Insider Notebook: Pacquiao-Cotto Fever, Floyd's Weight

Freddie Roach had just received the news Monday that Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto would be getting it on Nov. 14 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. By the sound of his voice during a telephone conversation, Roach was already rife with anticipation.

Roach - Pacquiao's legendary trainer - is partially responsible for the fighter Pacquiao is today. Eight years ago he took the vicious, yet wild-swinging and relatively unknown Filipino and helped turn him into a power-boxing superstar.

Pacquiao is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and a national hero - to put it mildly - in the Philippines. Don't mind Roach, then, if he gets a little charged up when he is about to embark on another journey with Pacquiao that figures to be filled with the ultimate in big-stage hype.

"I think it's a good fight and I'm glad we have something scheduled," Roach said. "The thing is we have the press tour that is going to start in September. The Puerto Ricans are great boxing fans and very knowledgeable.

"And the Filipinos, they are very proud of Manny. It makes for good excitement for the fight, and the fight is going to be in Vegas. Cotto won't have the Puerto Rican audience he would have in New York, but I think he will have a lot of people come out and support him for the fight."

Roach said he is looking forward to the beginning of the process of getting Pacquiao ready for yet another big challenge.

"Cotto is a strong guy," Roach said. "He beat Shane (Mosley). His last fight (against Joshua Clottey) was a close fight; I think he had the edge. We are looking for some weaknesses. I'll get all the tapes together this week and start doing my homework."

Arum: This One A No-Brainer

Staging Pacquiao-Cotto is Bob Arum, who promotes both fighters. He said it won't be difficult to get the public to buy into this fight. He didn't say it, but we're assuming he meant buy as in HBO pay-per-view.

"One guy is a powerful, strong welterweight," Arum said of Cotto. "And then the other is a bit less strong because he is not as big a man, but he makes up for it in speed.

"It is going to be a highly entertaining fight. Everybody knows that. You don't have to sell it that way."

Source: boxingscene.com