Manny Pacquiao will have the opportunity to win a world title in a fourth division in November when he fights his Top Rank promotions stablemate Miguel Cotto Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the fighters' promoter announced Monday.
Although contracts have yet to be signed -- and that detail resulted in a lengthy delay before Pacquiao's most recent fight with England's Ricky Hatton was finalized -- promoter Bob Arum announced that he's secured verbal agreements from his fighters to stage a WBO welterweight title bout at a catch weight of 145 pounds.
Arum said he expects the contracts to be signed by the end of the week. HBO pay-per-view will televise the bout.
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 knockouts) has beaten the likes of Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera and Hatton (with a devastating second-round knockout in May) during a 10-fight winning streak that has catapulted him to recognition as boxing's top pound-for-pound fighter.
Since March 2008, Pacquiao has defended a super-featherweight title, won a lightweight belt and claimed a junior-welterweight crown against Hatton.
Arum declined to divulge how the purse will be split, but Pacquiao will receive the definite majority.
Puerto Rico's Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) owns the WBO belt and defended it in June with a compelling split-decision victory over Joshua Clottey that came after Cotto suffered a bad cut over his eyebrow. Cotto's only loss is to Antonio Margarito, who had his boxing license suspended one fight later after being found with hardened inserts containing plaster in his gloves before a bout.
"I'm very excited about this because it's a good fight for boxing," Arum told The Times on Monday. "It wasn't difficult to do, because they both wanted the fight."
Arum said a press tour with the fighters will start Sept. 9 in Los Angeles.
The deal leaves Pomona's Shane Mosley again longing for a foe. Mosley, who beat Margarito by knockout in January, announced last week that he'd be willing to fight Pacquiao at 140 pounds.
"We always made it plain and clear that if there were any problems making this [Pacquiao-Cotto] fight, Shane would be next up," Arum said. "I would like Shane to fight the winner of this fight. He deserves it."
Mosley was traveling Monday and not immediately available for comment, his publicist said. Mosley's promoter, Richard Schaefer, was also not immediately available for comment.
The Pomona boxer will likely now decide whether to fight someone like Clottey or WBC welterweight champ Andre Berto, or wait for either the Pacquiao-Cotto winner or Floyd Mayweather Jr., who fights Marquez Sept. 19 in Las Vegas.
Source: latimes.com
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