Freddie Roach sees Miguel Cotto as the biggest challenge in Manny Pacquiao’s illustrious career that he couldn’t help himself compare the reigning WBO welterweight champion to a famous fictional movie monster.
“We are about to fight King Kong," Roach exclaimed during the press conference for the Pacquiao-Cotto November 14 showdown in Cotto’s hometown of Caguas, Puerto Rico Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
“That’s how big he is. But we have a game plan, although it is going to be a hard fight," he added.
Pacquiao himself admitted during the event held at the Centro de Bellas Artes that the 28-year-old Cotto, a natural welterweight, will be his hardest fight to date. Perhaps even tougher than Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales, three of boxing’s most revered fighters who suffered defeats at the hands of the Filipino ring icon.
“There is going to be a lot of action in the ring," Pacquiao told the crowd. “Cotto is big and strong. He has the size, he’s very smart and he’s big."
One thing going for Pacquiao is the 145-pound catchweight, a weight class where the Puerto Rican last fought in 2006 yet.
Other than that, everything appears to favor Cotto, who, unlike Pacquiao, has already begun to train for the 12-round fight as early as last month.
“Cotto is strong and bigger, he is at his prime right now," Roach admitted. “He is a game guy and he likes to exchange, so we have to be very careful."
He said Cotto is a great puncher with a great left hook to the body that his ward should neutralize.
“He is solid and does everything consistently."
The Puerto Rico stopover is the second in the week-long, five city tour by the two boxing superstars to hype up their “Firepower" title fight two months from now at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The press tour began last Friday at the Yankee Stadium in New York.
Next on their agenda is a personal appearance in San Francisco on Sunday, a 10-hour flight from Caguas, where a similar gig will be held at the AT& T Park.
The following day it’s off to Los Angeles for the Pacquiao and Cotto entourage, where another press conference is set at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
The final destination is slated in San Diego at the Petco Park on Tuesday.
After all these, Pacquiao is penciled for his eight-week training camp beginning Sept. 21 in Baguio City.
Source: gmanews.tv
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