Cotto fight as well. (Margarito's co-manager said the boxer denies any wrongdoing in the Cotto fight.)

"What Miguel went through was pretty horrific," Landman said. "And I think he's done an amazing job coming out of that."

In Cotto's last fight with Joshua Clottey, in June, Landman says Cotto did "an amazing job" overcoming a third-round cut above his left eye to win a 12-round split decision. That was also Cotto's first fight under new trainer Joe Santiago, who replaced Evangelista as his trainer seven months ago.

"People should look at that a lot more," Landman says of Cotto's performance against Clottey. "He showed courage in that fight."

Cotto returned the compliment on Wednesday, crediting Landman with giving him the strength to persevere.

"Since Phil came to our camp, to our gym, he's always come with a lot of things to make me work better," Cotto said. "Like everybody saw in my last fight, he made me work better. With more energy, with more power.

"And that's the kinds of the things you're going to see the night of the [Pacquiao] fight."

Source: latimes.com

Pacquiao, Cotto prime to hit proving grounds

2009-11-13T02:33:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS – David Diaz was supposed to be too big, too strong and a little too much for a guy who began his boxing career as a 106-pounder to handle. After eight-plus rounds, Diaz was crawling around the canvas on all fours, trying to regain his senses, after being overwhelmed by Manny Pacquiao.

Oscar De La Hoya was an even more formidable threat, a one-time middleweight champion. After just eight rounds with Pacquiao, though, De La Hoya looked as if he’d been beaten about the face with a night stick, barely able to rise from his stool under his own power after acknowledging his surrender.

And Ricky Hatton was in his prime, fearless and powerful, but he wound up flat on his back, out cold in less than two vicious rounds.

Those victories, in particular, are the ones that vaulted Pacquiao into boxing’s most hallowed position as its mythical pound-for-pound champion and helped him to become today’s most iconic boxing figure.

Miguel Cotto, though, shrugs his shoulders at such talk. All the fame, the glory and the hoopla that have surrounded Pacquiao since his attention-grabbing victories hasn’t shaken the Puerto Rican’s belief that he is the better man.

They meet Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in arguably the biggest and most significant bout of the year, nominally for Cotto’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title but really for public acceptance as the game’s premier performer.

The winner will likely be in line for a mega payday next year against welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr., the other boxer with a claim to the top spot.

The popular opinion clearly favors Pacquiao, but Cotto is undaunted.

“What Pacquiao did in the past and who he’s beaten doesn’t matter to me,” Cotto said. “He’s not fighting De La Hoya or Hatton. He’s fighting Miguel Cotto. This is different.”

Cotto has an argument of his own to make, though few have advanced it. He’s defeated Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and Joshua Clottey and on paper, those wins look better than victories over the slow and plodding Diaz, an aging and dehydrated De La Hoya and a vastly overrated Hatton.

Cotto’s trainer, Joe Santiago, looks at those fights and the way the boxers match and he can’t understand why the odds are creeping toward 3-1 in Pacquiao’s favor.

“Me personally, I can’t understand why Pacquiao would be favored, especially with the guys we’ve fought and the guys he’s fought,” Santiago said. “He fought a couple of guys who obviously weren’t as good as they were at one time. I don’t get why Pacquiao would be favored.”

Pacquiao is blindingly fast and, working with boxing’s Mr. Wizard, Freddie Roach, seems to get 25 percent better each time out. A little more than four years ago, he was beaten by Erik Morales, as tough a fighter who has ever laced on the gloves but clearly not one of the game’s most skilled.

Pacquiao put his complete trust in Roach, who rebuilt his game and developed him into a one-man wrecking machine. By the time he faced Morales for the third time, just three years ago, Pacquiao had added a right hand to his arsenal.

He’s learned how to take away his opponent’s best weapon and how to maneuver the fight in the ring to suit him. He credits Roach, whom he calls “the Master,” with helping him to achieve his potential.

“I believe a boxer should always try to improve and to learn new things so he can give a better performance for the people,” Pacquiao said. “I like to learn and I have Freddie who can teach me so many things.”

One of the things Roach has imparted over the last two months is to avoid the ropes and stay out of the corners. Cotto is a vicious body puncher with a pulverizing left hook, but he can’t come close to matching Pacquiao’s speed.

If Pacquiao allows Cotto to corner him or pin him on the ropes, he’s voluntarily giving away perhaps his most significant advantage in the fight. And though no one would deem Pacquiao a slugger, his speed accounts for much of his power and the 37 knockouts he has among his 49 wins.

“It’s not a secret that we don’t want to see Manny laying against the ropes,” Roach said. “He needs to keep the fight in the center of the ring.”

If Pacquiao manages to keep it in the center of the ring, the onus will shift to Cotto to find a way to combat Pacquiao’s advantages in speed and quickness. The one way to neutralize speed is with a consistent jab. If Cotto can repeatedly keep his jab in Pacquiao’s face, he’ll slow the Filipino and be able to cut off the ring and then keep the fight in a more confined space. At that point, Cotto’s abilities as an inside fighter and a body puncher would dictate the bout.

Both Judah and Mosley were far quicker than Cotto, but Cotto managed to counteract that and win both fights impressively.

“A lot of people didn’t think he was capable of that kind of a fight [that he put on against Judah and Mosley], but we knew he was capable of doing it,” Santiago said. “We fought as a defensive fighter when we needed to be defensive. We matched speed for speed and traded jab for jab with them. We knew he could do that.”

Doing it against Pacquiao, though, is another thing entirely. Pacquiao not only has won each of his last three fights against men who were bigger and supposedly stronger, he hasn’t lost a round.

He’s been dominant to the point of being ridiculous.

“Every single person in our camp respects Cotto and knows he’s a quality fighter,” Roach said. “But Manny’s not just one of your run-of-the-mill stars. He’s special and he’s capable of doing things that other guys, even top-of-the-line, elite guys, can’t do.

“When I first saw Manny, he was already a very good fighter and I knew he had a chance to improve a lot. But what he’s done is just so amazing. What we’re seeing is a guy who has developed into a very special, unique fighter. There aren’t many like him.”

Source: yahoo.com

Freddie Roach is no 'yes man'

2009-11-13T02:28:00.000-08:00

Reporting from Las Vegas - Manny Pacquiao is surrounded by people who make his life easier: a personal chef, friends to entertain with karaoke, buddies who'll play darts and basketball and a business manager looking out for his financial interests.

Pacquiao asks a favor, wants something done, and the answer is yes.

Freddie Roach is the exception.

Roach, a former journeyman boxer who trained at the foot of Joe Frazier's Hall of Fame cornerman Eddie Futch, is the honest voice in the ear of the world's top pound-for-pound boxer.

"With all the people around me, it's hard to find a real friend, a die-hard person like Freddie," Pacquiao admitted recently after a workout at Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. "We're honest. We don't lie to each other. The strategy we share is nothing but the truth. And I'm lucky to have him in my corner."

As the 30-year-old Pacquiao (49-3-2) prepares for Saturday's fight against WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, boxing historians place his partnership with Roach among the elite of the sport's all-time fighter-trainer connections, along with Muhammad Ali and Angelo Dundee, Joe Louis and Jack "Chappie" Blackburn, Frazier and Futch, Emile Griffith and Gil Clancy and Thomas Hearns and Emanuel Steward.

"It's gotten bigger than I thought it'd be," Roach said. "By far, he's the greatest fighter I've ever been associated with. For a kid who started at 122 pounds to be preparing for this welterweight title shot . . . People ask me, 'Who's the next Manny Pacquiao?' I say there's not one. He's once in a lifetime."

It started so humbly, more than eight years ago, when 22-year-old Pacquiao and his manager were vacationing in the U.S. and looking for a place where the hard-punching southpaw could stay sharp in anticipation of his super-bantamweight title shot against a South African fighter.

After they chatted a bit and Pacquiao pounded Roach's mitts, both men separated and told nearby associates they should work together full time. "He liked my style, the way I punched," Pacquiao recalled.

They won that title fight, and battled through some tough draws and Pacquiao's close 2005 loss by decision to Mexican champion Erik Morales.

"That one that we lost, that was the wake-up call," Roach said.

The trainer took his prodigy back into the gym and started working on developing Pacquiao's right-handed punching and defensive skills.

"It's not a teacher-student thing as much as I show him a move, and he shows me how he'd like to execute it, and then we agree," Roach said. "When I let him interact, he's comfortable. He shows me the way he can adjust. When we can't work out the move, he'll say, 'OK, let's erase that,' and we get rid of it. That way, there's no mistakes. With both of us working on the same goal together, he's become as smart as I am about boxing. It's scary how smart he is in there."

Pacquiao is 10-0 since the Morales loss with seven knockouts or technical knockouts in fights against gifted former champs including Morales (twice), Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Marco Antonio Barrera.

"Manny has the raw material I've never seen any fighter possess," his veteran promoter Bob Arum said. "The athleticism, the punching power, the elusiveness."

Pacquiao's fights during the last year against De La Hoya and Hatton have required a stricter cerebral approach.

Pacquiao brilliantly dissected the older, naturally bigger De La Hoya, by unleashing barrages, moving, and barraging again in a style that showcased his maturity beyond the rapid-punching dynamo of his youth. Against Hatton, Pacquiao saw an opening late in the second round, and he knocked out the Brit, leaving him briefly unconscious.

The added mental discipline has been pushed at a time when more people than ever are tugging at Pacquiao's attention, including for a political run in the Philippines, for his involvement in films and commercials, for interviews and for buddy time.

Arum knows boxing history, and knows how many maturing talents have been lessened by a weak supporting cast. "It happens more often than not," Arum said. "A yes man is useless as a trainer."

There have been moments that tested the Pacquiao-Roach partnership, like a run-in at training camp when Roach interrupted Pacquiao's talk with a political leader in the Philippines and told his fighter to start packing for their relocation to Hollywood's training center. Roach remains mostly patient, explaining as he did recently when Pacquiao slept through a scheduled workout because of jet lag that, "I need to get his head on tighter."

Futch taught that to Roach, to bypass the typical boxing nonsense that complicates the fight plan.

"If there's ever a problem with Freddie, we fix the problem," Pacquiao said. "We set aside the distractions, focus on the fight."

Pacquiao compares his sessions with Roach to homework. "Speed, power, be smart in the ring -- that's boxing," Pacquiao said.

As he prepares to collect a guaranteed purse of $7.5 million in a bout expected to become the most lucrative of the year, Pacquiao told a mass of reporters why it has come to this: "Freddie Roach is my master, my master of boxing."

Source: atimes.com

Why boxing world will be urging on the Pacman against Cotto

2009-11-12T06:36:00.000-08:00

Miguel Cotto may be loved by his loyal fans in Puerto Rico but the rest of the boxing world will be hoping Manny Pacquiao knocks him out in Saturday’s welterweight title bout to keep the Filipino on course for next year’s super-fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

American Mayweather did his bit by coming out of retirement and oozing class against Juan Manuel Marquez in September and now, as he rests up and has so far avoided the temptation to fight Shane Mosley, we can expect Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations to begin soon – providing the Pac Man wins on Saturday.

Pacquiao’s legion of fans are confident he will beat Cotto, the bookmakers are confident and his revered trainer Freddy Roach approved the fight meaning he must be confident, but there is a nagging doubt that all won’t go to plan and that is because Cotto is a classy fighter.

His only defeat came at the hands of disgraced Mexican Antonio Margarito, who was subsequently banned for fighting with illegal padding in his gloves, and he is a strong, fast and a natural welterweight.

However, since that fight he has had two mediocre contests.

Firstly he knocked out the hopelessly mis-matched Britain Michael Jennings in five rounds before claiming a hard fought split-decision against Ghanaian Josh Clottey in June.

But Pacquiao is a different beast. His ability to waltz through divisions and claiming world titles is borderline genius and, as with nearly all sports, there is no defence against speed, which he has in abundance.

Boxing needs a mega clash like Pacquiao v Mayweather and I think they will get it once Pacquiao knocks out Cotto in 10 rounds on Saturday.

Source: reuters.com

Pacquiao vs Cotto: Final Press Conference - Las Vegas

2009-11-12T06:26:00.001-08:00

Photos: Pacquiao and Cotto Face To Face in Vegas

2009-11-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas, Nevada --- (L-R) Six-time world champion pound-for-pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao,General Santos,Philippines and three-time world champion and the pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto, Caguas, Puerto Rico pose during the final press conference for their upcoming "FIREPOWER" World Welterweight championship fight. Pacquiao vs Cotto is promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions,Cotto Promotions,MGM Grand and Tecate, will take place, Saturday,November 14 at the sold out MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be available live on HBO Pay Per View. --- Photo Credits : Chris Farina/Top Rank

Source: boxingscene.com

Pacman-Cotto fight just what boxing needs

2009-11-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

LONDON - Anyone who still loves boxing probably still is wincing at the description of the puffed up cruiserweight and new world heavyweight champion David Haye's defeat of lumbering Russian giant Nikolai Valuev in Nuremburg last weekend as both a masterclass of defensive fighting and the redemption of the whole abused business.

However, at least there is an almost instantly available antidote in Las Vegas on Saturday night to the onset of physical nausea. Not only is Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao the real thing, real fighting that is, it also is potentially a stupendous example of what happens when exceptional talent is given a proper test.

Some fight people even believe the contest for Cotto's WBO welterweight title just might make it into the kind of terrain occupied by Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns at Caesars Palace 24 years ago. This is perhaps saying too much. When Hagler finally overwhelmed Hearns in the third round of the most astonishing action, the late Budd (On the Waterfront) Schulberg at ringside shivered and said: "I never expected ever to see anything so intense outside of war."

Yet when promoter Bob Arum projects Saturday's fight into such company an old quote of his does not automatically spring to mind. Arum once was challenged on a statement because it was in sharp contradiction of something he had said the day before. "I was lying yesterday," he shrugged.

Now he declares: "The way Manny and Miguel are talking about it, it could be like the three-round Hagler-Hearns war. The conventional wisdom is that Cotto is best when he is aggressive but I don't know if he feels he can be aggressive with this guy from the get-go. If he is aggressive enough, though, sure, it could be Hagler-Hearns all over again."

The fact is that history settles lightly over the MGM Garden Arena ring on the weekend because The Pacman against anyone decent is the nearest thing we are probably going to get to a guarantee of authentic fighting.

RANKED HIGH

It also happens that his 29-year-old Puerto Rican opponent Cotto is rather more than decent. Indeed, he is currently rated in the pound-for-pound league behind only Pacquiao and, talking of masterclass defensive performers, Floyd Mayweather Junior. Cotto, strong and sleekly aggressive, has just one defeat to his name and it is one that became surrounded by question marks after his conqueror Antonio Margarito was found to have illegal fist wrappings in his next contest.

Certainly Cotto insists that he is something more than a stepping stone to the fight that already has boxing aficionados counting the days: Pacquiao versus Mayweather.

Cotto declares: "I'm prepared for the speed of Manny. My hand speed is pretty equal to his. But is Manny's speed equal to the power of Miguel on Saturday night? You know, I'm very calm. Yes, Manny is a special fighter but I've been doing this for many years and know how well I can fight. He may be looking down the road but I'm just focusing on this fight. He can fight whoever he chooses when I've beaten him."

Cotto is the naturally bigger man. He last fought at welterweight while Pacquiao was a division lower when eviscerating Britain's Ricky Hatton last spring.

The Filipino is the fighter's fighter, the most searing example of the benefits of beautiful timing and the will to exploit it at any point. His experienced coach Freddy Roach says that his man is unique, a force of nature as much as a superbly programmed pugilist. It is an opinion endorsed by an adoring public, thousands of whom gathered at his hotel entrance when he arrived in Vegas last week. There is much affection too, most ferociously expressed in his homeland where each year it is estimated he hands over more than a million dollars in cash and food to the poor who regularly arrive outside his house.

Pacquiao says it is a straight forward way of giving thanks for his good fortune to be such an accomplished fighting man. Roach frequently is required to clear away Pacman fans from his gym in Los Angles.

"Sometimes it is impossible," the trainer said. "You just can't get the work done. The trouble is, Manny just loves to be loved."

The fighter says: "If I could, I would fight every day of my life and if I can help as well, well that is a gift to me also.

"Cotto is a good fighter, I respect him but I believe I can do the job."

It is unlikely to be accomplished quite as quickly as it was against Hatton who fell, beyond any hope of recovery, near the end of the second round.

The suspicion here, though, is that it will indeed be finished some considerable time before the end of the 12th.

Assistant trainer, and former world heavyweight champion, Michael Moorer draws the same conviction from the look in Pacquiao's eyes which announces that he has entered his zone of absolute concentration.

"I know it when I see it," he said. "A look, a light comes into his eyes which I think you could only understand if you have worked long and hard for a fight. His eyes shine in a way that says: 'This is my time, I can doanything I want.'

"You do not see it often but I see it when I look at Manny. He is a fighter so far out of the ordinary that I find it difficult to give any other fighter any kind of chance. He is surely one of the greatest we have seen."

Miguel Cotto no doubt will dispute the theory with much nerve and formidable fighting gifts. It is possible, though, to see only one winner and it is Pacquiao around the fifth round. He will win both for himself and the spirit of boxing, which on this occasion at least is the shortest priced favourite of all.

Source: torontosun.com

Pacquiao, Cotto take the bad out of boxing

2009-11-12T06:12:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS – It was a news conference, which only means not a whole lot happened. Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto talked Wednesday like diplomats after accepting keys to the city from the only politician with a title, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.
If Goodman’s gift included any keys to what might happen Saturday night at the MGM Grand in the most anticipated fight of the year, nobody was saying. Pacquiao said thanks. Cotto said thanks. But their plans might as well have been state secrets, closely guarded by both and one as important to the Philippines as the other is to Puerto Rico.

Their good manners and polite tone are unusual for boxing, which has busted as many ear drums as it has noses over the noisy years. Then again, Pacquiao-Cotto is an unusual bout between fighters likable for lots of reasons, the biggest of which might be the significant absence of redundant trash talk.

It qualifies as a big fight, perhaps one of the biggest in years, without anybody assigned to trite roles. There are no bad guys here. Even Las Vegas resident Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who might meet the winner, hasn’t asked for a ringside seat, promoter Bob Arum said Wednesday.

Without any of the familiar noise, there is a sense that the fighters are conserving their energies and bad intentions for the opening bell. Too many fights over too many years have fallen flat after shout-downs that always promised a beat down, but rarely delivered. Pacquiao-Cotto is loaded with the promise without any of the talk.
“I don’t know what will happen, but I will do my best,’’ said Pacquiao, who is favored to win the 145-pound bout.

The closest thing to braggadocio came from Cotto’s 32-year-old trainer Joe Santiago.
“”It will be a great victory for Puerto Rico,’’ said Santiago, who is only three years older than Cotto. “Good luck to Manny Pacquiao. You’re going to need it.’’
There’s a theory that Cotto looms as Pacquiao’s biggest roadblock in his ascent to international stardom. Cotto’s has been at welterweight longer than Pacquiao, who started his pro career as 106- pound 16-year-old. Cotto is comfortable at the weight. Translation: Cotto’s has power that Pacquiao has yet to feel. The counter is that Cotto has never seen Pacquiao’s kind of speed and will see it only after it comes, goes and leaves him looking up at the Filipino with his back on the canvas.
It adds up to a mix of possibilities that talk for themselves. If that’s not enough, there is a world of media already talking about the fight, mostly because of Pacquiao.

In introducing Cotto, Arum said: “Psychologically –he knows it and I know it – he is not the star of the show.’’

Pacquiao’s stardom was portrayed at the news conference by a photo of him on a poster-sized cover of the Asian edition of Time. The international edition of the magazine has a reported circulation of about 1 million. An additional 50,000 copies were printed because of Pacquiao, according to a spokesman. Those are just some of the numbers that seem to add up to a pay-per-view bonanza, one million or more customers.

“We now are on track to exceed one million,’’ said Home Box Office senior vice-president Mark Taffett, who said the mid-week sales made the fight “as hot as a pistol.’’

If Pacquiao-Cotto meets the 1-million milestone, it will be the second fight this year to hit the mark. Mayweather’s decision over Juan Manuel Marquez in September had one million customers. The last time there were two pay-per-view fights that surpassed one million apiece was 1999 with 1.4 for Felix Trinidad’s upset of Oscar De La Hoya and 1.2 for the Evander Holyfield-Lennox Lewis draw.
Without Pacquiao, the prospects probably wouldn’t be so bullish. He has been showing up everywhere these days, including a rehearsal Tuesday for a concert at nearby Mandalay Bay. Pacquiao, the lead singer for the band MP, is scheduled to be on stage sometime after his date with Cotto.

Pacquiao doesn’t plan on singing the blues.

NOTES, QUOTES
· Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach played it politically-correct Wednesday. But that might not last until opening bell. For at least a couple of weeks, Roach talked a lot, including a prediction that Pacquiao would win a first-round knockout. Roach placed a $1,000 best at 40-1 on that proposition. Are more head games on the agenda? “A little bit,’’ Roach said. “I’m not done.’’

· Arum said Roach and Pacquiao is the greatest trainer-fighter alliance since Angelo Dundee and Muhammad Ali.

· Roach expects Pacquiao to be at about 149 pounds at opening bell. He said that the Filipino arrives at the gym for workout at 148 and leaves at 144. Roach expects Cotto to beat about 146 pounds at fight time.

Source: 15rounds.com

Cotto 'too powerful' for Pacquiao

2009-11-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

Miguel Cotto is confident he will have too much power for Manny Pacquiao when they meet in Las Vegas on Saturday for one of the biggest fights of the year.
Puerto Rican Cotto will defend his WBO welterweight crown against Philippine superstar Pacquiao, who knocked out Britain's Ricky Hatton in May.

"I'm prepared for the speed of Manny," said the 29-year-old Cotto.

"My hand speed is pretty equal to Manny's. But can Manny's power equal Miguel Cotto's on Saturday night?"

Two-weight world champion Cotto, 34-1 (27 KOs), is the underdog for the bout but said he had been energised by his link-up with new trainer Joe Santiago.

Although Pacquiao's outspoken trainer Freddie Roach has cast doubt on the 31-year-old Santiago's experience, Cotto feels the change has been a positive one.

"The training camp we had, that's going to make the difference," he said.
Pacquiao, (49-3-2, 37 KOs), was mobbed by more than 1,000 cheering fans on his arrival at the MGM Grand Casino on Tuesday and is certain to attract most of the support at the 16,000-seat arena on fight-night.

Cotto, however, was unconcerned: "It is going to be just Manny, Miguel Cotto and the referee inside the ring. Nobody can come and give anything to Manny."

Cotto also brushed off suggestions he was being underestimated by the Pacquiao camp, which has been touting the possibility of a mega-fight with American great Floyd Mayweather Jr early next year.

"I'm focused on this fight," said Cotto. "When I beat him this Saturday, he can think about whatever opponents he wants."

Cotto was unimpressive in his last encounter in June, edging a split decision victory over Ghana's Joshua Clottey.

In his previous fight he stopped Chorley's Michael Jennings to claim the vacant WBO welterweight crown.

The 30-year-old Pacquiao, a former flyweight world title-holder, is bidding to become a five-weight world champion.

Source: bbc.co.uk

Pacquiao vs Cotto: Worth the Money

2009-11-12T06:08:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS—The quest to have you part with $54.95 to see the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight on Saturday night on HBO pay-per-view was in its homestretch here on Wednesday.

If this is a tough sell, it is only because slugfests are not high priority in sluggish economies. Or because the stars, Pacquiao and Cotto, seem to be decent people who speak with respect and are about as controversial as a table napkin.

Most boxers are mush-mouths who play smash mouth. These two are courteous, yes-sir and no-sir people. They leave the hyperbole to the pros, such as promoter Bob Arum, who has never met a fight he didn’t like, as long as it was his.

At Wednesday’s press conference, nobody cursed, nobody threatened to disembowel anybody, nobody knocked over a lectern or a microphone in a phony attempt to get on SportsCenter, and nobody strutted like a peacock and talked trash. Bernard Hopkins must have been out of town.

Of course, there is always Arum to spice things up at least a little. He has been promoting big-time fights for so long that Joe Louis probably called him Bobbie, and he had his usual press-conference moment, just shortly after apologizing for a previous press-conference moment.

In the previous one, Arum had introduced one of Pacquiao’s entourage as Governor What’s-his-name. Turns out that Chavit Singson was a very important man in Pacquiao’s Philippines, and Arum now calls him “a close friend.” This time, Arum introduced somebody from a History Channel show called Pawn Stars, but after several attempts and audience laughter, Arum gave up and apologized for his “Brooklyn accent,” which had turned the “awn” into “orn.”

The publicity for this fight is needed only for those who have just recently found an interest in boxing. For those in the know, Pacquiao-Cotto has had a ring of excellence since the day the fight was made.

They will fight at a welterweight catch weight of 145 lb. That means that, while the true welterweight of 147 is in play, the contract calls for both to make 145 lb at Friday’s weigh-in or face fines.

It also means that boxing, to its credit and in order to get the best matchups, is abandoning the usual weight categories and making up the rules as it goes along. There is a sanctioned title at stake here, but nobody cares.

What fans do care about is that this matchup is especially compelling.

Pacquiao, pride of the Philippines, is 49-3-2, with 37 knockouts. Cotto, a hero in Puerto Rico, is 34-1, with 27 KOs. Pacquiao turns 31 next month. Cotto is 29.

Pacquiao has made his way up the weight-class ladder from 106 lb 14 years ago to his stunning technical knockout of legendary Oscar de la Hoya a year ago at 142 lb. That’s the highest weight he has gone for a fight, and the 145 catch weight is in place because Cotto, a natural welterweight, has never fought below 138 and has been at either 146 or 147 in his last eight fights.

There will be much chatter about Cotto being the natural bigger man and having a huge advantage because of that. There will also be much chatter about Pacquiao having an advantage because Cotto has to get down to 145.

The real chatter is about the D-word in each boxer’s career.

Cotto’s one loss was to Antonio Margarito in July of 2008, in the same MGM Grand Garden Arena ring where he will face Pacquiao. That was a brutal brawl that had the boxing world wondering about the previously invincible Cotto. That brutal beating, of course, took on another dimension when Margarito, about to fight Shane Mosley at Staples Center in January, was found with plaster of Paris in his gloves.

It was taken out, Mosley turned in the most-impressive win of his career—and he beat de la Hoya twice—and questions were immediately raised about whether Cotto had lost to Margarito or to plaster of Paris. That remains unanswered, but Cotto lives now with his D-word question: Is he damaged goods?

He said recently, “I’m pretty recovered from the Margarito defeat....”

Pacquiao’s D-word is distractions.

He has been spectacular in winning his last two fights against credible opponents, de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton. But he has also run for a congressional seat (and lost) in the Philippines and will make another political run in May. During the recent storms in the Philippines, he left training camp to travel to the affected areas and help out.

As he becomes more a person of the people of the Philippines, boxing experts say that he will become less of a fighter.

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, the last honest man in boxing, says the only distraction he is focused on is Cotto’s lethal left hook. Roach says he knows how to neutralize that, and Pacquiao will do so. He also says that, as in the de la Hoya fight, Pacquiao will not allow Cotto to get him on the ropes.

“He has promised me, he’ll fight this one in the center of the ring,” Roach says.

As in all fights then, what is rabble distracts from what is real. Wednesday’s press gathering ended with Pacquiao and Cotto posing face-to-face and photographers yelling for them to “get closer.”

Which proves that clichés are not only written.

Source: businessmirror.com.ph

Photos: Las Vegas Arrival

2009-11-11T06:39:00.001-08:00

Source: fightnews.com

Pacquiao, Cotto arrive in Vegas

2009-11-11T06:13:00.000-08:00

Source: fightnews.com

Pacquiao, Cotto arrive in Vegas

2009-11-11T05:59:00.000-08:00

A mob scene-and-a-half greeted two world champions today at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Manny Pacquiao got the mob scene, Miguel Cotto got the half, when the two made their grand arrivals at the venue where they will face one another Saturday night on HBO-PPV.

Around 11:30 a.m., Pacquiao made his entrance to a crowd that filled the casino’s front lobby. After speaking to TV media and greeting fans, he made his way to the Grand Garden Arena where, after testing out the ring, he sat down with print media for a 15-minute Q&A session.

One hour later, Cotto’s bus pulled up to the casino where a crowd, not quite so large, but just as loud, greeted the Puerto Rican champion. After a brief wave to the crowd and TV interviews, Cotto, likewise, was hustled to the arena where he will face Pacquiao on Saturday.

Both fighters proclaimed peak form and said they were unfazed by the hype surrounding the fight.

“I’m happy for that and understand this part of it all,” said Pacquiao. “I am focused on the fight.”

Despite diversions in the Philippines, Pacquiao said that training camp has been good.

“I’m, right now, ready to go,” he said, touching on the high altitude of camp in the Philippines, training with former champ Jose Luis Castillo and finishing up camp in Los Angeles at the Wild Card Gym.

Pacquiao shrugged off questions about Cotto being his toughest – biggest and strongest – opponent to date.

“I believe in myself,” he said, laughing. “I don’t want to say anything before the fight, but will wait until the ring.

“My motivation? I am fighting for the people who love boxing.”

How Pacquiao has been able to move up in weight, from 105 lbs., in his pro debut, to now fight as a welterweight, is still a wonder for the champ.

“It just happened,” he said. “I watch the tape [when a 105-pounder] and I’m a kid, cocky. I struggled to make weight and lost my flyweight belt because I couldn’t make weight.

“Now, I feel strong. Like David and Goliath, as an example. But if you believe in God and train hard, if you love your opponent and love everybody, it is good.”

As Pacquiao fended off questions about size and strength, Cotto was asked to explain how he would handle the Filipino’s speed.

“I’m prepared for the speed of Manny,” said Cotto. “I have equal hand speed and prepared well with my sparring partners.

“I’m prepared for anything.”

Though Pacquiao has left reviewing tapes to his trainer, Freddie Roach, Cotto says he has studied his opponent – mainly his first fights with Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.

“We have the key to the fight,” said Cotto. “Our camp has made the difference.”

When asked about who’s next, after Pacquiao, Cotto would not comment, but he did talk about those who are prematurely writing about a future Pacquiao-Mayweather matchup.

“Manny is the only thing in my mind right now,” said Cotto. “I don’t know what Manny thinks, but when we’re in the ring together Saturday night, he can think about whatever opponent he wants.

“It’s going to be just Manny and me and the referee. There’s nobody else.”

Source: fightnews

Izenberg: Miguel Cotto Jr. facing fight of his life against Manny Pacquiao

2009-11-11T05:53:00.000-08:00

"We like the combat sports, the action sports. That’s what runs in the minds and the blood and culture of Puerto Ricans.’’
Â…Miguel Cotto Sr., when asked why, after Roberto Clemente, all the names in the island’s emotional pantheon of super athletic heroes belong to boxers

LAS VEGAS—The names are passed down generation to generation — from trainer to trainer in the steamy gyms, from fathers to sons in the barrios and all across the Island from San Juan to Ponce:

Sixto Escobar, the first Puerto Rican to win a title in 1936 and the first boxer anywhere in the world to have a statue unveiled in his name ... Alfredo Escalera, the junior lightweight champion, who entered the ring time after time with a snake coiled around his neck ... Wilfredo Benitez, at age 17 the youngest world champion ever crowned ... Gomez, Ortiz, Serrano, Trinidad, all of them champions, and all the others.

And now Miguel Cotto Jr. is just a millimeter away from a place among that glory brigade. Last week, behind closed doors at the Top Rank Gym, he was coming down the homestretch for Saturday’s fight of his life against Manny Pacquiao. The music filtering into the lobby from ringside was laced with the down-home Caguas beat that punctuated his every training day. There were no distractions.

There was only the music and the sparring partners and the trainer, Joe Santiago, who spoke softly to him between rounds. This is the way Team Cotto wants it.

Two fights back, Junior took a terrific beating from Antonio Margarito for his only loss. Then Margarito was discovered with a ‘‘foreign’’ substance in his gloves the next time out when Sugar Shane Mosley stopped him. Were his gloves ‘‘loaded’’ against Cotto? Impossible to know but there was no shortage of conjecture. Cotto believes that defeat actually may have led to a blessing in disguise.

As a case in point, listen to something Cotto said when he went into camp in Tampa for this fight with a new trainer, Santiago:

‘‘I was very hurt and depressed after that (Margarito) fight. Then I redid my team. Now, I’m with the people I wanted. Sometimes you win by losing.”

What he ‘‘won’’ was his choice of trainers. His uncle, Evangelista Cotto, is out. The assistant, Santiago, is in. The issue was Evangelista’s insistence on training in Puerto Rico, where he had a stable of other fighters. Junior wanted to train in Tampa, away from the pressure of adoring fans with a trainer that concentrated solely on him.

Junior was right.

He went there with Santiago earlier for his fight against Joshua Clottey and returned to prepare for Pacquiao.

‘‘The best thing we did was to go to Tampa to train for this fight,” Santiago will tell you. ‘‘The training went perfectly. If he had stayed in Puerto Rico, the distractions would have been even more than in the past because this is Pacquiao. We know fans are excited. And we know they don’t understand he needs his time even more for this one because of what beating Pacquiao means to him. They would have been all over him and what would we have gotten done? Too much adoration gets in the way of a fighter in training. They can love you to death.’’

The moment of truth is on the horizon and behind the closed gym doors there are no fans. On this day there is only the music and the shuffling sound of sparring partners moving forward as ordered and Cotto coming off the ropes or out of the corners with a left hook and a series of obligatory combinations — which will take on a far more intense purpose Saturday night.

The work is just about done now.

Santiago assessed the journey like this:

‘‘From the moment this fight was signed, we began with it. I know Manny and what he can bring. We have studied every part of his style. We broke down the tapes. We understand what he can bring. Miguel is in excellent condition. I have no doubt that after this fight, he will belong on that list of our great fighters you mentioned. I personally believe he is already on it.’’

Outside in the lobby, Miguel Cotto Sr., the fraternal head of Team Cotto, is speaking about that slice of proud history that constantly casts a measuring stick of a shadow over all that a Puerto Rican boxer seeks to achieve.

‘‘When he was 12,” he says, ‘‘the people who know about such things said he was a prospect. And from 1996 until the Olympics it was clear he was headed in the right direction. He has a history of winning big fights — fights I believe will prove to have been bigger than this one. For me, he is already there among those names we count as our island’s history.

‘‘But I am a father. How does a father think about his son’s career? When he gets hit, I feel the blows. When he hits back and moves forward, we celebrate. The people who have followed him see how much he learned every year. I think the question about this fight ... the question that is no question for me at all ... is not how Junior can deal with Pacquiao. It is how long can Manny, who is smaller and not really a welterweight, take what Junior throws at him before he falls apart.’’

Those words bring to mind something his son said earlier in the week during a teleconference. Like his father, he believes people are looking at this through a flawed microscope:

‘‘So now he comes to my division to challenge me. His power comes from a lower-weight division and if he thinks that power can beat me, then he is wrong. He has picked the wrong time and the wrong man in the wrong division.’’

But it’s really not quite that simple.

Deep down, everyone on Team Cotto understands a dangerous truth:

A good left hook to the body can make chopped liver of the best of logical equations.

Which is why they still have to fight on Saturday.

Source: nj.com

Roach: Pacquiao all primed up for Cotto fight

2009-11-11T05:22:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS – One look at Manny Pacquiao, and Freddie Roach already knows he’s primed up for Miguel Cotto.

“He knows the game plan better than me at this point," said Roach on the final day of sparring in Pacquiao’s training camp at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles.

“He’s one step ahead of me at all times."

The 49-year-old Roach, regarded as one of boxing’s top trainers today, was pleased with the way Pacquiao’s eight-week training turned out, beginning in the highlands of Baguio and ending up in the bright lights of Hollywood.

Prior to departing for Las Vegas, Pacquiao sparred for the last time, going four rounds with Rey Beltran to bring his total sparring rounds to 153.

Roach was happy with what he saw.

“We had a good sparring (Monday). It was nice and loose," he said. “We’re ready to go."

With sparring sessions over and done with, Roach bared the Filipino boxing champion would just work on the mitts at the IBA gym and go through some of the nitty-gritty details of their fight plan.

“We already slowed down and we’re doing the same in Vegas. We’ll go over the game plan mentally and just physically walk through it in the ring to make sure that everyone’s in the same page and fight the perfect fight," added the three-time Trainer of the Year.

For good measure, Roach admitted he watches Cotto’s fight everyday to see if there is still some last minute adjustment they could work on.

Roach however, does it on his own as he bared Pacquiao doesn’t watch fight tapes that much.

“He gets bored after 30 seconds," he said. - GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Pacquiao, fans all set for 'Firepower'

2009-11-11T05:21:00.000-08:00

MANILA – The world’s best pound-for-pound boxer, Manny Pacquiao, declared that he is primed to take on WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on Saturday in Las Vegas (Sunday in Manila).

“Ready to fight na, it’s all set,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN News.

Asked about his present state, he answered: “Kundisyon ko ngayon, okay naman.”

The Philippines’ prized fighter already arrived in Las Vegas after a 6-hour long road trip. He is currently staying at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.

Meantime, American trainer Freddie Roach said he stands by his prediction that his ward will prevail over Cotto.

“Knockout as always,” he remarked.

The Trainer of Year recipient also revealed their strategy: “Going to the body is a good way to kill someone.”

Selling like hotcakes

Pacquiao’s fans in the Philippines, meantime, are gearing for the much-awaited fight which is expected to draw a sold-out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Several cinemas and restaurants revealed that tickets to the “Firepower” screening are almost sold out.

The Gerry’s Grill restaurant along Tomas Morato Avenue in Quezon City disclosed that boxing fans will not be able to buy tickets from the branch anymore. Only a few Gerry’s Grill branches have some tickets for sale. The ticket is priced at P600, which includes breakfast.

Another restaurant in Quezon City, Daungan, offers a P450 ticket which also includes breakfast.

SM North EDSA, meantime, revealed that 80% of the “Firepower” tickets have been sold. A ticket costs P551. The total number of tickets sold by SM malls nationwide has reached 22,900.

Other “Pacman” fans can also watch the Pacquiao-Cotto fight in Ayala Cinemas where the ticket price ranges from P600 to P700.

Those who refuse to shell out money for the fight can still watch their sports idol slug it out against his Puerto Rican opponent. Various free screenings will be held at sports centers and coliseums in the Metro.

Aside from the Pacquiao-Cotto clash, other fights included in “Firepower” are Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. vs Troy Rowland, Yuri Foreman vs Daniel Santos, and Alfonso Gomez vs Jesus Soto-Karass. – With reports from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News and Sol Aragones, ABS-CBN News

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Beware of Cotto’s left hook, Arum tells Manny

2009-11-11T05:20:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS— The tickets have been snapped up the moment they hit the selling booths and everyone is expecting crazy figures from pay-per-view revenues.

All because the world wants to see how a once skinny, scrawny kid who used to sleep on cardboard boxes in the street can fight his way to the ranks of the big boys, winning not only fame and riches along the way but also boxing’s most revered mythical title: Pound-for-pound king.

“We are watching a phenomenon unfold before our eyes,” Top Rank chief Bob Arum said of the one-time flyweight king who is now on the threshold of becoming the first boxer to win world titles in seven different weight categories.

“I have not, in my 45 or 46 years in boxing, seen anything like this,” Arum said. “This should have never happened.”

Arum is referring to the fact that the devastating combination of speed and power hasn’t deserted Pacquiao despite the Filipino superstar’s ascension into the heavier ranks. Pacquiao faces Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14, where he will be gunning for the Puerto Rican’s WBO welterweight crown at a catch weight of 145 pounds.

“Manny seems to be punching harder now,” Arum said. “People have been asking if he’ll lose his speed as he goes heavier, but Manny seems to be faster now.”

Arum added that while credit goes to trainer Freddie Roach, who has shaped Pacquiao to be a complete and relentless mix of ring power, the boxer should get a lot of pats in the back too.

“Manny is one of the hardest workers in boxing. I’ve never seen any athlete who trains as hard as Manny does,” said Arum.

Arum said, however, that it would be wrong to take Cotto lightly and that the Puerto Rican’s presence on the corner opposite Pacquiao on fight night is actually what makes the highlight match of the card billed as “Firepower” one of the greatest the sport has ever seen.

“It will be a great matchup not only of the year, of the decade but also in history,” Arum said. “On one hand, here’s Pacquiao, who’s going up in weight and here’s Cotto, the toughest welterweight in the world who punches hard and can take a good punch.

While Arum still gets floored with the way Pacquiao has dominated legitimate welterweights, he believes that once Cotto rocks the Filipino, the latter will be in for a jolting surprise.
Because he promotes both fighters, Arum refused to make predictions about the fight. He did, though, tell audiences what to look for the moment the bell rings and the referee unleashes both warriors in the ring.

“I think the major factor will be if Cotto will be able to reach Manny with those devastating left hooks,” Arum said. “I guarantee you if Manny gets hit, it will be the hardest he will ever have felt in his career. It will be interesting to see how Manny will handle the punch if he does get hit.”

Source: inquirer.net

It was Manny’s stage in Las Vegas

2009-11-11T05:19:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS— The lull in between the official welcome laid out by the MGM Grand for the two boxers facing off on Nov. 14 spoke volumes about how this was going to be more Manny Pacquiao’s show than it will be Miguel Cotto’s.

But it’s not like Miguel Cotto has no plans of ruining the storyline.

Pacquiao walked the red carpet of the MGM Grand lobby to deafening cheers and exploding flashbulbs and made his way up a makeshift ring adorned with a centerpiece golden lion statue to a reception fit for a king, a reception that surprised even the boxer-celebrity who is accustomed to crowds mobbing his every public move.

“I am surprised and happy that a lot of people came [to welcome me],” Pacquiao told reporters from both print and broadcast that tried to squirm their way in front of him to capture a sound bite or two even as photographers and cameramen jostled for prime shots at the world’s reigning pound-for-pound king.

After answers to a couple of questions, Pacquiao would turn his back and face the throng that had gathered at the hotel lobby as early as an hour or two before his late arrival to wave at fans, who would respond by shrieking “Manny! Manny!” with fervor.

Pacquiao faces Cotto on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand’s garden Arena, where the Filipino ring icon will attempt to become the first boxer to win world titles in seven different weight classes. And while Pacquiao has spoken several times about trying to win one for the victims of a string of violent storms that hit the Philippines, or writing about a page in boxing history, he insists he has nothing against the man who will be out to stop him.

“It’s nothing personal, I’m just doing my job to try and make people happy,” he explained.

And then, after a whirlwind of quickie interviews, Pacquiao left—and almost simultaneously, so did the air inside the hotel lobby. The moment the Filipino ring icon hit the exit, life was sucked out of the event organized by the promoting Top Rank, with the crowd—which had swelled to a couple of hundred—thinning to less than a third of its original size.

This was the audience Cotto was left to work with.

Although there was still boisterous cheering the moment Cotto arrived about half an hour later for his public appearance, the noise was seemingly amplified only by the echoes of a few rabid supporters in a relatively emptied lobby.

Not that Cotto minded.

“Everything Manny has, everything he gets, he has earned,” Cotto told reporters with the stoic nonchalance of a person who is familiar with the throng his opponent can attract, the ones that went off looking for the nearest lunch venue after Pacquiao had left the scene.

“He has earned the right to enjoy it all.”

While Cotto has accepted that he cannot do anything about the gulf in popularity between him and his upcoming foe, he knows he is in control of the most important aspect of this whole event—fight night.

And for all the adoring worshippers that collect at his feet with every step, Manny Pacquiao, Cotto said, will be left to fend for himself once the two boxers are let loose in the middle of the ring on Nov. 14.

“Nobody can come in there to help Manny,” Cotto told reporters present. “Once the fight starts, there is only going to be me, Manny and the referee. No one else will be there in the ring. Nobody can help Manny or give him something to hit me with.”

Pacquiao arrived at the venue wearing a brown coat over a green shirt. And although he came late for the event, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air, one that caught fire each time television cameras panned to groups carrying Philippine flags or fight-related shirts and souvenirs.

He waltzed through interviews with his usual canned responses of doing his best for his countrymen and fighting hard enough to cement his legacy.

“If I win a seventh title in another weight, it will be history,” said Pacquiao. “This is a very important fight for me and I am very focused for this fight.”

For his part, Cotto said he wasn’t worried about Pacquiao’s speed, the overwhelming factor that has placed the General Santos City native as the odds-on favorite in possibly every proposition cooked up by sports bookies, because his camp has come up with solutions to negate that.

“We’ve studied him and we’re prepared for his speed,” said Cotto. “I have hand speed like Manny.”

“But can Manny's power equal Miguel Cotto's on Saturday night? I am very calm. I have been doing this for many years,” Cotto said in an interview with Reuters.

Cotto also dismissed claims that he was struggling to make the weight. Although the Puerto Rican’s cheeks looked more hollowed out than usual, there was none of the signs, indeed, of a person crash-dieting to make a certain weight limit.

He had a light spring in his step and he wasn’t cranky at all. “I’m not worried about my weight,” he said. “I’m eating well.”

Source:

Pacquiao welcomed like a rock star in Las Vegas

2009-11-11T05:18:00.001-08:00

LAS VEGAS – Even before their 12-round title fight, Manny Pacquiao has already upstaged Miguel Cotto, the defending World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.

The Filipino boxing superstar was no doubt, the star of the show when the two fighters formally arrived at the MGM Grand Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), with cameras clicking and videos rolling while Pacquiao and his entourage that included trainer Freddie Roach were being led from the entrance door into the makeshift ring at the center of the building.

Chants of “Manny! Manny! Manny!" and placards bearing the words “Pacman, Pound-for-Pound King!" were all over the place as people gathered around to see a glimpse of the boxing superstar from the Philippines, never mind that he arrived 30 minutes late for the appointed time of the reception arranged by Top Rank Promotions.

An hour later, it was the turn of Cotto and his associates to be greeted at the hotel lobby. The impact of their arrival, however, was not the same.

But Cotto is unfazed with it.

“I expected it to be like this. Everything Manny has, he has earned," said Cotto without any hint of disgust.

Besides, the Puerto Rican champion stressed, come fight night it would only be him and the Pacman inside the ring.

“It’s going to be just Manny, Miguel Cotto and the referee inside the ring," said Cotto, who scored a split decision win over Joshua Clottey in his last WBO title defense last June at the Madison Square Garden in New York.

“Nobody can come and give anything to Manny."

Pacquiao said he’s happy with all the adulation being given him as among the faces of boxing today and the universally acknowledged top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

“I’m happy for that and understand this is part of it all," said Pacquiao during the 15-minute question-and-answer portion he had with members of the press at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Geared up

But hero worship aside, Pacquiao, who was welcomed amidst a Filipiniana-type atmosphere, said he’s all geared up for the Cotto bout.

“I’m, right now, ready to go," he said. “I believe in myself. I don’t want to say anything before the fight, but will wait until we meet in the ring.

“My motivation? I am fighting for the people who love boxing."

Unlike the cheerful approach of Pacquiao, Cotto was more combative.

A 2000 Sydney Olympian, Cotto said he’s ready to offset the speed Pacquiao is going to bring into the ring.

“I’m prepared for the speed of Manny," he said. “I have equal hand speed and prepared well with my sparring partners.

“I’m prepared for anything. We have the key to the fight," said Cotto. “Our camp has made the difference." - GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Cotto confident of success

2009-11-11T05:16:00.000-08:00

WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto insists he has the speed and the power to overcome Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on Saturday.

Cotto goes into the fight against the pound-for-pound king as the underdog, however the Puerto Rican is confident that he will prevail.

And Cotto, who has a record of 34-1 (27 KOs), believes he not only has the hand speed to match Pacman but the power to finish the job.

"I'm prepared for the speed of Manny," Cotto said.

"My hand speed is pretty equal to Manny's. But can Manny's power equal Miguel Cotto's on Saturday night? I am very calm. I have been doing this for many years."

Cotto has teamed up with Joe Santiago for the bout, after falling out with his uncle and previous trainer Evangelista.

And Cotto is pleased with the way his training has gone.

"The training camp we had, that's going to make the difference," he added.

"When you have good communication with all the members of your team, an integrated team, and they put their efforts together to really make Miguel Cotto the best Miguel Cotto he can be, it makes a very comfortable training camp."

Source: skysports.com

Will Manny Pacquiao v Miguel Cotto be another Hagler-Hearns?

2009-11-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

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.”

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Arum predicts brutal ending

2009-11-10T08:21:00.002-08:00

American promoter Bob Arum predicts a brutal ending in the world welterweight bout between Filipino Manny Pacquiao and defending champion Miguel Cotto this weekend.

Though Arum promotes both Pacquiao and the Puerto Rican Cotto, the astute promoter insists during an overseas telephone conversation with the Bulletin that he himself is perplexed with the possible outcome of the fight after seeing both fighters prepare for this bout.

Anybody who tells you now that they know for sure how it's gonna end up, is not telling the truth,” said Arum “The reason this fight is creating so much attention is because of the fact that people who know boxing are baffled as to how this fight is going to turn out.”

Arum though sees the fight to be stopped in the later rounds but won’t be surprised if the fight lasts the distance that is set for 12-rounds at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I know how the fight is going to start and the question is can Miguel handle Manny’s speed early on and can Manny handle Miguel’s power early on?” said Arum. “They’re gonna both be aggressive in the beginning. If that doesn’t work for either of them, then you’ll see Miguel resorting to be a counter-puncher and Manny going on the attack.”

Arum believes his latest promotion might be one of the most successful promotions he has ever staged owing to the marketability of both Cotto and Pacquiao.

“What boxing always needs is a charismatic figure that people want to see and an opponent who can give him very tough battle,” said Arum “We have Manny Pacquiao as the charismatic figure in boxing and Miguel Cotto as a tremendously powerful welterweight that stands in his way. That captures everyone’s imagination.”

Meantime, Pacquiao on Tuesday concluded his training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood with a four-round sparring opposite Ray Beltran.

“He’s sharper than before and I don’t see him losing this bout,” said Beltran.

Beltran has been part of Pacquiao’s sparring partners in the Filipino’s bout with Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, and Oscar De La Hoya.

Source: mb.com.ph

Cotto confident of making 145 lb

2009-11-10T08:21:00.001-08:00

HOLLYWOOD – Miguel Cotto said he’d make weight. And keep his money in the bank.

The wide-bodied left-hooker from Puerto Rico on Monday crushed all insinuations that he’s having problems with his weight, and assured everyone that he’d come in at 145 lb for the Friday’s official weigh-in at the MGM Grand.

“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,” he said.

Cotto spoke from Las Vegas, where he’s training for the fight, and told doghouseboxing.com that 145 is what’s been agreed upon, and 145 will it be.

As speculated in the fight contract, Cotto will be fined $1 million for every pound in excess of 145, and he goes a fraction over 147, Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddei Roach, said he’d call off the fight.

Cotto can save all his money if he comes in at 145 lb. He said he will.

The last time the 29-year-old fighter, a welterweight all his life, fought at 145 lb was against Zab Juddah, two years and five months ago. He won that fight, and retained his WBO crown in the 147 lb division.

He said the time won’t make a difference, and he’d be in at 145.

“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,” he said.

But a lot of people think otherwise, and that includes Pacquiao.

“He’s reducing right now,” said the Filipino icon, adding that by now, the Puerto Rican star must be keeping starving.

“Malaking disadvantage sa kanya yan. Lalu na kapag dikdikan ang laban (It will be a big disadvantage particularly in a tight fight),” he said. – Abac Cordero

Source: philstar.com

Sparmates give Manny solid edge over Cotto

2009-11-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

HOLLYWOOD— By his account, Urbano Antillon has been around many training camps as a sparring partner. And he has yet to see anyone like Manny Pacquiao.

“He’s one of the hardest workers in the sport,” said the California-based Mexican, currently the No. 1-ranked lightweight contender of the WBC who totes a record of 26-1 with 19 knockouts.

Antillon hooked up with Team Pacquiao as a sparring partner for the Filipino icon, who battles Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 for the Puerto Rican’s WBO welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The 27-year-old fighter said that after months of trading leather with Pacquiao, he expects the rapid-punching, hard-hitting southpaw to dominate the match against Cotto using his vaunted speed.

“The speed has always been the key why Manny Pacquiao has been successful,” said Antillon, who, quite interestingly, lists Pacquiao’s brother Bobby as one of his victims.

Antillon has been on the receiving end of many of those quick flurries from the reigning pound-for-pound champion and knows what he’s talking about.

“His speed is expected, but when you’re there (in the ring) with him, it’s really overwhelming,” he said.

Although he did not make any predictions, he said he feels Cotto is in for a tough night against Pacquiao.

“Cotto’s a great fighter, but he’s just a little too slow for Pacquiao,” said Antillon.

Pacquiao’s other sparring partners also voiced optimism that the Filipino is headed for a big night in Las Vegas.

In separate interviews with Fighthype.com, Shawn Porter and Rashad Holloway said Pacquiao definitely has the edge against Cotto.

“Manny is definitely ready,” said Porter. “I think this is his time and I think you guys will see a lot in the ring. You guys might be surprised.”

Holloway went as far as predicting a knockout victory for the Filipino superstar.

“I believe if he catches Cotto in the first couple of rounds, Cotto’s going to sleep,” said Holloway. “That straight left and his right hand have gotten stronger.”

Recently, though, Cotto brushed aside talk that Pacquiao will dominate him with speed, insisting that the game plan his corner has cooked up will be more than enough to negate that vaunted Pacman edge.

“You know what? That’s why we prepare ourselves,” Cotto told Examiner.com. “He’s a fast fighter. 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.”

Pacquiao has said he will use his speed and his movement to counter Cotto’s size and strength, adding that he is confident about his chances in the coming match, where he hopes to take a seventh weight championship.

“I’m always confident in every fight,” said Pacquiao on Saturday.

Source: inquirer.net

Hot in Vegas: Pacquiao a big 3-1 favorite vs Cotto

2009-11-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao is now installed a big 3-1 favorite to beat Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto and win the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena here (Sunday in Manila).

The latest odds at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino was posted as Pacquiao, trainer Freddie Roach, strengthening coach Alex Ariza and the rest of the group, including cager-turned-comedian Benjie Paras, arrived in the city that prides itself as the “Gambling Capital of the World."

The Filipino ring icon was earlier installed as a 2-1 pick to win the 12-round bout.

But odds showed Pacquiao already a -350 favorite, meaning a bet of $350 would only win $100.

In contrast, champion Cotto is +270, meaning a bet of $100 easily wins $270.

Meanwhile, the “Will Go/Won’t Go 10 Full Rounds" proposition read +125 that the fight will go 10 full rounds and -155 that it won’t go 10 full rounds.

Odds and figures, however, don’t impress boxing’s current pound-for-pound king.

“Ayaw kong isipin na liyamado ako," said Pacquiao, 30, as he was relaxing at his posh suite at the 60th floor of The Hotel.

“Mas nasa isip ko pa rin na dehado ako."

On Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), the formal arrival presentation will be held at the MGM Grand, with Pacquiao the first to be welcomed by Top Rank Promotions led by Bob Arum, and members of the working press.

The 29-year-old Cotto, who’s been in Vegas since Tuesday of last week together with trainer Joe Santiago and conditioning coach Phil Landman, follows Pacquiao after an hour.

The following day, the two boxing stars get to meet on stage as the final press conference for the boxing card dubbed “Firepower" is scheduled at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theater.

Two days later, the official weigh-in will be held, with fans of both Pacquiao and Cotto expected to fill in every nook and cranny of the Garden Arena.

Twenty four hours later, the highly-anticipated fight and one of the biggest for the year, is finally on. - GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Pacquiao-Cotto: Massive Predictions From Fighters, Celebs

2009-11-10T08:12:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS - BIG George Foreman leads the list of boxers, professional athletes, celebrities and the esteemed press core who all have opinions about the outcome of FIREPOWER: MANNY PACQUIAO and MIGUEL COTTO. The championship bout takes placeon Saturday November 14 at MGM Grand Garden Arena and will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

In just five days the pound-for-pound king Pacquiao and three-time world champion Cotto meet in the ring in one of the most talked about match-ups in recent boxing history. Some of the most well-known fighters, celebrities, athletes and writers are abuzz with talk of Saturday's evenly matched battle.

From Foreman to P. Diddy, Trump to Hopkins, below please find the predictions of these famous personalities as they answer the question "Pacquiao vs. Cotto-Who will win and why?"

THE BOXERS ARE PICKIN'...

"I think there would have been a good opportunity for Pacquiao to win if he faced Cotto before he fought Clottey, but now Cotto is thinking defense. I think Cotto is going to pull out a decision, and now because of the terrible beating he took against Margarito, he knows he can't get into a knockdown drag out brawl. He's going to be smarter, and I think Cotto wins in a 12 round decision.

"Pacquiao has been riding high and has beaten some of the best in the world. And it leaves you kind of complacent when you're winning. And even if you don't want it to, sometimes you can't get up for a big fight. And that's a plus for Cotto.

I think it's an excellent fight. But when you're riding high you think you're going to walk through your opponent. You get overconfident. People in your camp tell you you're going to win. And you have your spies in camp, telling you about the other guy. When I faced Ali, Frazier and Norton both had beaten Ali, and I had knocked them out pretty easily. So when I faced Ali, I had that confidence, and you think I surely can beat this guy. So I know the feeling, and I think that will happen to Pacquiao." - George Foreman, Former Two-Time Heavyweight World Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, and Entrepreneur.

"I pick Manny Pacquiao by knockout. I think he will knock him out in 7 or 8. Manny just has too much for Cotto." - Mike Tyson, Former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World

"Pacquiao is going to chop Cotto up. Out of respect, Cotto will get some rounds, but Manny is the Bruce Lee of boxing. His basketball and martial arts background give him that speed and agility. You can't tell where his shots are coming from. Unlike Rocky, Bruce Lee was a real dude and so is Manny. - Bernard Hopkins, Former Two-Division World Champion and Future Boxing Hall of Famer

"I think Manny Pacquiao is going to be too quick for Cotto. I was ringside when Cotto fought Clottey. He seemed to struggle a bit in that fight and it is hard to say what he will do against a faster, quicker Pacquiao. I know people say Cotto is the bigger guy but I still think Pacquiao beats him in a decision." - Joe Calzaghe, Former Undefeated Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion

"Manny Pacquiao, he's the best, he's on top right now!" - Chad Dawson, Current IBF Light Heavyweight Champion

"It's going to be an interesting fight, and I think Pacquiao better take it very seriously! I think Cotto will win because he's a little bit bigger and is a real welterweight. His power may be enough to overcome Pacquiao's speed. I think Cotto wins in a decision." - "Sugar" Shane Mosley, Current WBA Welterweight Champion

"If Cotto stays busy, he'll win a decision! I think that Cotto will win the fight, but I thinks it's gonna be a good fight!" - Winky Wright, Former Undisputed Light Middleweight Champion, Current Middleweight Contender

"Manny is a big puncher and a good boxer, but he has never faced a natural welterweight like Miguel. Cotto is the most dangerous fight of Pacquiao's career. On the night of the fight, Pacquiao will still not be a full welterweight. And Cotto is very strong. As the fight plays out, around rounds 7, 8, 9, that's when Cotto starts taking over. I think Cotto will win be decision, but he might even get a knockout. With all of my heart I think Miguel Cotto will win." - Tito Trinidad, Former Three-Division World Champion and Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year

"I'm a Puerto Rican like Cotto, but I like Pacquiao because he has fought better guys, like De La Hoya. I see him having no problem against Cotto. Cotto is not a smart fighter, he boxes, and he's shown his colors already. He can be beat. So can Pacquiao, but I like Pacquiao. He has an unorthodox style, with punches coming from all over. Cotto tries to box. I see Pacquiao possibly stopping him. Pacquiao's on a roll, he has the confidence, and he has the boxing momentum. I see him winning." - Hector Camacho, Former WBC and WBO Three-Division Champion

"Pacquiao is a good boxer and Cotto is a fighter. I'm going to give the edge to Cotto, and not just because he's Puerto Rican, but because of the way he fights. He always comes to fight, he's always in shape. Cotto is going to have the edge. I see him winning by decision, but I do think he can knock Pacquiao out if the chance arrives." - Carlos Ortiz, Former Three-Time World Champion and International Boxing Hall of Famer

THE ATHLETES ARE PICKIN'...

"I think Pacquiao will win in 12 rounds, but if there is a knock out I think it will happen in the 9th. Pacquiao is too quick for Cotto." - Terrell Suggs, Three-Time Pro-Bowl Linebacker/Defensive End, Baltimore Ravens

"I'd like to see Pacquiao win because then he'd get to fight Mayweather, and THAT's a fight I really want to see!" - Vernon Davis, Tight End, San Francisco 49'ers

"I think Pacquiao will win with a knock out in the 8th round. He is the best pound for pound fighter right now and he will be too much for Cotto to handle." - Brandon Marshall, Wide Receiver, Denver Broncos

"I think its going to be a great fight, but I think Cotto's got the edge because Pacquio leaves himself open too much. So I'm going with Cotto in a decision" - Kellen Winslow Jr., Tight End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

"It should be one of the best fights of the year between two incredible boxers. Cotto's size advantage could help him early on - if it does go the distance, I think Pacquiao's technique and experience will be tough to beat. But, I say Cotto wins at the end of the day." - Kris Jenkins, Four-Time Pro Bowl Defensive-Tackle, New York Jets

"Manny's quickness on his feet and landing punches will help to win on a knock out." - Justin Morneau, Three-Time All-Star, 2006 AL MVP, 2008 Home Run Derby Champion, First Baseman, Minnesota Twins

"Manny. He's quick and that might be too much for Cotto to handle." - Justin Verlander, Two-Time All-Star, 2006 AL Rookie of the Year, Pitcher, Detroit Tigers

"If Cotto can slow the fight, hit Pac with lead rights, he will be good. I believe Pac will have too much activity, and cuts will play a role in a Pac victory" - Lee Evans, Wide Receiver, Buffalo Bills

"Cotto will be the last one standing!" - Brian Roberts, Two-Time All-Star, Second Baseman, Baltimore Orioles

"Miguel Cotto will end Manny's domination with hard jabs and will knock him out in the later rounds to end Pac-Mans reign." - Gordon Beckham, 2009 Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year, Third Baseman, Chicago White Sox

"Pacquiao....I think he is on a roll right now and he doesn't get enough credit for the power he brings so I think he wins by decision." - Calvin Pace, Linebacker, New York Jets

THE CELEBRITIES ARE PICKIN'...

"Pacquiao and Cotto are two of the best welterweights out there. While both fighters possess tremendous punching power and heart, I believe that the speed of Pacquiao will earn him the WBO welterweight belt. If Pacquiao is victorious, Mayweather would be the next fight that I and all fans would want to see." - Donald Trump, Chairman and CEO of The Trump Organization

"If Cotto reconnects the way he was three years ago, he may give Pacquiao a problem" - Sean "P.Diddy" Combs, Hip-Hop Artist, Actor and Entrepreneur

"Pacquiao is my guy, we've hung out before. He's the kind of guy you'd want with you if a bar fight broke out, I will be there to support him!" - Tyrese Gibson, Actor starring in Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

"Manny Pacquiao's nickname is 'The Mexicutioner.' He's beaten more Latinos than the police. Pacquiao...unanimous decision." - George Lopez, Comedian, Actor, and Host of Lopez Tonight!

"I'm sorry, the Filipino's going to win!" - Mark Consuelos, Television Personality and Former All My Children star

"Both have no quit. Basically it's Pacman's speed and angles vs Cotto's powerful body shots and boxing skills. Two things to watch, if Cotto's cut above eye opens. And does Cotto's new trainer get him fighting sharper than he did against Clottey? This one will go down with the classics. If Cotto's on he wins, if not Pacman." - John Leguizamo, Emmy-Award Winning Actor from Moulin Rouge, Ice Age, Collateral Damage and Assault on Precinct 13.

"I've seen plenty of people talk about standing in front of Pacquaio, but those people always seem to not make it through too well. Cotto will be the same. Pacquiao in a walk. Knock out in the fifth or sixth." - Carrot Top, Comedian

"I'm going to have to go with Pacquiao. I saw his last fight and he's just out of control!" -Sam Trammell, Actor in hit series True Blood

"Pacman wins cause Pacman fights. If Pacman loses, then the Philippines won't have no lights!" - Andre Royo, Actor appearing in television series The Wire

THE WRITERS ARE PICKIN'...

"This is a fight of speed and accuracy for Pacquiao, against the body punching of Cotto. Vegas has always been Pacquiao's home, and the Evel Knievelof boxing will leap over another opponent to come away with the win. Pacquiao also has a secret ingredient called Freddie Roach, who's battle plans bring tears to the eyes of Robert E Lee. Cotto is a gutsy and gritty fighter, but I think Pacquiao stops him on cuts, and wins in the 8th round." - Burt Sugar, boxing writer and historian

"Manny Pacquiao, because his strength and speed has not been lost as he has gone up in weight. Cotto gets hit too much because he's just not quick enough to defend himself against someone as lightning-quick as Pacquiao." - Bob Velin, USA Today

"I initially picked Pacquiao, but I did a flip flop on this one. For a guy that started at 106, you have to figure he's going to climb up one division too high at one point. Cotto is not an Oscar at the end of the line, and he's not Ricky Hatton. He's one of the top five or six in the world, and he's a natural welterweight. I'm picking Cotto by decision. His strength is going to be too much. Pacquiao keeps surprising me, but this may be the fight where he goes up one weight class too many." - Bernard Fernandez, Philadelphia Daily News

"Pacquiao by a knockout. His left is a laser and Cotto is fairly easy to hit with straight shots." - Gordon Marino, Wall Street Journal

"Pacquiao has enjoyed a meteoric rise by beating on offensive oriented fighters (David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton) but Cotto will be the first true counterpuncher he has faced since Juan Manuel Marquez. Cotto has the speed and skill to deflect Pacquiao's heaviest shots and the power in both hands to return a few of his own. Expect a back-and-forth, uber competitive fight that is worth every dollar of the Pay Per View price-but expect Cotto to emerge with the decision." - Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated

"I am having an incredibly hard time picking this fight. I find myself going back and forth - which is, of course, the sign of an excellent matchup. The big factors are going to be whether Cotto can cope with Pacquiao's speed, and whether Pacquiao can deal with Cotto's strength. I can see a scenario in which either man wins; but I still can't escape the feeling that Cotto is a little diminished after his fight with Antonio Margarito. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him win, but for now, I think Pacquiao's speed and sheer volume of punches will prove too much, and Pacquiao will win by clear decision." - Kieran Mulvaney, Reuters

"Pacquiao's extraordinarily fast and Cotto has slowed down since the Margarito fight. If I were convinced Cotto was going to be the same guy he was before he fought Margarito, I'd take him. But I think he's slowed because of the damage he took in that fight and, as a result, I expect Manny to move in and out, hitting Cotto and sliding out of danger. I expect a great fight but I expect Manny to win a decision." - Kevin Iole, Yahoo.com

"Cotto in a decision. He is the first legitimate welterweight that Pacquiao has faced who is in his prime rather than a blown up junior welterweight or a fighter who is no longer in the prime of his career." - Tim Smith, New York Daily News

"I like Pacquiao to stop Cotto in the 10th round of what should be a tremendous fight. Pac-Man's speed will eventually get through Cotto's skillful defense, but not before Manny is forced to answer his toughest challenge yet. Pacquiao's gloves will be punishing enough with only his fist inside. Mayweather might want to book the winner quickly because fans just might like to see a sequel to this." - Jim Slater, Agence France Presse

"This figures to be Pacquiao's toughest test yet. Cotto is big, strong and tough. He also showed great resolve in beating Joshua Clottey in June. However, Pacquiao is at the top of his game and despite the apparent distractions during his training camp in the Philippines, he can overcome that and use his speed, power and quickness to stop Cotto. Plus, there's the motivation of a potential mega payday with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the spring if Pacquiao wins. So he figures to be ready to give his best performance inside the ring. It will be a close fight, a tough fight with Cotto having his moments of brilliance, especially early on. But Pacquiao will weather the early storm and should eventually pull it out, earning a split decision." - Steve Carp, Las Vegas Review-Journal

"Pacquiao has proven his greatness. But even the great ones get beat and tonight Pac Man gets beat. Miguel Cotto is a strong, tough world-class welterweight who will wear down Pacquiao over the course of a very good fight. Cotto can handle speed -- as he did when he beat Sugar Shane Mosley. But Pacquiao won't be able to handle this welterweight's strength and power. Cotto wins by 11th-round TKO." - Bobby Cassidy, Newsday

Source: boxingscene.com

Pacquiao and Cotto have an equal chance to win Saturday's showdown

2009-11-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

Being a fulltime boxing writer is, for the most part, a great gig.

The athletes I write about for RingTV.com are fascinating -- often inspirational -- personalities, and some of the events I get to cover are right out of a hardcore fight fan’s dream.

The welterweight showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, which takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas this Saturday, is a prime example.

I’m going to be ringside to witness the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter take on one of the best welterweights in an atmosphere that will be akin to a World Cup final.

So what’s the drawback of being a fight scribe? There really aren’t any, but a slight pain in my butt is the expectation from fans and fellow journalists to pick the winner before every major fight.

Usually it’s no big deal, but every now and then we’re lucky enough to get a match between world-class fighters that’s too close to make a clear call.

That’s what we have with Cotto vs. Pacquiao. Folks, this is an even matchup between classy fighters I admire so much that trying to predict the outcome actually takes away from the enjoyment of the fight.

Sadly, if I just call the fight a “pick-’em” contest and leave it at that the message board freaks will say I’m “hedging” or “waffling.” Whatever.

The truth is that both Pacquiao and Cotto have an equal chance to win Saturday’s fight and I’m going to tell you why, starting with the Filipino icon.

WHY PACQUIAO WILL WIN

Pacquiao’s keys to victory are obvious ones -- his speed and style.

Cotto has many impressive physical tools, but quickness isn’t one of them.

While it’s true the two-division titleholder has proven his ability to cope with faster fighters. I don’t know whether he’s ever dealt with a speed demon of Pacquiao’s caliber.

Cotto has faced two fighters possessing hand speed that is comparable to Pacquiao’s -- Zab Judah and Shane Mosley, both of whom he beat in 2007.

What doesn’t bode well for Cotto is that Judah, who isn’t in Pacquiao’s league, repeatedly nailed and rocked him during the first half of their entertaining scrap.

Many ringsiders believed that Mosley, who is in Pacquiao’s league, competed well enough with Cotto to deserve a draw. Some fans and members of the press thought Mosley did enough to win the fight by a point or two.

So while it’s true that Cotto has the skills to compete with faster fighters, it’s clear that he struggles when faced with ultra-talented speed merchants.

Unfortunately for Cotto, Pacquiao is a far more complete fighter than Judah and, unlike Mosley, he’s also in his prime.

However, it’s not just the velocity of Pacquiao’s punches that will cause Cotto all kinds of trouble; it’s the various angles from which the pound-for-pound king will deliver his blistering combinations.

Under Freddie Roach’s guidance, Pacquiao has developed into a complete boxer with a full arsenal at his disposal, and the dynamic southpaw can reach into his bag of veteran tricks to unleash jabs, right hooks, lead lefts, uppercuts, body shots or head and foot feints at the speed of thought.

Adding defense and additional angles to Pacquiao’s upper-body offense is his frenetic footwork. The Pac-Man’s feet are just as fast as his fists and his fluid in-and-out movement have made him one of the most devastating stick-and-move specialists of the decade.

Bottom line: Pacquiao is very hard to time and almost impossible to predict.

Can the same be said of Cotto?

I think not.

However, Cotto has a lot going for him in this fight.

WHY COTTO WILL WIN

Like Pacquiao, Cotto’s advantages are obvious ones: his size, physical strength, savvy and versatility.

Cotto is no more than an inch and a half taller than Pacquiao and his reach is equal to or even shorter than the naturally smaller man. However, the Puerto Rican star is a real welterweight; Pacquiao isn’t.

While it’s true Pacquiao has fought at welterweight once before and looked spectacular taking apart Oscar De La Hoya last December, we all know that he faced a faded, weight-drained veteran, and he had to train on protein shakes just to tip the scales at 142 pounds.

Roach is the first to admit that junior welterweight, where Pacquiao holds THE RING world title, is the best division for his fighter.

“He had two full meals before the (Ricky) Hatton weigh-in and he still only weighed in at 138 pounds,” Roach said recently.

Cotto competed in the 139-pound division during the final years of his amateur career, when he was still a teen-ager. He struggled mightily to make the 140-pound limit as a young pro before he finally stepped up to the welterweight division in December of 2006.

I don’t have to tell RingTV.com readers that Cotto has looked much sturdier at 147 pounds than he did at junior welterweight.

Cotto is used to banging with much bigger men than Pacquiao and he has exhibited the physical strength to muscle junior middleweight-sized fighters to the ropes.

If Cotto can back Pacquiao to the ropes, he has the power and accuracy to seriously hurt the 140-pound champ.

I’ve witnessed more than a few sparring sessions in which rugged fighters who were lighter than Cotto backed Pacquiao to the ropes and put heavy hands on the Pinoy hero.

Former lightweight contender Jose Armando Santa Cruz did it more than once prior to Pacquiao’s fight with Jorge Solis in 2007. Once-beaten lightweight Urbano Antillon did it in a number of gym sessions during Pacquiao’s camp for Hatton.

Cruz and Antillon are tough hombres but they don’t punch as accurately or as hard as Cotto does.

Pacquiao’s fans can make the argument that their man often holds back in sparring sessions, and I agree with this point, but there’s evidence in his fights that he’s vulnerable along the ropes.

Erik Morales landed his best shots when Pacquiao’s back was to the ropes. I recall a natural junior featherweight, Oscar Larios, putting Pacquiao on Queer Street for a scary split second or two during their 130-pound bout in 2006. Larios landed his near-history-changing left hook while Pacquiao was playing around on the ropes.

If Cotto gets Pacquiao in the same position and lands his hook in the same spot, forget about it, the fight’s over.

But Cotto has more than a puncher’s chance in Saturday’s contest. He has the kind of guile, savvy and versatility that only comes from quality experience.

No, Cotto is not as seasoned as Pacquiao, nor has he faced as many elite fighters as the six-division titleholder has, but he’s as experienced against top fighters as a 29-year-old boxer can be.

In less than 10 years in the pro game, Cotto has faced 11 titleholders, five of whom were undefeated and three of whom were Top-5 RING-ranked contenders at the time he fought them.

Cotto’s one-sided stoppages of Carlos Quintana and Carlos Massua, his slugfests with Ricardo Torres and Judah, and his 12-round battles with Mosley and Joshua Clottey have shown us the kind of fighter and man he is.

He’s a formidable boxer-puncher with clean technique, accurate combinations, underrated counter-punching ability and a devastating body attack. He’s doesn’t have the best set of whiskers but his heart is truly world-class. Cotto will not wilt in the face of adversity.

Some fools have had the gall to say Cotto quit in his lone loss to Antonio Margarito last July. That’s absolute garbage. Cotto, who boxed brilliantly for five rounds and fought valiantly for the next five, was literally beaten into submission by the iron-chinned Margarito, whose gloves might have been loaded.

Cotto does not quit when the going gets tough. Even when he’s partially blinded by a gruesome cut over one of his eyes, as he was in his tough fight with Clottey in June, the man finds a way to win.

Can the same be said about Pacquiao? I’m not 100 percent sure.

The hardest fights I’ve covered of Pacquiao’s was his technical draw with the late Agapito Sanchez in 2001, his points loss to Morales in 2005 and his split-decision over Juan Manuel Marquez last March.

In each of those bouts, Pacquiao suffered nasty gashes over one of his eyes and -- I know I’m going to piss off his legion of fans with what I’m about to suggest next, but so be it -- there were moments after he was cut in all three of those bouts when it looked like he didn’t want to be in the ring.

What if Pacquiao suffers a cut against a fighter as big and confident as Cotto? It may very well happen, folks. Pacquiao is a southpaw who jumps in with his punches and Cotto is an orthodox fighter who often leans his head forward when he lets his hands go.

If Pacquiao gets cut during Saturday’s fight, will he regress into the emotional one-armed bandit he used to be? Can he afford to have a round, or even half a round, when he seems lost or confused because of the flow of blood obstructing his vision?

Food for thought.

PREDICTION:

I’ve got one but I’m not letting it out of the bag yet.

I want to enjoy the anticipation of an excellent matchup without picking a winner for a few days.

Don’t worry, I’ll give my prediction by Friday’s mailbag, or maybe even after the weigh-in, but I want to hear what you think first.

Source: ringtv.com

Cotto insists on victory

2009-11-09T07:16:00.001-08:00

Champion insists he won't let Pac Man take his title away in Las Vegas

Although he will go into the fight as the underdog, Miguel Cotto insists he will beat Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Cotto defends his WBO welterweight crown against the Filipino superstar at the MGM Grand on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1.

Pacquiao is looking to take home a seventh world title as he continues to rise up the weights without too many problems, but Cotto says this time it is a step too far.

The Puerto Rican is adamant that Pacquiao will not find it so easy this time around, and vowed to come away with his title intact.

"If he thinks he is going to win seven titles in seven weight divisions now, he has picked the wrong moment, the wrong fighter and the wrong opponent," said Cotto.

"If he thinks he is going to win the seventh title against Miguel Cotto, he is very wrong."

Knockout

Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach says Cotto could be knocked out in the very first round, but Cotto has scoffed at such suggestions.

"Forget about Freddie Roach," he said. "The only thing Freddie can do is train Manny. He can't go over the ropes and into the ring to fight against Miguel Cotto. He can only train Manny the best he can.

"He may say and think Manny will knock me out but at the end of the day, it is just Manny and Miguel Cotto in the ring.

"No matter what kind of things Freddie Roach says before the fight, I have a very strong mind. The psyche game? I'm not going to follow that game."

There have also been suggestions that the Pacquiao camp are already planning for a superfight against Floyd Mayweather Jr next March, but Cotto warned that he must be their main focus.

Focus
"What they say and what they do does not concern me," Cotto added. "They know what they have in front of him. He better be focused on what they will have in front of him in Miguel Cotto.

"Once I beat Manny Pacquiao they can continue their plans and do what they want but I am not going home without winning this fight."

Instead it could be Cotto facing Mayweather should he win on Saturday night.

Asked about the prospect of such a fight, Cotto said: "I am here for the big names and ready for the hot opponents. 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. They have to start with my company and I am more than ready to fight the biggest names in boxing."

Source: skysports.com

Pacquiao: Weighty worry hounds Cotto

2009-11-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

HOLLYWOOD—Going by Miguel Cotto’s website updates, you’d think that the Puerto Rican boxing star is running a very relaxed camp.

Manny Pacquiao isn’t convinced, though.

The pound-for-pound king, who has been jovial and worry-free for several training days now, thinks Cotto is still shedding off pounds with about eight days to go before their Nov. 14 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I think he’s dieting,” said Pacquiao.

Several foreign journalists who saw Cotto during his press preview Tuesday think he’s even crash-dieting.

In contrast, Pacquiao is enjoying the benefits of fighting in a heavier weight—he gets to eat more.

“Because of my training, I need to eat,” Pacquiao told reporters after five more rounds of sparring at the Wild Card gym. “We’re making sure that I don’t go under the weight.”

The Filipino icon is expected to start tapering off from his beastly regimen as he prepares to leave for Las Vegas in two days’ time.

Pacquiao normally weighs at 149 pounds, but his weight easily goes down to 146 after training.

He sparred against Urbano Antillon and Ray Beltran on Saturday, before heading off to an engagement. He was delayed a few minutes because of crowd issues at the Wild Card parking area, but the Los Angeles Police Department sent squad cars to solve the problem.

The crowd was eventually dispersed in about an hour.

Cotto, meanwhile, in his last two posts on his Twitter account, said he has little worries going into the homestretch of his camp.

“[I’m] at the house, resting,” Cotto posted. The Puerto Rican, who will stake his WBO welterweight crown against Pacquiao, was watching an HBO primer on the fight Saturday, saying “Today’s 24/7 was really good.”

Reacting to a well-wisher, Cotto posted in Spanish: “I feel good. I trained hard but I’m very happy.”

Pacquiao feels that weight issues favor his bid to become the first fighter to win seven world championships in as many weight divisions, noting how tough it was to meet the super featherweight limit of 130 lb when he dominated that class.

“It has a big effect on a fighter,” said Pacquiao. “When a fighter is engaged in a tight battle, it becomes a disadvantage if he had to lose weight before the fight.”

Several journalists who watched Cotto pegged the Puerto Rican’s weight at 150 to 152 lb. Even Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, believes that Cotto is struggling to make the weight.

But Cotto’s own conditioning coach, Phil Landman, said his ward will easily meet the catch weight of 145.

“We’ll be fine during the weigh-in,” Landman told reporters Tuesday.

With Team Pacquiao motoring to Las Vegas Monday, the boxer is expected to take it easy Sunday and skip his regular jogging schedule.

He will spar four or five more rounds Monday before leading a huge convoy through the four-hour road trip to Las Vegas. He already has 149 rounds of sparring thus far.

Source: inquirer.net

Cotto to Pacman: Fighting me is a big mistake

2009-11-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Wrong move, Manny Pacquiao.

This was the gripping statement issued by WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, who puts his title on the line against the Filipino spitfire this Sunday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In a display of confidence, the Puerto Rican boasted that Pacquiao made a mistake in fighting him.

According to a report by espnstar.com Cotto vowed to foil Pacquiao’s bid to clinch a record seventh world title in as many weight classes, hinting that the Filipino ring icon has bitten off more than he can chew.

"If he thinks he is going to win seven titles in seven weight divisions now, he has picked the wrong moment, the wrong fighter and the wrong opponent," the Puerto Rican bomber said.

"If he thinks he is going to win the seventh title against Miguel Cotto, he is very wrong," he added.

Cotto and Pacquiao will duke it out at a catchweight of 145 lbs.

Source: philstar.com

Pacquiao: I have a lot to prove to Cotto

2009-11-09T07:06:00.000-08:00

MANILA – Manny Pacquiao is counting down the days until he proves himself to Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto and the rest of the world that he is the rightful pound-for-pound king.

With just one week away before the “Firepower” bout in Las Vegas, Pacquiao said he knows that Cotto is ready to defend his WBO welterweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“Dahil ako ang challenger sa titulo ni Cotto, inaasahan ng marami na kailangan kong maipakita ang liksi, bilis at tapang sa laban,” he said in his “Kumbinasyon” column on PhilBoxing.com Sunday.

He added that he is surprised that many regard Cotto as the underdog of the fight.

“Kailangan ko ring patunayan na ako nga ay karapat-dapat na tanghaling pound-for-pound best boxer sa buong mundo kahit na ako ay lubos na mas maliit kaysa sa natural na welterweight na si Cotto,” he noted.

Pacquiao mentioned that he had to work hard to shape up for the welterweight champion. According to him, he and his team have done almost everything to prepare for the bout.

He noted that he has shifted his focus to other aspects of his training. “Halos pababa na ang intensity ng training at sa ngayon ay mental at spiritual training na ang focus ko,” he revealed.

Entourage

Pacquiao also revealed in his column that he is set to go to Las Vegas on November 9.

He said his friends, supporters, family members and loved ones have started arriving in Los Angeles to accompany him on his convoy road trip to Las Vegas.

His wife, Jinkee, arrived in LA with her sisters and a few friends. Pacquiao drove his Mercedes-Benz Sports Car to fetch Jinkee at the Los Angeles International Ariport.

Their four children, Jimuel, Michael, Princess and Queen Elizabeth, were unable to join the trip.

Jinkee said that as always, she believes her husband can win his seventh world title. She then asked for the continuous support and prayers from Filipinos.

Pacquiao’s mother, Dionisia Pacquiao, is expected to fly to the US in the next few days. She is currently promoting her launching movie “Ang Tanging Pamilya” headlined by Ai-Ai delas Alas and former President Joseph Estrada. – With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao off to Las Vegas for training windup

2009-11-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

HOLLYWOOD – The bright lights of Las Vegas await boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao, who is expected to arrive in “Sin City" on Monday night (Tuesday morning in Manila).

The 30-year-old boxing superstar is scheduled to travel to Vegas Monday in what should be a super-busy timetable for him.

An hour roadwork will have Pacquiao up on his feet early in the morning, before he does the final sparring session of his eight-week training that brought his entourage from the mountains of the Cordilleras in Baguio City to the cool California weather here.

“Mag-spar pa mga three or four rounds na lang siguro," said assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez of the scheduled sparring that will bring to 153 the rounds of sparring Pacquiao has had in the last two months as he prepares for his Nov. 14 showdown with world welterweight champion Miguel Cotto

“Puro pababa na lang. Maintain na ng condition," said the boxing idol.

Then, it’s off to Vegas.

Team Pacquiao in full force

A convoy of vehicles is expected to accompany the Pacman – riding on his reliable black SUV – on the six-hour, 250-mile road trip from here to the world’s so-called “Gambling Capital."

Towing behind him are trainer Freddie Roach, conditioning coach Alex Ariza, along with family members that include wife Jinkee, his mother Dionisia, father Rosalio, members of the media, and other close friends.

Also traveling with the group is the colorful, customized Manny Pacquiao bus provided by Top Rank Promotions that has become a staple in all of the Filipino's fights of since the “Dream Match" with Oscar De La Hoya last year.

Pacquiao is expected to arrive just before midnight in Las Vegas, where he will stay in his traditional 60th floor suite at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.

Cotto already there

Cotto, the 29-year-old native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, has already been in the state of casino and entertainment as early as last week and has been billeted at the MGM Grand along with his group that included trainer Joe Santiago, conditioning coach Phi Landman and best friend Brian Perez.

On Tuesday, Top Rank holds the formal arrival rites of the two boxing stars, with Pacquiao first to appear at the lobby of the MGM Hotel, followed by Cotto about an hour later.

Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels said the final press conference for the sold-out match dubbed “Firepower" is set Wednesday at the Hollywood Theater (Thursday in Manila), while the official weigh-in is on Friday at the Grand Garden Arena (Saturday in Manila).

Jogging on a rest day

While Sunday is usually rest day, Pacquiao insisted on doing his morning jog at the La Brea Park, just a block away from his high-end Palazzo apartment.

After taking a quick shower and brief rest, the reigning pound-for-pound king proceeded to attend a mass at the Christ The King Church, before heading back for home where he had lunch with family members.

Pacquiao spent the afternoon practicing with his band that will perform during the post-fight party set after the 12-round title bout.

Finally, he called it a day. – GMANews.Tv

Source: gmanews.tv

Miguel Cotto: "We know he has a style and we are prepared to beat it"

2009-11-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

Miguel Cotto is confident about his upcoming bout with Manny Pacquiao and doesn't think that Pac-man's speed or technique will be a problem for him.

Speed aside, the real test will probably be whether Pacquiao can hurt Cotto without shipping too much punishment himself. Pacquiao's last two fights haven't shown how he handles the power of bigger fighters, given De La Hoya looked weakened from the outset and Hatton was blown out of the water before he would land very much of note.
If Cotto can take the best punches of Manny's arsenal and start to fire back with something of his own, then the fight will undoubtedly be a lot closer than the bookmakers are predicting. As good as Manny is, his great strength has never been taking a beating and coming back to win, and when he has been forced to take a lot of shots in the past, he was never against much bigger opponents.

When asked about rumors of Pacquiao's next fight Cotto said:

"It’s really not important to me what the boxing world wants to see. Once I beat many Pacquiao they can continue their plans and do what they want but I am not going home without winning this fight."

In many ways Cotto is the forgotten man in all of this. While Manny meets the press and appears on television, Cotto stays in the background. While a lot of talk revolves around Manny's next opponent, Cotto is left as an afterthought.

Or course, the outcome of the fight will likely greatly determine what Pacquiao and Cotto both do next. A loss for Pacquiao might mean that this was just one weight class too many, allowing Cotto to pick his next opponent from probably anyone he wants.

On the speed of Pacquiao:

"You know what? That’s why we prepare ourselves. He’s a fast fighter. 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."

One of the biggest questions about Cotto was whether he would be able to make the weight confortably without affecting his stamina during the fight. Certainly some speculated that Floyd Mayweather intentionally missed weight in his fight against Juan Manual Marquez in order to give himself an advantage over the smaller man. The loss of a purse percentage is perhaps worth the extra weight, and at the end of the fight Mayweather is the one with another win on his record.

On making the weight:
"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."

Some have predicted that Cotto would either come in over weight on purpose, forfeiting part of his purse but perhaps greatly improving his chances of winning, or would be dehydrated and sluggish at the catchweight.

While it has been rumored that Cotto has struggled with making weight in the past, he has won plenty of fights at only slightly heavier than he will be on the 14th, so this shouldn't be much of an issue. Certainly if Cotto does lose, then some of his fans might try to use it as an excuse, but he signed up for a catchweight knowing full well what he would have to do to make the weight and potentially remain energetic for 12 rounds. Most don't think it will go that far whoever wins, but all outcomes have to be prepared for.

Source: examiner.com

National Treasures Collide When Cotto Meets Pacquiao

2009-11-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

Boxing fans all over the world will be fixated on their television screens when Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto meet in the ring on November 14. No place will be watching with as much intent as the home countries of the fighters involved.

Puerto Rico is a boxing hotbed and Miguel Cotto is the current king of the island. Cotto follows in the footsteps of such Puerto Rican legends of the ring as Carlos Ortiz, Wilfredo Gomez, Hector Camacho, and Felix Trinidad. A win over Pacquiao would cement Cotto’s place next to these boxing luminaries.

While Miguel Cotto has inherited the torch from past greats, Manny Pacquiao has transcended the sport of boxing in the Philippines. He’s starred in movies and released a CD. Pacquiao’s celebrity is so great in the Philippines that he can’t go to the mall or out to eat without inciting a mob of fans.

The Philippines and Puerto Rico have matched up in four world title fights this year, but none are bigger than number five on November 14 when Manny Pacquiao faces Miguel Cotto for Cotto’s welterweight title. Not only is this the biggest fight of the year, it’s the biggest fight in the budding rivalry between two proud nations.

The 2009 rivalry between Puerto Rico and the Philippines began innocently enough when Juan Manuel Lopez successfully defended his super bantamweight title against Gerry Penalosa in April. Lopez made his Puerto Rican fans proud with a thorough drubbing of the game Filipino.

Puerto Rico scored another victory when Ivan Calderon got a technical decision over Rodel Mayol in September. Calderon’s light flyweight title was on the line. The fight went to the scorecards after seven rounds when Calderon was unable to continue due to an accidental headbutt. Coincidentally, a previous fight between these two in June was ruled a technical draw. That contest also saw an early ending due to an accidental headbutt.

The Philippines got on the board in September when Marvin Sonsona took a super flyweight title from Jose Lopez. The 19-year-old Sonsona outlasted the veteran Lopez on his way to a unanimous decision victory.

All of these fights pale in comparison to the magnitude of this Saturday’s Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight.

The most prolific matchup of a Puerto Rican and Filipino fighter came in 1964. Puerto Rican legend Carlos Ortiz defended his lightweight title against Flash Elorde, a Filipino that was holding the super featherweight title. Ortiz would win this bout by TKO in the 14th round of a hotly contested bout. The two had a rematch in 1966 and it was met with the same result; a 14th round knockout for Carlos Ortiz. Both men would later be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

It took 45 years, but Ortiz-Elorde will no longer sit atop the list. Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, both future Hall of Famers in their own right, will replace them on November 14.

Manny Pacquiao has continuously found new ways to shock boxing fans. From thrilling fights with Juan Manuel Marquez to an indescribable upset of Oscar De La Hoya, Pacquiao has become a must-see phenomenon inside the boxing ring.

Pacquiao will attempt to raise the bar yet again when he faces Miguel Cotto. A win would give Pacman a world title in his seventh weight class. Pacquiao’s loyal fan base would love nothing more than to see their man make history. Miguel Cotto’s proud Puerto Rican following would love nothing more than to prevent it.

One man carries a torch passed on from national heroes. The other adds to his increasing legend with each fight. Both have the support of a nation behind them. Yet when Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao square off against each other, the entire boxing world will be watching.

Source: insidefights.com

Pacquiao vs Cotto 24/7 - Episode 3

2009-11-08T05:31:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao ready for Cotto's counterplay

2009-11-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

HOLLYWOOD – Manny Pacquiao won’t make the same mistake twice, and that’s an absolute guarantee.

That mistake, there for all to see in Pacquiao’s fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in March last year, will be the same mistake Miguel Cotto is hoping to exploit when he climbs the ring against the red-hot Filipino southpaw next week in Las Vegas.

Too bad for the champion from Puerto Rico that Pacquiao has already found ways to correct them.

“We all know they studied our fight against Marquez,” said Buboy Fernandez, who helps Freddie Roach work the corner of the 30-year-old pound-for-pound champion, at the Wild Card Gym here Friday.

The childhood friend and assistant trainer of the greatest fighter in the planet today said against Marquez, Pacquiao, winner of the controversial split decision, showed his tendency to drop his left hand when he throws the jab, and leaves himself open.

“They probably saw Manny’s weakness, which they could counter,” said Fernandez.

“Binababa niya ang kaliwa pag tumapon ng jab,” he added.

While the wide-bodied Cotto makes a living with his left hook, he can always go for Pacquiao through every opening.

“That’s why we worked hard on that aspect. Pinag-aralan namin ang pinag-aralan nila sa atin (We studied what they studied against us),” added Fernandez, heavy on the belly but always up to the task of working Pacquiao’s corner.

“We found the ways to counter this mistake now,” he said.

When Pacquiao is on the ring, sparring or working on the mitts, Fernandez is always there to air his voice, and in Friday’s workout gave Pacquiao constant reminders when moving in and out and throwing punches both ways.

“Ingatan lang ang left hook ni Cotto (We should be wary of the left hook),” added Fernandez.

Pacquiao hit the mitts for eight rounds with Roach, and oftentimes the American trainer would remind Pacquiao not to be as reckless as he probably was against Marquez when he walked into the Mexican’s right the whole night.

It was the closest Pacquiao came to defeat since March of 2005 when he lost to Erik Morales.

“Remember, don’t walk straight into him. Don’t be reckless,” Roach kept on reminding Pacquiao as they worked the mitts.

Fernandez said Pacquiao is good to fight anyday from now, considering that all the hard work has been done, with close to 150 rounds of sparring over the last seven weeks.

Pacquiao spars another four rounds Saturday, and on Monday will close it out with a couple more before he and his huge entourage take the four-hour ride to Las Vegas.

“We’ve achieved the number of sparring rounds we wanted. We’re close to 150 now (144 in total) and that’s as many as we’ve had in the previous fights,” said Fernandez.

“I feel like I’m in perfect condition now -- a hundred percent. I can already feel the power in my hands. It’s there. I’m ready,” said Pacquiao.

Souce: philstar.com

‘Pacquiao’s dangerous left could decide outcome’

2009-11-07T16:00:00.002-08:00

MANILA -- Long time boxing commentator Larry Merchant believes that Manny Pacquiao’s punching power could decide the outcome of his “Fire Power” bout against Miguel Cotto.

“Pacquiao and his left handed sudden power is not like anything else in the game of boxing,” Merchant told FightHype.com’s Ray Cerda.

Merchant, who is well known for his blunt and hard hitting post-fight interviews, said the Filipino icon’s vaunted left hand could spell the difference in the Pacquiao-Cotto bout, which he considers an “even fight”.

“Fighters never see it coming, which is always the most dangerous punch,” he said.

The commentator said he is expecting a tactical match between the two fighters who square off at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 14.

Pacquiao, who has scored sensational victories over Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton, is looking to win the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown from Cotto.

Cotto, meanwhile, is eyeing to legitimize his comeback from a stinging loss in the hands of Antonio Margarito with a win over the Filipino boxing superstar.

“To me it's a virtually even fight,” said Merchant. “Cotto is probably the best fighter he's (Pacquiao) ever fought in terms of size and being a natural welterweight who's in his prime.”

Although Merchant refused to predict the match’s outcome, he is convinced that the “Fire Power” bout will be the biggest fight of the year.

“Pacquiao is a phenomenon, so every time he fights, it's big,” he said.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao, Cotto camps apply Art of War lessons

2009-11-07T16:00:00.001-08:00

HOLLYWOOD—Sun Tzu’s philosophy is getting a ringside twist with each passing day leading to the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto showdown for the WBO welterweight belt on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The legendary Chinese military commander, largely credited as the author of the iconic “The Art of War,” has cast—however inadvertently—his influence in the training camp of both marquee fighters.

And where Sun Tzu preaches that if you know the enemy and you know yourself, you can win a thousand battles, Buboy Fernandez, a key member of Pacquiao’s corner and the fighter’s close friend, believes that knowing what the enemy knows and using it against him guarantees victory just as well.

“They said that they’ve studied Manny’s fight against (Juan Manuel) Marquez and they’ve spotted a weakness,” Fernandez said in Filipino. “Well, we’ve watched the tape and we know what weakness they’re talking about and we have a counter for that.”

“It’s still a secret now,” said Fernandez, smiling impishly.

Taking a page from Taoist strategizing that calls on gathering knowledge of the enemy, Team Cotto revealed that it is using flaws it discovered by watching videos of Pacquiao’s last fight against nemesis Marquez to derail the Filipino ring icon, who is eyeing an unprecedented seventh world crown.

Fernandez feels that advantage was just blown away.

During mitts training Friday, Fernandez, chief trainer Freddie Roach and Pacquiao repeatedly went through different strategies to hold the hook-throwing Cotto off his element.

Pacquiao himself had earlier said “knowledge is power,” and that what they’ve learned so far is exactly what they’re preparing for.

“I can say right now that I am 100 percent prepared for this fight,” Pacquiao said.

The fighter from Gen. Santos City was upbeat during training Saturday, unleashing rapid combinations with ferocious tenacity that had Roach asking Pacquiao to “slow down” several times.

During one particular series during mitts training, Roach got tagged in his armor-cushioned body and drew a deep breath.

“I said slow,” said Roach.

“That was slow,” quipped Pacquiao.

When Pacquiao put an end to eight hard rounds of mitts exercises by knocking off Roach’s right mitt, observers milling around the ring couldn’t help but murmur about how Cotto could end up on his back on fight night.

The only guy who wasn’t buying it was Pacquiao.

“I’m not even thinking of knocking him out,” he said during a post-training interview with a television crew and a handful of reporters. “I’m just going to give my best and if a knockout comes, it will be a bonus.”

Source: inquirer.net

'Knowledge is power'

2009-11-07T15:59:00.001-08:00

'Pacman' shrugs off talk that he's too small to beat welterweight king. To pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, size doesn't matter.

The Filipino boxing hero, gearing up for a world title clash with Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto that could give Pacquiao a slice of boxing history, doesn't put much stock in those who say Cotto's superior size could prove too much.

"I have heard that a couple of times in the past two years," he said with a smile as as reporters, photographers and TV cameramen jammed Hollywood's WildCard boxing club to see him train.

After all, his most recent victories have come against bigger opponents.

Admittedly Oscar De La Hoya was past his prime when Pacquiao stopped him in the eighth in December 2008. On May 2, Pacquiao knocked out Britain's Ricky Hatton in the second round of their junior-welterweight clash.

"It's not about comparing size, not about comparing power," he insisted. "Knowledge is power. You don't have knowledge, you don't have power."

Pacquiao handed Hatton his first defeat at junior-welterweight, claiming the IBO belt to match a ring record with a title in a sixth career weight division. He had already won the crowns at lightweight, super-featherweight, junior-featherweight, featherweight and flyweight.

With the hard-hitting Cotto's WBO welterweight belt on the line in a bout to be fought at 145 pounds, Pacquiao could capture an outright record by claiming a title in a seventh weight division. It won't be a walkover.

Cotto, a classic boxer, has knocked out 27 opponents and has only one defeat in 34 bouts. Even that loss is now being disputed because the man who beat him in July 2008, Antonio Margarito, was found to be wearing gloves laced with a plaster-of-Paris substance in a subsequent fight, against Shane Mosley.

It has never been proven that Margarito cheated for the Cotto fight but suspicions are strong.

Cotto said he wasn't listening 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.

Source: timeslive.co.za

Manny Pacquiao fight with Miguel Cotto a classic in the making

2009-11-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

The intense interest in the meeting of Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas has led Bob Arum to draw parallels between the classic fights he promoted in the Eighties.

Arum, speaking exclusively to Telegraph Sport from the Top Rank offices in Las Vegas, explained: "I see this fight as a modern version of Duran v Hagler, or a Hagler v Hearns fight. It has that feel about it, that kind of excitement.
"Two great fighters, loved in boxing. Magazine stories, unprecedented media requests, two entire countries following their fighters, I really believe that on the night this will turn out to be a classic."

Marvin Hagler v Thomas 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.
Cotto against 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," said Arum. "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.

"People ask what it's like promoting two fighters under you. It's only a win if it turns out to be the great fight you think it'll be.Then, in spite of there being a loser, both men are elevated in the eyes of the public."

So, what of preparation? "Cotto is very, very confident," said Arun. "His work effort is very, very good. He's been very methodical. He hasn't changed anything with his workouts, doing what he has always done.

"Obviously in sparring, he's been trying to be able to counter what he expects Pacquiao to do. Cotto will be Cotto on the night. He's a big, strong welterweight with a great left hand and a great body punch."

Over to Camp Pacquiao. "The other guy is inhuman," laughed Arum. "I've never seen anyone work like he does. Four hours without taking a break and at the end he has some guy with a pole hitting him in the gut for five minutes. It's almost like he's superhuman. It's like Bruce Lee coming to boxing, that's what it's like. He was sparring with Shawn Porter, who is a big guy, a junior middleweight, who is fast, and very good. To my view, from one day to the next he just gets better and better.
"I can see now why Ricky Hatton got blown away. No one has ever seen anything like this in boxing. When he's sparring it's almost like he's doing magic. It's eerie to watch Pacquaio. His is a workout the most dedicated athlete in the world couldn't duplicate."

The $6 million question is who will win?
Understandably, Arum cannot call it. "I don't know who's going to win this fight. Cotto is the strongest, best fighter Pacquiao has ever been up against, and I don't know how he'll deal with that. Cotto will know he can't compete with this guy in speed or technique. With Pacquiao, you've got to time him and tag him, try to hurt him and slow the guy up."

Arum paused. "Look, something about Pacquiao isn't human. He's already planning his normal concert – where he'll play and sing for an hour and a half to fans – in the middle of preparing for all this."

If it lives us to its billing, Cotto v Pacquiao could become a classic.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Pacman ready to go distance vs Cotto

2009-11-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

MANILA -- Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is confident that his conditioning will help him go 12 full rounds against reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king Miguel Cotto.

His coach, Freddie Roach, however, believes that the fight won't go the distance, predicting that Cotto will go down before the final bell.

“[All] I can say right now I'm ready to do the fight, it's all set. Hundred percent condition na ito,” said Pacquiao.

The pound-for-pound king has asked to do more rounds during his latest training sessions at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

So far, they have already done 152 rounds of sparring. Pacquiao will undergo two more sparring rounds before they head to Las Vegas next week.

"He's punching harder. He's really grown into the weight. He's punching really good. He has knockout power in both hands,” said Roach, who predicted a knock out against Cotto.

The Hall-of-Fame trainer said they will wear down the Puerto Rican first before going for the kill.

Pacquiao’s boxer-friends echoed Roach’s statements, claiming that Cotto will definitely be in trouble.

“Mga early rounds, nasa delikadong lugar na siya [Cotto]. Mga fifth or sixth round,” said former world champion Gerry Peñalosa.

“Tingin ko ma-naknock out siya [Cotto]. Mahina ang body niya,” said silver Olympic medallist Mansuelto “Onyok” Velasco.

According to conditioning coach Alex Ariza, Pacquiao currently weighs around 148-149 pounds.

He said the Filipino can easily make the 145-pound limit on the eve of the fight.

Cotto, on the other hand, is reportedly over 150 pounds. He still has to taper down to 145 or else he might have to pay a hefty $1-million fine for every pound missed. With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Manny Pacquiao featured in Time Magazine Asia Cover

2009-11-06T23:55:00.000-08:00

Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao lands the cover of Time Magazine Asia and has a five page feature story that will be included in the global editions of the magazine.

Pacquiao feels humbled by the experience saying, “I absolutely had no idea that when I started my career in boxing, to provide a better life for myself and my family, that I would now be where I am today and on the cover of TIME Magazine,”
Manny Pacquiao is the second non-heavyweight professional boxer to be featured in the cover of the well-respected magazine.

A fighter’s dream is to win a world title and gain financial stability. But what is happening to me now is the most humbling experience of my life. It is a great honor for me to be the face of my people and to let everyone know we are a small but mighty country. I have great pride for all of the Filipinos living throughout the world and it is these people that I fight for each and every time I step into the ring.”
Pacquiao will face Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas and will try to be the first boxer to ever record seven world titles in seven different weight classes.Pacquiao has won titles in the junior welterweight, lightweight, super featherweight, featherweight, super bantamweight and flyweight divisions.

The Confidence Man Miguel Cotto calm, cool, collective - and ready for Manny Pacquiao

2009-11-06T23:54:00.000-08:00

Never mind the Time magazine cover, or showing his sensitive side by belting out “Sometimes When We Touch” on TV, Manny Pacquiao, on the road to legendary pound-for-pound greatness, will hit a major road block on November 14.

At least, that’s what a calm, collective and categorically confident Miguel Cotto is saying.

“What everyone is saying about him, doesn’t concern me,” Cotto said yesterday in a teleconference. “I know what I can do to him – he better be focused on who is in front of him: Miguel Cotto.”

In the running for this year’s biggest blockbuster card, Cotto, 34-1, 27 KOs, will defend his WBO welterweight title against Pacquiao, 49-3-2, 37 KOs, on an HBO PPV-televised card promoted by Top Rank at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao is undefeated in the last four-and-a-half-years, on a 10-bout winning streak over the biggest names in boxing and on the verge of becoming a world champion in seven weight divisions in his 50th win.

Miguel Cotto doesn’t care.

“It’s not important to me what the boxing world sees,” says Cotto. “Once I win on Nov. 14, he can do whatever he wants . .. but I am going to win this fight.

“I think if he thinks he can reach seven divisions, he’s picked the wrong moment and the wrong opponent.”

Unlike Pacquiao, Cotto says he is here for one reason:

“I’m a boxer, not an artist, not a singer. I’m just a boxer, focused on the things I’m going to do. That’s the reason I’m here.”

Keep the talk of Pacquiao-Mayweather or Pacquiao-Marquez III to yourself, is Cotto’s creed. You can also have anything Freddie Roach is saying.

“Forget about Freddie Roach,” says Cotto. “He can train Manny the best he can, but in the end, it’s just Manny and Miguel Cotto in the ring.”

Stopping Oscar De La Hoya, destroying Ricky Hatton and blazing through everyone (but Marquez), in addition to bearing speed and knockout power brought up from 108 pounds, has made the Filipino phenom a -250 favorite on the sports books.

But Cotto shrugs at the mention of speed and power.

“Speed is not a factor,” he says. “Everyone thinks it is. But that’s why you prepare. We know he’s fast . . . And Manny comes from lower weight divisions. If he thinks he has the same power against Miguel Cotto, he’s very wrong.”

Cotto dispels the talk that his sole loss – to Antonio Margarito in 2008 – has taken a chunk out of him.

“I’m pretty recovered from the Margarito defeat,” says Cotto. “I showed the world that from my last two victories. I don’t have anything else to say about it.”

Cotto suffered a brutal and bloody 11th round stoppage to Margarito though, in his victor’s next fight, he was, in turn, stopped by Shane Mosley, whom Cotto had defeated the year before. It was also discovered that Margarito’s hand wraps had been tampered, lending speculation that he’d beaten Cotto unfairly. No one will ever know – and it’s a topic that Cotto does not care to converse about.

Since his loss, Cotto dismantled an overmatched Michael Jennings in February, then edged Joshua Clottey in June, winning a split decision.

“I showed I can deal with a huge cut and a strong opponent,” says Cotto about his last outing. “I learned how to deal with huge problems inside a fight.”

Cotto says he doesn’t pay much – if any – attention to what the media says about him, or where they place him, historically.

“I’m doing this for me, for my family, and for people who want to follow me,” he says. “I don’t pay too much attention to other’s commentaries . . . Wherever they want to put Miguel Cotto, I’m gonna be happy.”

Source: fightnewsextra.com

Judahs warn Manny Pacquiao: Miguel Cotto will play dirty

2009-11-06T23:47:00.000-08:00

SCROLL TO BOTTOM TO VIEW HBO'S 'MIGUEL COTTO'S GREATEST HITS'

LAS VEGAS--The House of Judah is divided. Super Zab Judah is picking Miguel I’m No Angel Cotto to whip Pinoy Idol Manny Pacquiao while his father and trainer, Yoel, is sticking to his prediction that Pacman will emerge the winner on Nov. 14.

One thing father and son do agree on about the Boricua Banger, though, is that an opponent starts getting to Cotto, the physically strong WBO welterweight champion will start playing dirty.

Zabby Dabby hurt Cotto early on in their June 9, 2007 fight,and Cotto hit Judah way below the belt. There was a series of excruciatingly, flagrant low blows and finally ref Arthur Mercante Jr. penalized Cotto one point.
Cotto rebounded to drop Judah in the ninth round and win on a TKO in 11.

Expect more of the same nastiness , said Yoel, when Megamanny starts cracking on Cotto.

“My son and I, we disagree, Zab has Cotto, I got Manny. But we know only too well what Cotto does when things aren’t going his way. You can fully expect some dirty tactics from him. That is his m.o.

“Cotto will hit Manny low or else he will give him a body slam like he did to Josh Clottey in his last fight. Don’t forget that he also likes to use his elbows or put the other guy in a headllock,” Yoel said Friday at The Pa,ms Resort & Casino where Zab has a stay busy PPV TV bout against solid Mexican journeyman Ubaldo Hernandez on a card also featuring Cuban cutie Joel Casamayor and up and comer Ron “The American Dream” Johnson.
Co-promoters of the event are former world champion Fernando Vargas and Johnson. Executive produce of the show is capable former Showtime marketing whiz Brian Ricco.

(Announcers on the telecast are Arnie Tokyo Rosenthal, former world champ Bobby Czyz and a guy who resembles your humble White Gorilla. The White Gori is cast as sort of a poor man’s Larry Merchant on the affordably priced $29.95 card so check your cable listings.)

“When the situation goes against him, this is what Cotto does. When Manny starts getting at him, he will get down and dirty. This is what Cotto does when he knows he is getting beat."
Pacman training Coach Freddie Roach has expressed similar comments and plans to repeat his do not let Cotto cheat position during fight week here.

The Nevada commission wisely chose its top-rated referee, smoothie Kenny Bayless, to handle the Cotto-Pacquiao main event.

If you know Bayless, you know that he will not long tolerate foul tactics by either side.

Source: examiner.com

Oscar-Arum bad blood continues

2009-11-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

The bad blood is once again boiling in the ongoing feud between rival boxing promoters Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya.

Top Rank’s Arum is incensed at a blog written by Golden Boy’s De La Hoya for the Golden Boy-owned Ringtv.com website, which also appeared on Yahoo! Sports on Friday. In his blog, in which he chose Miguel Cotto to defeat Manny Pacquiao in their Nov. 14 fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, De La Hoya wrote that Arum arranged for a larger-than-normal ring to favor the quicker Pacquiao.

De La Hoya, who once gave Pacquiao a suitcase filled with cash in an attempt to sign him to a promotional deal in 2007, wrote on his blog, “I believe that’s the reason (promoter) Bob Arum arranged to have a big ring, to give Pacquiao an advantage. Arum promotes both fighters but, obviously, it benefits him more if Pacquiao wins so they’re going to favor him.”

Arum didn’t take kindly to De La Hoya’s comments and pointed out that the claim about an oversized ring was incorrect.

“Is that little (expletive) crazy?” Arum asked. “Who writes this (expletive) for him? I’m absolutely outraged. He can pick whoever he wants to pick to win the fight and he can say whatever he wants to say about me, but to write that I arranged to have the ring made bigger to favor anyone is a complete (expletive) lie and is just not true. For as long as I can remember, the rings in Nevada have been 20 feet by 20 feet and I didn’t do (an expletive) thing about changing it.”

Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, confirmed that Arum is correct. He said there has not been a ring other than the 20 x 20 standard version used in Nevada since 2005, when The Tournament of Contenders requested a smaller ring be used for the final episode of the first season of the reality series, “The Contender.”

“Mr. Arum absolutely did not ask for a different ring size,” Kizer said. “We haven’t been asked that in a long time. As you know, our standard ring is 20-by-20 and no fighter, no promoter, nobody, has asked for a different size in quite some time. The size of the ring on Nov. 14 will be 20-by-20, like it always is.”

De La Hoya was not in his office Friday and could not immediately be reached for comment.

Source: yahoo.com

Bob Arum Says Cotto's Mental State is Sharpest in Years

2009-11-06T23:41:00.000-08:00

Less than two weeks before the 'Firepower' match, Top Rank owner Bob Arum says 'Miguel Cotto's mental state is sharpest it has been in years'. Arum promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto.

When Bob Arum traveled to the Philippines during the early part Manny Pacquiao's training in the mountain city of Baguio in northern Philippines, the popular boxing promoter was all praise for the way Pacquiao was progressing under the watchful eyes of trainer Freddie Roach. Arum was particularly amazed at the way Pacquiao trains.

Here what Bob Arum is saying about the way the two boxers train:

"I think, in general, both guys looked very, very good," Arum said. "Cotto looked strong. He's Cotto. He works hard for two hours. He does all his sparring. He's in tremendous shape. I know Cotto works hard, but in contrast to the other guy [Pacquiao], it looks like he's taking a vacation. 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.

Although Bob Arum is not expected to side with either fighters, being their official promoters, he nonetheless expressed his unbiased opinion on the way the two camps are handling their prized fighters. Continuing his observations from his visit to their training camps, Arum said:

"Cotto does the workouts like a Marvin Hagler or Sugar Ray Leonard, two guys I promoted. They were all business. They'd come in, do their workout, spar hard and be done. 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."
Less than two weeks before the 'Firepower' match, the popular boxing promoter is all praise for the Puerto Rican boxing idol.

'Miguel Cotto's mental state is sharpest it has been in years', Arum was quoted to have said.

Is Arum rooting for the Puerto Rican boxer?
Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will collide on November 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight will have worldwide television coverage and is available on pay-per-view.

Source: digitaljournal.com

COTTO: "I'm Completely Recovered From The Margarito Fight"

2009-11-06T23:40:00.000-08:00

After so many press conferences, there‘s not much left to say. All the good questions have been asked and answered. And asked again and answered again.

So what else is there? It’s late - just over a week until fight night - and if there’s a good question out there that still needs to be asked, no one has heard it. And it might be too late for second chances.

Besides, it’s not like Miguel Cotto is running for office, trying to sway undecided voters to his side just before the midnight hour. You have to figure by now, all the important questions have been asked and sides picked. Most have been asked a dozen times or more, stuff like, “How are you going to deal with Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao’s speed,?” Or, “What have you been working on in the gym?” Or, “How is your weight situation?”

Good questions, but tired questions.

Cotto is not going to convince anyone to come over to his side, not now, not when it’s this close to the Big Night. He must be tired of repeating himself. But that’s part of the fight game and Cotto will play his role in it, quietly and politely answering even the most foolish questions, the ones that have been asked a dozen times already.

So on a conference call Thursday night, just nine days before his fight, Cotto went through the drill one more time, if not to win voters, maybe to get more pay-per-view viewers.

“I plan on going home to Puerto Rico as the winner,” he said, again. “We wouldn’t have taken this fight (with a 145-pound catch weight) if we didn‘t think I‘d be at my best.”

To the many Manny supporters out there, I can promise you this: Cotto is a very confident fighter. And he seems to easily ignore the wild predictions of Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, who says his fighter will win by an early knockout.. Maybe round one.

.
A great trainer, Freddie is a heck of a psychologist.

Asked what he thought about Freddie’s prediction, Cotto didn’t miss a step.

“Forget about what Freddie Roach says. He’s not going to be (fighting). All he can do is train Manny the best he can. No matter what Freddie says, I have a very strong mind, but I’m not going to (play mind games) with Freddie.”

Might have been fun.

The facts of the fight are this: Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) , of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will put his WBO welterweight title on the line when he faces Pacquiao (49-3-2, 27 KOs) of the Philippines at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Nov. 14 (HBO, pay-per-view).

Cotto is expected to make $10 million and Pacquiao will take home about $20 million before taxes.

But the guaranteed winner in this fight is promoter Bob Arum, who handles both fighters.

“My job as a promoter is to put my fighters into those fights where they can make the most money,” he said on the conference call. “In that regard, I’ve done my job.”

In spades.

It doesn’t seem right to call this just a fight. It deserves something bigger, something better. But then you think back to other great fights - Ali and Frazier, Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti, Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo - and you realize some fights don’t need any help. They don’t need nicknames, or gimmicks, though they are calling this fight, “Firepower,” which doesn’t have the same ring to it as the “Thrilla in Manila,” or the “Rumble in the Jungle.”

While Cotto is defending his WBO belt, Pacquiao is going for his seventh title. Asked what he thought about that, Cotto again didn’t hesitate.

“If he thinks he’s going to win a seventh title, he picked the wrong fighter to do it against.”

As for Pacquiao’s legendary hand speed, Cotto wasn’t giving out any secrets, but he did say “his speed is not going to be the factor everyone thinks it’s going to be.”

Asked if he’s a better fighter since his close win over Joshua Clottey in June, Cotto said he fought nine rounds with a huge gash over his eye against a worthy opponent. How can that not make you a better fighter?

“And I won,” he said. “I learned how to deal with huge problems during a fight.”

He’ll have to deal with another huge problem on the night of the 14th.

Finally, he was asked - again - if he is the same fighter today that he was before he was stopped in a brutal, controversial fight against Antonio Margarito in July 2008. It’s his only loss.

“I’m completely recovered from the Margarito fight,“ he said.

He’d better be.

Source: thesweetscience.com

Richardson, Dundee, Shields, McGirt Pick Pacquiao-Cotto

2009-11-06T23:39:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS - The late great boxing trainer Eddie Futch, who counted six world heavyweight champions as his pupils, always said a fighter's corner played an essential role in a competitive fight's outcome. With stakes high for the Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto fight on Saturday, November 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena live on HBO Pay-Per-View®, today's most decorated trainers give their insight into the match-up and whether or not the experienced corner of Manny Pacquiao, with esteemed trainer Freddie Roach, will out-perform the lesser known Cotto corner lead by Joe Santiago. Hear from the experts themselves as they breakdown and predict the outcome of this tremendous fight.

ANGELO DUNDEE

Trainer Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard

ANALYSIS

"It's gonna be a great, great fight. I have seen Cotto train twice now, and he's a stone cold professional fighter. He was oblivious to the outside world when I saw him training. He's very focused.

"You have a perfect blending of style in this fight. If I ever had a fighter fighting Pacquiao, I would implement the things that Cotto brings to the table. Certain ingredients that spell Cotto, will give Pacquiao trouble.

"Cotto is a pressure fighter and he's going to be on Pacquiao from the get go. He's got a great left hook, he's a good body puncher and he's very aggressive. I see a very tough distance fight. There is going to be blood.

Pacquiao takes it to you all the time but in this fight is going to have to back up. He's a smart, slick, and great hand speed. Cotto counters those things."

ON THE CORNERS

"Cotto is his own man. He's a complete and solid pro. Him and his trainer, they look like they get along just fine. Cotto looks like a man possessed. If something goes wrong, yes, the corner has to step in. But as a trainer, you're only as good as the fighter.

"When the bell rings, Freddie will be in one corner, the two guys will be in the ring. He won't be able to fight for Manny. If an emergency happens, he'll be there. The better one will be Freddie in case of an emergency. You're talking about a guy who has a wealth of experience. You can't make a comparison.

Prediction

"But if you're looking for an edge, I don't think the corners will play into the fight. The best guy will win."

NAZIM RICHARDSON

Trainer Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley

ANALYSIS

"I think Pacquiao and Freddie have such a strong and trusting relationship that they will be fine with whatever might happen in the ring. I think Pacquiao really trusts Freddie's judgment and if it gets rough in there and Pacquiao sees it one way and Freddie gives him a different take on the situation, Manny is going to do what Freddie tells him. That is an incredible trust between a boxer and his trainer and one that will be to their advantage that night.

"On the other hand and for Cotto's corner the question becomes how well their response rate is going to be if and when Cotto gets in trouble. In a big fight like this a fighter needs to hear a clear message. It might be hard for him to receive a clear message after listening to Evangelista for so long. So something he might be used could get lost in translation with the new messenger.

"If Cotto gets cut in this one, it is a lot different from the Clottey fight. Clottey sets a pace and sticks with it for most of the fight. But not Pacquiao because he switches up. So the question becomes will the corner be able to keep Cotto in the right mindset, work on the cut and still give him the right information? That will be the hardest part of their job that night and it will be admirable if they can get it done for their fighter."

Prediction

"I think Manny Pacquiao is going to steal the fight that night. He is good at letting his size fool people and when they see him darting around the ring looking scrappy, boxing and moving and he's not KO'd, it translate to a round for him. But calling Pacquiao little in this weight class is like calling Mike Tyson a little heavyweight. Pacquiao is a solid guy but his size fools people. He knows how to make the round look like the little guy is dominating a big man.

"Cotto is capable of beating him but for him the game plan is essential and he has to stay true to that plan."

BUDDY MCGIRT

Trainer Arturo Gatti, Antonio Tarver, Vernon Forrest

ANALYSIS

"Pacquiao might have the psychological edge here as he totally trust Freddie and is very comfortable with him. Cotto's trainer Joe Santiago has never been in this situation before and it is important how he handles it. If he, Joe, can remain calm, not get caught up in the media hype, they should be okay. I don't know him or his frame of mind but it is a big stage for someone who hasn't been there before.

Prediction

"I don't think it is going to come down to either corner. These guys are veterans who know how to make adjustments while they are fighting. In that sense, Cotto is a better adjuster than Pacquiao, as he has had to do in several fights already. I don't remember a fight (except the Marquez fight) when Pacquiao was in trouble like Cotto has been. I think Cotto can give Pacquiao trouble and then we will see how he handles it.

RONNIE SHIELDS

Trainer Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Vernon Forrest, Juan Diaz and Rocky Juarez

OVERVIEW

"Miguel Cotto is a legitimate welterweight that proves himself time and time again. I think fighting at 145 lbs is not going to be a problem for Cotto. Its just two pounds under the welterweight limit. He's got good strength, and first of all, his loss to Margarito proves to me that he can take a great shot. Second, Margarito is a big guy, and Pacquiao is a small guy. Pacquiao has a lot of speed, but I just feel that Cotto is going to walk through him. There is no way that Pacquiao is going to be able to wear Cotto down. As the fight goes on, Cotto is going to get much stronger. I think he's going to put the pressure on Pacquiao.

"We all saw in the De La Hoya fight, how Pacquiao used speed to his advantage. Pacquiao does pack a good punch. But Cotto's defense will offset him getting hit so much. Pacquiao cannot take Cotto's punches throughout the 12 rounds.

On The Corners-

Both fighters have good trainers. They both know what they are doing. But trainers can only help his guy so much. The fighter has to follow what the game plan is. I know that both trainers have a Plan B and possibly a Plan c should something go wrong. All in all, it really is up to the fighter. The trainers can only direct so much to the fighter. The fighter needs to go out there and have the confidence he can do what the trainer wants him to do. And if it doesn't work, you need to gut it out, and both guys have the ability to do that. But I think that it the advantage is for Cotto who has that power. And on the opposite end, I don't think that Pacquiao can hurt him enough.

Rebounding From Trouble Coming off of Last Fight-

I don't know why they criticized the corner. I think that Cotto did a great job against Clottey. I don't see why they criticized the trainer. The most important thing is what the judges think. The winner was Cotto, and I don't understand how can you criticize them for winning. If they lost, maybe you go back and say they should have done something different. In the fight, they have a game plan, and it falls to the fighter to follow it. If the fighter goes off the plan, that's when the corner must tell the fighter to make adjustments.

If anything, I think Clottey's corner messed up.

Both Roach and Santiago are good trainers, so both guys know what they are doing. Freddie Roach has shown that he has the capabilities to help his guy win, but the other guy has also done some things. This is only his second fight with Cotto, but he has shown the same thing. Neither one has the advantage. Freddie has more experience in the big fight, but that really doesn't mean anything.

I haven't seen Pacquiao cut recently, which shows the defense that he has. I have seen Cotto cut, but it didn't seem to bother him. But again, both guys have had the experience of being cut, so it's not going to be new to either one of them. It may favor Cotto though, because he has been cut and it hasn't bothered him.

If he uses his boxing skills, Cotto can get late stoppage. It's tough to get a knockout against Pacquiao, but I just think Cotto will have what it takes and he'll have the advantage in the end."

Source: boxingscene.com

Photos: Manny Pacquiao Training Hard at Wild Card

2009-11-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

Hollywood,Ca. --- "STANDING ROOM ONLY" --- Six-time world champion pound-for-pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao(R),General Santos,Philippines hits the mitts with trainer Freddie Roach(L) during a huge media day at a jam-packed,standing room only Wildcard Boxing Club in Hollywood Wednesday. Pacquiao is in town preparing for his upcoming "FIREPOWER" World Welterweight championship fight against three-time world champion and the pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto, Caguas, Puerto Rico. Pacquiao vs Cotto is promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions,Cotto Promotions,MGM Grand and Tecate, will take place, Saturday,November 14 at the sold out MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be available live on HBO Pay Per View. --- Photos Credit : Chris Farina/Top Rank.

Source: boxingscene.com

Pacquiao-Cotto bout a 50-50 affair, says Rourke

2009-11-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

HOLLYWOOD – Mickey Rourke has been a disciple of trainer par excellence Freddie Roach and is known to be chummy with boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.

But when asked of his thoughts about Pacquiao’s 12-round title fight against Miguel Cotto for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt, the American actor and Academy award nominee said things are going to be even.

“It’s 50-50," Rourke shot back when pressed on who he favored to win the bout.

A one-time boxer in the early 90s who had no less than Roach for trainer, Rourke came over at the Wild Card gym here coinciding with the two-hour long media workout of the 30-year old Pacquiao.

The 57-year old Rourke, whose portrayal of Randy “The Ram" Robinson in the 2008 movie “The Wrestler" earned him an Oscar Best Actor nomination, shook hands and had a pleasant conversation with Roach, and later on, had a photo op with Pacquiao while the pound-for-pound king was in training.

But he appeared less gracious when his thoughts about the WBO championship fight were raised.

Rourke said Pacquiao beating Cotto is not as easy as learning A-B-C.

“I don’t think Cotto would be a walk in the park," said the veteran actor. “He’s gonna be strong. Cotto is the bigger fighter and a very good fighter."

However, one thing going for Manny, according to him, is the Filipino superstar’s vaunted speed.

“Speed would be able to offset Cotto’s power. Speed is more important than power. Manny has got to stay away from Cotto’s range since he (Cotto) can bang with both hands," Rourke said.

Rourke knows where he’s speaking from.

After briefly staying away from acting in 1991, Rourke relived his love for the sport of prizefighting by turning pro under Roach’s watchful eyes.

He was undefeated in eight fights with two of them ending up in draw.

“I would have lost if I haven’t had Freddie, coz my training habit wasn’t that good," he said of his short-lived boxing career.

Rourke would quit boxing soon after, giving to Roach all his equipment that can still be found now at the Wild Card gym.

“He’s my best friend. I wouldn’t be here now (Wild Card gym). He’s the one who brought me here," said Roach in acknowledging all the help Rourke did while the three-time Trainer of the Year was still starting off with his famous sweatshop at Vine St.

Given the chance, Rourke said he’s more than willing to accept a role should a Hollywood movie on Pacquiao be made.

And he already had an idea on who is he going to play.

“I would do the Freddie roach story but I would have to wait 20 years from now," he said, teasing Roach as being too old for him to play. – GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

In a smart way, Cotto stops Pacquiao - De La Hoya

2009-11-06T06:11:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Oscar De La Hoya, one of Manny Pacquiao’s high-profile ring victims, sees the Filipino icon’s winning streak ending this time.

In a blog he wrote for The Ring, De La Hoya, who recently retired from boxing, said Pacquiao will be in for a rude surprise when he faces Puerto Rican bomber Miguel Angel Cotto on Nov. 14 (Nov. 15 in Manila).

“Now that the fight is getting closer, I’ve changed my mind about who I think will win. At first, I had Manny Pacquiao. I was a firm believer that Pacquiao’s speed was going to neutralize Miguel Cotto, especially after Cotto’s performance against Joshua Clottey in June,” the former multiple-division champion wrote.

“Then, as the fight was getting closer and closer and I thought more about it, I’m now convinced Cotto will win. The reason is, first, nobody looks good against Clottey. He’s a difficult, strong, in-your-face type of fighter. And Cotto had that gash over his eye the whole fight. I thought he did an excellent job in light of that,” he added.

De La Hoya said that at welterweight, Pacquiao does not pack enough punching power to be able to knock out a full-blown 147-pounder like Cotto. He cited his own welterweight duel with Pacquiao last December, where he was mercilessly battered by the Filipino but still managed to stay on his feet until his corner stopped the bout at the end of the eighth round.

“Cotto has a good chin and a big heart. He’s a natural welterweight who hits hard and is also smart and fast. Pacquiao doesn’t hit hard enough to knock anyone out in the welterweight division. I’m basing that on my fight against Pacquiao. I could’ve stood there and put my face in front of him and he couldn’t have hurt me,” he said.

De La Hoya had so much faith in Cotto that he thinks the Puerto Rican will be able to withstand whatever Pacquiao brings to the table.

“A lot of people are counting him (Cotto) out after his last performance. I think he’s the real deal, though. I’ve seen his skills and I’ve seen his power. He’s proved himself against tough, rugged guys. He’s proved himself against slick boxers,” he continued.

And the Golden Boy’s forecast? A late-round stoppage for Cotto.

“I think Cotto is a smart fighter. I think he’ll get through those first few rounds and in a smart way he’ll walk down Pacquiao and possibly stop him in the later rounds,” De La Hoya predicted.

Source: philstar.com

Pacquiao/Cotto – Expect Firepower but No Knockout

2009-11-06T06:04:00.000-08:00

By David Berry: With just nine days separating the world from the fight of the year, experts and fans alike have heated up the “Firepower” debate to its boiling point. You’ve heard the arguments – Cotto is stronger; Pacquiao is faster. Pacquiao is a 2-1 favorite; Cotto is a reputed odds-beater. Naturally, if you’re a fan of one and not the other, you’re likely to believe whichever side of the argument favors your fighter. In reality, though, when you throw two premier fighters into a ring with 8 ounce gloves on each fist, all bets are off. When the bell rings, words cease and actions take over.

Each fighter’s ability to adapt to his opponent’s style will ultimately determine who holds the edge in this fight. Cotto’s strength advantage only matters if he lands power shots. Likewise, Pacquiao’s speed advantage only matters if he gets his punches off before getting hit back.
Let’s take a look at both fighters. There may be no man in boxing today who makes better in-fight adjustments than Miguel Cotto. In addition, no fighter has exhibited the ability to add skills to his arsenal from fight-to-fight better than Cotto. When the bell rang for Cotto’s 2007 matchup with Shane Mosley, Cotto proved to be more than a brawler by not only beating Mosley, but besting him at his own game by out-boxing him. He also brutally dismantled Zab Judah, another slick and quick southpaw who, theoretically, had the tools necessary to win the fight. In both cases, any perceived advantage his opponent had was rendered moot by Cotto’s supreme timing and sustained pressure.

For all of his strengths, Pacquiao has never exhibited the same adaptability, nor has he had to. When faced with adversity, his stamina and power alone have usually given him an edge over his opponents. In life and death battles against Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao relied upon his never-ending supply of energy to outlast Marquez. Against Cotto, though, that same tactic could get him knocked out.

Pacquiao is indeed faster, and Freddy Roach has a valid point when he says that Cotto is hittable. A particular concern for Cotto is his susceptibility to the uppercut. When you consider Pacquiao’s speed and power, that vulnerability becomes extremely unnerving. Cotto has proven vulnerable to other punches as well; particularly the straight left hand against southpaws. However, it’s the uppercut that, loaded hand wraps or not, has made him seem mortal in past fights. When you add into the equation Pacquiao’s ability to throw punches from all angles, and with power, you quickly understand that “Firepower” couldn’t be a more accurate expectation for this fight.

I only have one prediction for this fight, and it’s not on whom the winner will be – it’s that this will be a brutal fight that goes the distance. If Freddy Roach expects Pacquiao to ‘hit and not get hit,’ then he’ll likely be fighting on his toes instead of sitting down on his punches and throwing power shots. For comparison’s sake, expect Pacquiao to fight with a strategy similar to the one on display when he dismantled Oscar de La Hoya. Don’t expect to see Pacquiao physically imposing himself in the way that he did against Ricky Hatton.

Likewise, don’t expect Cotto to take his powerful body attack to Pacquiao in the early going. He’s proven time and time again that he’s not only comfortable when he’s boxing, but he’s also extremely adept at doing so. Cotto is sure to employ a well-timed counterpunching strategy and evaluate the effects of his power shots as the fight goes on. If he’s able to develop a sustained attack to the body, it won’t be until the middle rounds of the fight that he explores it.

Questions remain, but they’ll be answered soon. Pacquiao vs. Cotto is just 9 days away.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Pacquiao eyes history

2009-11-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

To pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, size really doesn't matter.

The Filipino boxing hero, gearing up for a world title clash with Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto that could give Pacquiao a slice of boxing history, said he doesn't put much stock in those who say Cotto's superior size could prove too much.

"I have heard that a couple of times the past two years," Pacquiao said with a smile on Wednesday, as reporters, photographers and TV cameramen jammed Hollywood's WildCard boxing club to see him train.

After all, Pacquiao's most recent victories have come against bigger opponents. Admittedly Oscar De La Hoya was past his prime when Pacquiao stopped him in the eighth round in December of 2008.

On May 2, Pacquiao knocked out Britain's Ricky Hatton in the second round of their junior welterweight clash.

"It's not about comparing size, not about comparing power," Pacquiao insisted. "Knowledge is power. You don't have knowledge, you don't have power."

Pacquiao handed Hatton his first defeat at junior welterweight. He claimed the International Boxing Organization belt to match a ring record with a title in a sixth career weight class.

Pacquiao secured his place among boxing's all-time greats, adding the junior welterweight crown to past world titles at lightweight, super featherweight, junior featherweight, featherweight and flyweight.

With the hard-hitting Cotto's World Boxing Organization welterweight belt on the line in a bout to be fought at 145 pounds, Pacquiao could capture an outright record by claiming a title in a seventh weight division.

"If I win it's boxing history - seven titles in seven different weight divisions," Pacquiao said. "I would be so proud - being a Filipino who captured titles in seven weight divisions."

Pacquiao's prowess in the ring has made him a hero in his homeland, and his victories over De La Hoya and Hatton have raised his profile in the United States.

This week, he appeared on US television's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" programme, impressing with his singing performance.

It wasn't such a big departure for a man who has appeared on television and in film in the Philippines, where he is also a sought-after product pitchman and a budding politician who plans to run for a seat in the nation's parliament in next year's elections.

Pacquiao also took some time out last month to devote himself to humanitarian work in the wake of a devastating typhoon in his homeland. It's the kind of gesture that has earned the devotion of his compatriots, and is now garnering attention and accolades elsewhere.

"This kid is something that now transcends boxing," promoter Bob Arum said.

Source: timeslive.co.za

Pacquiao-Cotto: Chavez Breaks it Down; Size Matters

2009-11-06T05:52:00.000-08:00

Veteran cutman Joe Chavez has a unique perspective on next weekend's Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto fight as he has worked for Pacquiao in the past and will be in Cotto's corner next Saturday. Chavez is perhaps best known for working the corner of Oscar De La Hoya during the last years of The Golden Boy's career.

Chavez is as down-to-earth and plain-spoken a fellow as you will meet. There isn't any hype with Joe and he's a straight-shooter in the truest sense of the term. He doesn't say much, but when he does speak his words carry meaning.

When asked for his thoughts on the big fight, Chavez was honest with his assessment.

“It's going to be a tough fight,” he said. “Manny Pacquiao is a very good fighter and you can't take anything away from him, that's for sure. I think it will be a very tough fight...a tough night.”

Chavez, 71, came on board with Team Cotto just prior to his fight against Joshua Clottey this past June at Madison Square Garden. Chavez worked overtime that night as Cotto was cut badly over his left eye from an unintentional clash of heads. The cut that Cotto suffered against Clottey taught Chavez a lot about his new employer right off the bat.

“Well, he showed that he doesn't quit,” said Chavez. “That was a bad cut, you were there and you saw it. But he just kept coming back to the corner and I just kept trying to do the best I could to stop the blood. He could have stopped, it was a bad cut. But I did my job and he did his.”

When asked for his prediction, Chavez was unwilling to say who would win.

“I can't make a prediction on it,” he said. “It will be speed versus power, I think. Cotto is stronger and hits harder, Pacquiao is quicker and faster. They're both very good fighters, so what can I say, you know?”

As of Wednesday, the hardest part of Cotto's training was over with and Chavez claimed that everything had gone according to schedule in camp. When asked if Cotto was going to experience difficulty making the catch-weight of 145-pounds, all he would say is that, “Everything is on schedule and the weight shouldn't be a problem.”

As close as Chavez would come to making a prediction on the fight was to say, “It's a fight where you have a bigger man against a smaller man. Miguel can box or he can punch. He's a big puncher and he's stronger. So...”

Source: boxingscene.com

Underdog role no concern for Cotto against Pacquiao

2009-11-06T04:34:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Miguel Cotto has no qualms about being listed as the bookmakers' underdog for his WBO welterweight title defense against Filipino Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas next week.

The Puerto Rican, who has an enviable career record of 34-1 featuring 27 knockouts, is confident his power and meticulous preparation will trump Pacquiao's speed when the fighters clash on November 14.

"I don't know anything about the betting business," Cotto said on a conference call from his training camp in Las Vegas on Thursday. "I am just here to try to bring my best every day in the gym.

"With all the work I make in my training camp, I am going to the fight to win money.

"I am here for myself, not for any kind of bet.

"I am prepared for anything Manny can bring to this fight. He has a lot of things besides his speed and I am prepared for all he can show me at this time."

Pacquiao, (49-3-2, 37 KOs), is widely viewed as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world but Cotto believes the Filipino southpaw has picked the wrong opponent for his first bout in the welterweight division.

"Manny comes from a lower weight division and if he thinks he is going to have the same power as Miguel Cotto, he is thinking pretty wrong," the Puerto Rican said.

"He has picked the wrong moment and the wrong fighter. If he thinks he is going to win against Miguel Cotto, he is pretty wrong."

RENOWNED SPEED

Cotto, who retained his WBO title with a gruelling split decision win over Ghana's Joshua Clottey in June, was confident he would be able to cope with Pacquiao's renowned speed.

"We know he has speed and style and that is why you prepare yourself to beat him," he said. "You will find out on the 14th how I am going to deal with his speed and it is not going to be the factor that everyone thinks it is."

Pacquiao cemented his status as the sport's premier fighter with a stunning second round knockout of Britain's Ricky Hatton in May to claim the IBO light welterweight crown.

Since then, he and his trainer Freddie Roach have frequently discussed the possibility of a lucrative bout with undefeated American welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr, leaving many fans to regard the Cotto fight as a formality.

Cotto, however, was unfazed by suggestions he was being underappreciated by the Pacquiao camp.

"What they say and do doesn't concern me," the 29-year-old said.

"I know they know what they have in front of them. I know what I can do to him and he better be focused on what he is up against in Miguel Cotto.

"It's not really important what the boxing world wants to see or wants to do.

"Once I beat Manny Pacquiao on November 14, they continue their plans and do whatever they want but I am not going home without winning this fight."

Source: reuters.com

Roach Throws Verbal Jabs at Cotto

2009-11-06T04:32:00.000-08:00

During the buildup of WBO welterweight champ Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao, the challenger's trainer, Freddie Roach, says he's having fun at the expense of Cotto and his chief cornermen, Joe Santiago.

Cotto "is slower," and "gets hit so much more" since his 11th-round knockout loss to Antonio Margarito, and "his defense sucks, because he's training himself," said Roach.

See what else Roach had to say after the jump.

FanHouse: You've been doing an amazing amount of interviews, are these the most you've done other than when you were training Mike Tyson?

Freddie Roach: Without a doubt, yes

FH: Is it any more enjoyable?

Roach: Yeah, I'm having fun with it, getting inside Miguel Cotto's head a little bit, and getting his trainer [Joe Santiago] all upset. It's a little bit of fun, yeah.

FH: Do you feel that you're being successful at it?

Roach: I know how to sell the fight. I'll say things to get inside of his head. They'll say that they're not affected by anything at all, and they're not paying attention to what Freddie Roach says.

But then they say that, 'We will knock Manny Pacquiao out.' I mean, they're obviously, they're taking it really hard.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Pacquiao vs. Cotto Predictions from the ProBoxing-Fans.com Staff

2009-11-06T03:04:00.000-08:00

With the huge Pacquiao vs. Cotto fight now just over a week away, it’s time for the staff to chime in with their predictions. We polled our writers to see who they thought would win the big match, and how they saw it playing out. Take a look at all of our staff predictions for the upcoming mega-fight.

Pro Boxing Fans Staff Pacquiao vs. Cotto Picks

Ben Weisman (Pro Boxing Fans): You can throw me in the camp that believes Pacquiao’s last two fights were way overblown and the folkloric status they attained wasn’t even close to being warranted. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to take anything away from Pacquiao. He’s a great fighter with tremendous skills and lightning quick speed. But you can’t help but question the merits of his recent opposition as they were either weight drained (De La Hoya) or shells of what they once were (Both De La Hoya and Hatton). The fact is Cotto will be Manny’s first fight above 130 pounds against a top fighter in his prime.

I see the fight unfolding with a relatively uneventful first round. Pacquiao will be testing Cotto’s strength and Cotto will be testing Pacquiao’s speed. After the early feeling out period I think you’ll see Pacquiao start to hit his rhythm a bit, jumping in, throwing a combination and then jumping out. Cotto should be able weather the storm, all the while continuing to stalk Manny, trapping him in the corner for short periods of time and landing a couple good shots to Manny’s oft-available body. Cotto is a tremendous body puncher and I like these body punches to start taking their toll around the 8th round.

Look for Manny to have a small lead in the fight heading into the 9th round but at that point Cotto is starting to land with more frequency and Pacquiao is starting to tire. Pacquiao will struggle in the 10th round and in the 11th will succumb to the unrelenting pressure from the bigger, stronger man.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto Prediction: Cotto TKO 11

Scott Levinson (Pro Boxing Fans): I’d sure like Cotto’s chances better if we were in 2006. If someone is going to beat Pacquiao in his current form, it’s going to take a fighter at his absolute peak. Cotto is a special talent, but a lot of tough fights, a monumental battering at the hands of Margarito, and his near-escape against Clottey suggest he is in decline. I will say this: if Pacquiao is minimally complacent in his approach to this bout, even a 90% Cotto is going to give him fits. And I might be taking a leap of faith on the size issue, as it could rear its head. I don’t think so.

I see a tense, high-energy fight where Pacquiao’s speed, movement, and newfound mastery of angles keep him out of serious trouble. A reasonably close fight breaks open around the seventh round, when Pacman starts to fully click, and open up his power game, forcing the referee or his corner to pull a gallant Cotto out around the tenth round.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto Prediction: Pacquiao TKO 10

Nathan Nau (Pro Boxing Fans): There is no question that Cotto is the naturally bigger and stronger man in this bout, but he is clearly tailor made for Pacquiao. Pacquiao will use a combination of natural speed and power in both hands, crisp combinations and effective boxing technique to dispatch the challenger impressively.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto Prediction: Pacquiao 4th round KO

Luke Jernigan (DFN Sports Network): I anticipate this being a one-sided bout with Pacquiao coming out looking to prove himself once again. With Floyd Mayweather active again, the pound for pound debate is rejuvenated and it’s Pac Man’s job to prove he is indeed #1 on boxing’s p4p list. Cotto will be overmatched but I expect to see him fight hard into the later rounds before a KO victory by Pacquiao in the 9th or 10th round.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto Prediction: Pacquiao KO 9th or 10th round

Scott Dryden (Pro Fighting Fans): Miguel Cotto will bring power punches to the ring the likes Manny Pacquiao has never experienced. Freddie Roach stated he is very concerned not only with Cotto’s power but also his drive and determination as this is the biggest fight of his career. Cotto’s toughness can never be questioned but the combination of speed and power that Manny possesses is unmatched.

Pacquiao will have a difficult time with Cotto but will prevail via TKO in the 10th round. This sets the stage for one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport, Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. As a fan, I like everyone else want to see this fight happen but possibly even bigger than that would be HBO’s 24/7 with the verbal sparring between Roach and the Mayweather’s camp. A rare chance for the world of boxing to give its fans what they want, thus it probably won’t happen.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto Prediction: Pacquiao TKO 10

Jake Emen (Pro Boxing Fans): In my full Pacquiao vs. Cotto prediction, I laid out a series of four questions that would hold the key to the fight. They were how the catch-weight would affect the fight, how each man would take the other’s punches and whether or not Cotto would be able to catch up with Pacquiao sufficiently. I answered them all in favor of Pacquiao. However, Cotto is no pushover especially for a smaller man, and I expect two banged up fighters to make it to the final bell.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto Prediction: Pacquiao by decision

Final tally for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto picks from the staff: 5 for Pacquiao (4 by stoppage); 1 for Cotto (by stoppage)

Source: proboxing-fans.com

Cotto vs. Pacquiao: Miguel to prevent Manny from winning 7th title

2009-11-05T05:23:00.000-08:00

By Manuel Perez: Manny Pacquiao will be trying to make boxing history on November 14th by winning seven world titles in seven different weight divisions when he steps in the ring with WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cotto, 29, will have his World Boxing Organization title on the line despite the fight being held at a 145 pound catch weight for the bout, a move to make it a tad easier for Pacquiao to match up with the talented Puerto Rican fighter.

It’s sad that there has to be a catch weight for this fight, because it taints the bout in my eyes. How can a title be on the line when the fight is being held at a catch weight? I have no problem with the made up Diamond belt being on the line considering that it was designed at the spur of the moment just for this type of occasion. But the WBO title shouldn’t be on the line unless the fight is being held at the full 147 pound limit of the welterweight division.
Never the less, the title will be on the line for this fight and there’s nothing Cotto can do about it other than beat Pacquiao black and blue and send him packing. Pacquiao needs to forget about trying to pick up belts and should focus more on picking up his teeth after this fight is over with. Pacquiao has bit off more than he can chew by moving up in weight to fight Miguel Cotto.

This isn’t a shot Oscar De La Hoya or a Ricky Hatton fighting in a primitive caveman style against him. This is a skilled fighter still in his prime and ready to take Pacquiao’s head clean off his shoulders. Cotto is going to rip into Pacquiao and bust him, cause both eyes to bleed, his nose to leak blood everywhere and color his trunks a bright red for this fight. I just hope that Pacquiao can stay standing long enough for Cotto to finish the beating without Pacquiao bowing out of it quickly.

Pacquiao may be going into this fight hoping to get a 7th world title, but he’ll come out of it with by far the worst beating of his career, one that will cause him to think seriously about retiring from boxing. Pacquiao may pick up a 7th title in the future if he sticks around after this fight and finds an easier mark to fight, but he won’t be getting any 7th title in this fight.

What Pacquiao will be getting is bloodied and battered in the worst way. I rarely feel sorry for a fighter when they’re taking a beating, but I think I’ll feel bad for Pacquiao if Cotto takes him apart too badly in this fight. I don’t want Pacquiao to be torn apart by the hard punching Cotto. I just want him beaten badly enough to the point where Pacquiao understands that he’s over reached the potential of his body.

Every fighter much know their potential, and for Pacquiao he’s going to find out his limit against Cotto on November 14th. After they carry Pacquiao out of the ring on a stretcher, Pacquiao may rethink his desire for a 7th world title.

Who knows, maybe one of the boxing organizations can create another special made up title for Pacquiao to fight for against one of the smaller, weaker fighters so that he can try to get his 7th world title that way. But I don’t see it happening against Cotto nor any of the other welterweight champions unless they’re forced to fight at some god awful catch weight of 140 or less.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Pacman Packs Them In On Media Day L.A.

2009-11-05T05:22:00.000-08:00

With a bright colored bus outside the Wild Card Boxing gym painted with the pound for pound champion’s name it wasn’t a surprise to see several hundred people waiting in the parking lot.

Manny Pacquiao has become synonymous with “the big fight” that drives the sport of boxing and keeps the industry humming even in the worst of economic times.

Pacquiao’s media day is the last time journalists can see the Filipino super star before he fights Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) for the WBO welterweight title on Saturday Nov. 14.

The big fight takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It’s also available on HBO pay-per-view.

Reporters arrived an hour before the expected time. It was a good move for those who did so.

Pacquiao arrived a few minutes after 1 p.m. and his arrival caused a stir among the press. He dived into a dressing room and changed into his sparring and workout attire, Then about a dozen reporters from various newspapers and a couple of respected web sites were shuffled into the 6 by 10 foot room.

The questions by reporters were not fired at the Filipino champion probably because he’s been through all these matches before that he was the size under dog.

“They said I would have problems with David Diaz and (Oscar) De La Hoya,” said Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) in his usual understated tone. “Cotto is a very good fighter.”

Once again Pacman will enter the ring against a champion who on paper should be the bigger and stronger fighter. Cotto has only one loss that came by knockout. Fans of the Puerto Rican still insist he was beaten by Antonio Margarito and loaded gloves. Though it was never proven. Most forget that an inspector looks at the wrappings of each fighter especially during a big fight. So be it.

It’s not Pacquiao’s problem and he lets you know that he doesn’t care about Cotto’s past, or his own future.

“I only care about Cotto,” said Pacquiao, whose trainer Freddie Roach has predicted a knockout victory for his protégé.

“It was on Monday when I finally saw the Manny I want to see,” said Roach, who added that Pacquiao worked the mitts for 17 straight rounds.

For those who aren’t familiar with the mitts, it’s often more strenouous than sparring because you can’t take a breather or back away from contact.

“He looks sharp and he’s in the shape I want him to be,” Roach said.

In the past, every time Pacman headed to the Philippines to train it’s resulted in a sub par performance. Sure he won but a 12-round unanimous decision against Oscar Larios who was knocked out by Israel Vazquez in less than three rounds. That is not what most expect from Pacquiao.

“I’m working hard so I can give a fight the fans want,” said Pacquiao.

The pocket-sized bomber has never given a dull fight in his entire pro career and with more than 90 million fans all over the world, he doesn’t expect to start next week.

“Cotto is a good boxer,” Pacquiao reiterated. “He likes to use pressure and he can box too.”

Pacquiao says his father, mother and sister will be arriving in Las Vegas to watch him fight. Though his mother had been to Las Vegas during his fight, she didn’t actually watch the fisticuffs.

“A lot of people look to me to feel good about themselves,” says Pacquiao explaining his popularity. “I’m very thankful.”

Fight fans all over the world are thankful for the fighter known as Pacman. They know if they tune in they’ll see a true prizefighter attempting to wrest a piece of history. But standing in the way is a welterweight Gibraltar named Cotto.

“I’m improving my skills everyday,” Pacquiao says.

Next week the world gets to see if it’s enough to beat Cotto.

“I’m very confident in him as of this week,” said Roach.

It’s hard to bet against Freddie.

Source: thesweetscience.com

Roach bets on Pacquiao victory by KO

2009-11-05T05:20:00.000-08:00

HOLLYWOOD — The joke among journalists huddled around trainer Freddie Roach Tuesday afternoon at the Wild Card gym was that they were betting on Manny Pacquiao stopping Miguel Cotto either in the first, ninth or 10th round.

Anybody hoping to make a little money on the side knows that Roach has been spot on with his predictions concerning the Filipino champion lately.

And “I put a thousand on the first, ninth and 10th rounds,” said Roach.

Pacquiao hunts for Cotto’s WBO welterweight belt on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the cerebral Roach believes his ward will snatch the crown from an opponent pasted to the canvas.

“Cotto gets hit early and once we hit him early, we’ll take him down,” Roach said.

Pacquiao, who is tapering off as fight night approaches, fought eight more rounds of sparring with Raul Beltran and Urbano Atillano and Roach hopes to have just 10 more rounds—six on Thursday and four on Saturday—of simulated matches before Team Pacquiao heads for Las Vegas.

After the session, Pacquiao went off to his first nationally televised appearance in the United States via the Jimmy Kimmel show where, according to Top Rank in its official website, the reigning pound-for-pound champ even belted out a ballad.

Pacquiao is slated to hold his media workout Wednesday afternoon at the Wild Card gym.

“I’m happy with everything and he’s where I want him to be,” said Roach, who has been on target with his predictions in Pacquiao’s last two fights.

Against Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008, Roach predicted a knockout by Pacquiao in the ninth round. After helplessly staying on the receiving end of a relentless barrage, De La Hoya did not answer the ninth-round bell.

Five months later, Roach predicted a second-round KO victory by his ward over British sensation Ricky Hatton. True enough, Pacquiao ended Hatton’s night—and possibly the Briton’s career—in the second round with a powerful left which his current foe, Cotto, described as a punch that could have brought down even Mike Tyson.

Roach said the only way Cotto is going to escape the fury of Pacquiao is to fight dirty, but the multiawarded mentor said he is counting on Kenny Bayless to keep things clean on fight night.

Roach said the game plan is to stay off the ropes and to keep the fight in the middle of the ring. The American has also tipped off Pacquiao on a Cotto mannerism that may help in fulfilling his predictions.

“Cotto cocks the left hook before he throws it,” Roach said of the Puerto Rican champ’s pet punch. “He basically tells you it’s coming.”

Source: inquirer.net