Can Pacquiao Hit Harder Than Margarito?

Freddy Roach gave a little insight into Manny Pacquiao’s (49-3, 37 KO’s) game plan for his super fight with Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KO’s), explaining that he wanted to keep Pacquiao moving in and out so he doesn’t take a lot of punishment from Cotto, but is that game plan going to beat Cotto and furthermore like many of Pacquiao’s fans are saying, will this game plan knock Cotto out.

Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO’s) who relies on his good footwork and movement around the ring, found that he couldn’t quite execute his game plan against Cotto , as Cotto made Mosley fight flat footed by switching to a counterpunching style against Mosley, now if Pacquiao’s game plan is to use a lot of foot movement he could find himself in trouble as Cotto has shown he can box against this style, saying that if Cotto does manage to throw Pacquiao of his game, does Pacquiao have the power and pressure to stop Cotto without getting hurt himself.
When Antonio Margarito (37-6, 27 KO’s) fought Cotto he took a lot of punishment from Cotto in the first half of the fight, and he was able to weather the storm, and in the second half Cotto appeared to tire allowing Margarito to apply pressure and beat Cotto, and although Margarito may have loaded his gloves in this fight you can’t deny that he took a lot of punishment from Cotto and had the staying power to finish the fight, you could say that Margarito laid out the blue print to beat Cotto.

But Pacquiao doesn’t fight like Margarito, and if he was to, I’m doubtful of the fight going in Pacquiao’s favour, his speed is his biggest asset in the ring but against Cotto he will need to throw a lot of power punches to throw Cotto off mentally and physically.

In Pacquiao’s last two fights he’s defiantly shown that going up in weight class has increase his punching power, which he demonstrated against De La Hoya, stunning him many times during their fight, I don’t even think De La Hoya had any idea that Pacquiao would be that strong, and I doubt Hatton thought that either when Pacquiao knocked him down twice and then finished him with a devastating left hand.

Pacquiao does have power in both his hands, but Cotto now knows this, and he seems to be taking the fight very seriously already opening training camp, he’s going to do everything he can from letting Pacquiao get those powerful shots off(as power as Margarito, probably not) bit still Pacquiao is a huge threat to Cotto and vice versa, but I’m not certain this fight will end in a KO, roach won’t send Pacquiao in guns blazing, he will want Pacquiao to protect himself from Cotto’s punches as he is the biggest threat to Pacquiao yet, he’s a strong welterweight and although he may have mental scare’s from the Margarito fight, Cotto’s not a shot boxer yet.

So although both fighters are big punchers I can see it being a strategic fight, as Pacquiao will be protecting himself and waiting for Cotto to slip up before he lands his shot, and I can see Pacquiao’s speed being a problem for Cotto who will have trouble finding Pacquiao around the ring. My prediction, I can see this being a long night for both fighters so I wouldn’t hold your breath for a knockout.

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