I don’t see the problem with any of this. It’s pretty simple, really. Pacquiao wants Cotto’s title to be on the line because he has this thing about wanting to capture a 7th world title. I have no idea why, because the boxing public could pretty much care less about Pacquiao any of this kind of garbage. But it looks as if Pacquiao’s legion of loyal fans see it as feather in Pacquiao’s cap if he can capture a 7th title.
Cotto agreed to Pacquiao’s wishes to have the fight take place at a 145 pound catch weight, so that Pacquiao, the smaller fighter, could have a little handicap in then fight. But Cotto didn’t agree to put his WBO title on the line, which I totally agree with.
I mean, Cotto can’t give everything up if he’s already giving in by taking the smaller cut of the PPV revenue, coming in at a lower 145 pound catch weight. By having his WBO belt on the line at the lower weight, just seems wrong. If Pacquiao wants the title, let him put on a couple of pounds and take Cotto on at the regulation weight of 147 instead of trying to have things his own way.
There’s talk that the WBO might pressure Cotto to put the title on the line by threatening to strip him of his title unless he puts it on the line for the fight. The WBO already has said that they’re okay with the title being on the line at the lower 145 pound weight rather than 147. It’s very peculiar how the WBO would choose to bend their rules like this, but oh well, this is boxing for you.
However, Cotto is saying that he’ll vacate the WBO title if they try to force him to put it on the line for the fight. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, is unhappy with all this and thinks that the fight has little meaning unless the title is on the line. I doubt that he really believes this because it sounds like he’s just trying to placate the wishes of Pacquiao, knowing how much he wants to try and pick up this trinket so he can crow about it later.
It looks like Pacquiao is going to have to make a decision. Either he mans up and fights Cotto at the normal weight for the welterweight division at 147, or he fights the bout without the title being on the line. I have pretty good guess what Pacquiao will do. No way will he take the fight at 147, because I think Cotto will beat the stuffing out of him if the fight is held at the full weight.
Cotto is a proud warrior and he doesn’t care if he’s tripped of his title. He fights on principal and I have a massive amount of respect for this warrior. It’s Pacquiao and Roaches’ fault for agreeing to take the fight without wanting to fight at the normal weight limit to get the title. It’s like they want Cotto to have his title on the line with a handicap of Cotto fighting the bout on his knees with one hand tied behind his back so that Pacquiao will have a better chance in the fight. No one really cares about the title anyway except for the status hungry Pacquiao. He needs to get the chip off his shoulder and take the fight. If he wants title, okay, be a man and put on a couple of pounds and you’ll get your wish. Otherwise, forget about the title.
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