CEBU, Philippines - Even though the dotted lines have yet to be signed, Cebuano topnotch promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud made an early prediction that Puerto Rican superstar Miguel Angel Cotto won’t last seven rounds against Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao.
“It’s going to be a great and exciting match. Cotto is a very aggressive fighter. He’s strong and powerful. He couldn’t be taken lightly, but as far as I am concerned, I don’t think will he get past seven rounds against Pacquiao,” said Salud in a long distance call from General Santos City.
Salud, a confidant of Pacquiao, said that the Pacquiao-Cotto superfight is close to being a done deal, with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum expected to present his proposal to Pacquiao in relation to the Cotto fight in a week’s time.
“Within a week from now Bob Arum will submit his proposal to Pacquiao with regards to an imminent Cotto fight. As what I’ve said earlier, I believe there’s no much problem in setting up that bout because both boxers are being handled by Arum,” said Salud, who is amenable that the fight weight would be 144-145 pounds.
If he is to decide, Salud said he wants a 65-35 split of the prize money in favor of Pacquiao. “Manny can demand such purse split not only because he’s the main draw but also because of his stature right now. But let’s just wait and see what Arum presents on the table.”
The 30-year-old Pacquiao further cemented his status as the world’s pound-for-pound king with devastating knockout victories over Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton. In that two blockbuster fights, the Pacman earned $30 million combined that greatly contributed for him to be listed by Forbes Magazine as the world’s six highest-paid athlete next to Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Kimi Raikkonen, and David Beckham.
Meanwhile, Cotto, when asked of his view of a probable giant clash with Pacquiao, said it would be the most defining moment in his career.
“(Pacquiao) would be the biggest fight and the biggest achievement of my career. Everything I have had in my career has been about challenges. Everything I have worked for has revolved around that and I have endeavored to reach certain achievements, and I have achieved,” Cotto told Primera Hora as posted on boxingscene.com.
The 28-year-old Cotto barely kept his WBO welterweight title with a spolit decision victory over 12 rounds against Joshua Clottey a week ago at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
In that bloody match, Cotto sustained a nasty cut on his left eye that required 21 stitches to close it up. As a result, the New York State Athletic Commission has suspended Cotto for three months to give him ample time to heal his wound.
Thus, if the Pacquiao-Cotto deal will be sealed, it will likely take place sometime in November.
Source: philstar.com
Friday, June 19, 2009
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