MANILA, Philippines - It will go the distance, predicted international boxing matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz who said the other day Manny Pacquiao may not be able to knock out Miguel Cotto and is likely to win on points in their 12-round bout in Las Vegas on Nov. 14.
Lewkowicz, who was in town to announce Marvin Sonsona’s fight against WBO superflyweight champion Jose (Carita) Lopez in Ontario on Sept. 4, said Cotto is no slouch and won’t be an easy opponent for Pacquiao.
“I’m not taking anything away from Cotto but I think Manny is too talented, too strong and too fast for him,” said Lewkowicz, nicknamed “Picasso” in boxing circles for his deft touch in matchmaking. “But Cotto will give Manny one of his hardest fights. Cotto is extremely motivated. Manny is motivated by fame while Cotto is motivated by money. Cotto is the type of fighter who will never back off. He will put a lot of pressure on Manny.”
What disturbed Lewkowicz is the news that Cotto may not put his WBO welterweight title on the line even if the agreed catchweight compromise of 145 pounds is within the division limit.
“Cotto should take the risk,” he said. “For Manny, this could be historic because if he wins the welterweight title, he’ll be the only fighter ever to win seven titles in seven divisions. That would give a lot of pride for the Philippines. But if Cotto is able to retain the title, imagine what that would mean to his reputation.”
Lewkowicz said size won’t be a factor in determining the outcome of the fight.
“Manny’s smaller than Cotto,” said Lewkowicz. “But he was smaller than Oscar (de la Hoya), too. I think Manny has unbelievable power. He’s very talented and very fast. In the old days, there were 240-pounders losing to 180-pounders. Rocky Marciano used to knock out guys who were much bigger than him. So I’m not surprised that Manny is beating bigger guys.”
Lewkowicz said what sets Pacquiao apart from the rest is his dedication in training.
“Some people don’t realize how much Pacquiao sacrifices in the gym, how hard he trains to prepare for a fight, to make sure he’s in the best condition to give a good performance,” said Lewkowicz. “Manny likes being the underdog but even if he’s the 2-1 favorite to beat Cotto, he has the mindset of an underdog because he’s smaller than Cotto just like he was an underdog against Oscar, (Erik) Morales and (Marco Antonio) Barrera.”
Lewkowicz said if Pacquiao beats Cotto and annexes the WBO title, he will make boxing history and establish his place among the greatest fighters ever.
“Manny feeds the Philippines with a lot of pride and recognition,” he added. “He’s great for his country and his people. Nobody can deny that right now, he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”
Lewkowicz said trainer Freddie Roach has played a major role in honing Pacquiao’s skills.
“It’s a perfect marriage between trainer and fighter,” said Lewkowicz. “Since Manny went to Freddie, he has changed a lot. Some people claim Manny was already a star when he went to Freddie but even if that’s true, Freddie made Manny more of a star. Freddie doesn’t just train fighters, he also develops a master plan for them to win. Look what he did to Amir Khan who’s now a world champion. I saw Khan before he was with Freddie and now with Freddie, he’s a world champion. What’s beautiful about Freddie is he and his fighters understand and trust each other.”
Lewkowicz said after Pacquiao disposes of Cotto, next in line should be Sugar Shane Mosley.
“If there’s anybody who can beat Manny, it’s Mosley,” he continued. “Mosley is a dangerous opponent. If Manny ever fights him, he’ll be taking on a real man.”
Source: philstar.com
i must say your really stupid remember cotto already beat mosley! nobody wants to give cotto credit be he will prove everybody wrong. what do you think would happen if pacquiao fought joshua clottey or antonio margarito? do you really think pacman has a chance against them?
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