What Happens to Pacquiao If He Can’t Stop Cotto?

By Manuel Perez: Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2. 37 KO’s) better hope that he can stop Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KO’s) as early as possible in this fight, because once Cotto gets his train started, Pacquiao is going to be in for a world of hurt on November 14th at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. What we’re looking at here is a fighter that has had it easy in his last seven fights (with the exception of Pacquiao’s fight against Juan Manuel Marquez), defeating most of his opponents early on without having to take very much punishment in the process.

Pacquiao has been able to move up in weight recently and still win without getting hit all that much because of his selective match making. Oscar De La Hoya was a light middleweight at the time that Pacquiao fought him and was forced to melt down to 147 to take the fight.

In effect, De La Hoya was a weight drained, older light middleweight. Instead of facing De La Hoya, Pacquiao – if he wanted to prove himself – should have fought either James Kirkland, Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams or Alfredo Angulo instead of a shot De La Hoya. All of these fighters would have been a better test for Pacquiao if he was interested in fighting a light middleweight.

Let’s face it; those guys would have knocked Pacquiao cold if they had fought him even with a weight draining catch weight because they are all in their prime, whereas De La Hoya clearly wasn’t. The same applies to Hatton.

If Pacquiao wanted to fight a light welterweight, why didn’t he fight Timothy Bradley, Kendall Holt or Marcos Maidana instead? All of them were in their prime at the time that Pacquiao fought Hatton and I considered all of them as better fighters than Hatton at this point. For some reason, Pacquiao chose not to fight them. I wonder why?

Now, Pacquiao is going to be fighting Cotto instead of Shane Mosley, Paul Williams and Andre Berto. Although Cotto is still in his prime, there are questions about whether he’s the same fighter he once was after losing to Antonio Margarito by an 11th round TKO last year. Why didn’t Pacquiao fight Mosley, Berto or Williams if he wanted to fight a welterweight?

Cotto may or may not be the same fighter he once was, but I think Pacquiao is in for big trouble if he can’t get Cotto out of there as quickly as possible. Cotto hits much harder than any opponent that Pacquiao has fought before and doesn’t have to load up with his shots to hit really hard. Pacquiao is going to be in for a shock if he can’t score a quick knockout because for once, he won’t be the stronger fighter.

I think Hatton was stronger than Pacquiao but he messed up by getting taken out so quickly and didn’t get much of a chance to show his power in that fight. Cotto has a better chin than Hatton, and will be able to take Pacquiao’s shots early in the fight without folding up. I think Cotto is going to rip Pacquiao apart as the rounds go on after he realizes how much bigger and stronger he is compared to the little Filipino.

This is going to be fun to watch because it will show what would have likely happened had Pacquiao fought a fighter in his prime like Mosley, Williams, Berto, Kirkland, Maidana or Bradley instead of someone on the downside of their careers.

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Emanuel Steward Says he Can Help Cotto Knock Out Pacquiao – News

By Eric Thomas: Famous boxing trainer Emanuel Steward has made no secret about his desire to train World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto. Steward made it known that he would be open to training Cotto after hearing about Miguel falling out with his long time trainer. Steward said to Primera Hora, “If we can come to an agreement [about Miguel being trained by Steward], I do not have the slightest doubt that Miguel would knock out Pacquiao.”
Steward has a great reputation for getting quality fighters to the next level. He worked wonders with Wladimir Klitschko, as well as Lennox Lewis. Steward has a reputation for being especially good at training big heavyweights. It’s unclear what he can do with a short fighter like Cotto, who at 5′7″ is small for a welterweight.
“Up to now, nobody (someone from Cotto’s team) has communicated with me, but he I would love to be able to have the opportunity to work with Miguel.”
Steward currently trains IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, as well as middleweight prospect Andy Lee and cruiserweight contender Jonathan Banks. However, it looks as if Steward would like to add Cotto to that list. In the past, Steward has trained a number of excellent fighters such as Jermain Taylor, Tommy Hearns and Lennox Lewis, to name but a few.
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Manny Steward Says 'Miguel Cotto lo noqueará'

... Or, in English, “Miguel Cotto will knock him out.”
He’s referring, of course, to Manny Pacquiao, who Cotto is scheduled to fight on November 14. Steward, a Hall-of-Fame trainer who is best known for training Tommy Hearns and Lennox Lewis, is aggressively angling for the job of training Cotto for the Pacquiao fight. Yesterday, in an interview with the Puerto Rican daily Primera Hora, he stated flatly that if Cotto retains his services, there is no doubt in his mind that Cotto will knock Pacquiao out.
Of course, Steward wouldn’t be so publicly clamoring for the Cotto gig were it not for the fact that Cotto recently had an explosive split with his long-time trainer (and full-time uncle) Evangelista Cotto. Tensions that simmered between the two for years finally boiled over this past April, leading to a fistfight that started in a Puerto Rican gym and eventually made its way out to the parking lot, reputedly concluding with Evangelista hurling a cinder block through the windshield of his fighter-nephew’s Jaguar.
Since that incident, Cotto fired his uncle and promoted his nutritionist, Jose Santiago, to be his head trainer, a move that left many in the boxing world scratching their heads. Cotto is known to be very loyal to his circle, but how long can he expect to compete at the elite level without an elite trainer?
Manny Steward is about as elite as they get, and he clearly thinks the time is now for Cotto to step up to the A-list as far as his training goes. He told Primera Hora that he’s a big admirer of Cotto and that he believes there are many ways that he can improve the fighter. Should Cotto take him up on the offer, it definitely would raise the octane level of what is already shaping up to be the biggest and possibly best fight of the year. Not only would there be two superstar fighters in the ring, but each would have a superstar trainer in his corner. And just as Freddie Roach vs. Floyd Mayweather Sr. stole some headlines from the Pacquiao/Hatton fight, no doubt Freddie Roach vs. Manny Steward would become a major storyline for Pacquiao/Cotto
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Steward says he can teach Cotto how to KO Pacquiao

Why does it not surprise me that trainer Emanuel Steward, best known for training Thomas Hearns and former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, is trying to work his way into Miguel Cotto's corner for the Puerto Rican's upcoming fight with Manny Pacquiao?

In recent years, aside from his steady tutelage of yawner heavyweight Wladimir Klitschko, Steward has become more of a special guest trainer than a man who sticks with a fighter for several years.

So with Cotto looking to make somewhere between $12 to $15 million dollars on November 14th for squaring off with Pacquiao, Steward has publicly expressed his interest in working with Miguel for this fight and stated he could teach Cotto how to knockout Manny.

"If we reach an agreement, I have no doubt that Miguel would knockout Pacquiao," Steward told Carlos Gonzalez of PrimeraHora.

The opportunistic Steward also made it clear he had not been contacted by Cotto to work his corner for the bout, which is now being led by Joe Santiago.  Cotto dumped his longtime trainer and uncle Evangelista Cotto

Just another twist in the growing story leading up to Pacquiao - Cotto. before his bout with Joshua Clottey earlier this year and replaced him with Santiago.
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Can Cotto Win a Decision Against Pacquiao? – Boxing

By Manuel Perez: The more I think about this fight the more I realize that WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto has only one chance to win the bout and that’s by knockout. Let’s face it, Manny Pacquiao is much more popular than Cotto and like Oscar De La Hoya before him, will probably have the judges siding with him if the fight is close.
I think even if the fight is pretty much a landslide victory for Cotto, I still see Pacquiao getting the nod by the judges. The reason is because Pacquiao is the money fighter and boxing judges recognize that he’s bringing in the big cash to the sport, if not always the superior performance. The only way I can see Pacquiao losing by a decision is if Cotto knocks Pacquiao down at least three time to four times.
Knocking him down twice won’t get the job done, because I can still see the judges giving the fight to Pacquiao regardless of how dominating Cotto is, so it’s going to take at least three, possibly four knockdowns to do it. The knockdowns can’t come all in the same round because this will give the judges an excuse to score the other rounds to Pacquiao and give him the decision.
It’s sad that boxing is more of popularity contest than actual combat, but that’s the way it is unfortunately. When you have a fighter that is considered to be a big money maker like De La Hoya and Pacquiao, boxing becomes a lot like professional wrestling where it’s very hard to unseat the champion barring a knockout or an injury of some sort.
To beat Pacquiao by a decision and thus overcome the popularity factor with the judges, Cotto is going to have to rip Pacquiao to pieces and make him look like a pathetic fighter. Pacquiao will have to look like a wretched creature by the time the fight is over, covered with blood, cringing and sad looking before I believe that the judges will give Cotto a victory.
That’s not to say that the judges are corrupt, but it goes like that when you have a fighter that is more popular. Judges are human and they just naturally want to gravitate to the more popular fighter, ignoring the fact in a lot of cases that the more popular fighter just took a beating and lost the fight, case in point, Pacquiao’s fight with Juan Manuel Marquez last year in March.
Pacquiao was dominated by Marquez for the entire fight, with the exception of a knockdown that Pacquiao was able to score late in the bout. For many American boxing experts and fans alike, they saw Marquez easily winning the fight. The judges, though, scored it for Pacquiao, the more popular fighter.
It’s was bad for the sport that the judges and the many boxing experts didn’t agree on the decision, because it seemed like such a cut and dried case of a victory for Marquez. Yet, Pacquiao ended up winning the fight, which further shows how hard it is for someone to beat a popular fighter like Pacquiao.
I expect Cotto to win the fight, but I have my doubts that he’ll ever be able to win a decision with the judges, and that’s really sad. The good thing that comes of things like this is that a fighter like Pacquiao can only win a certain amount of gift decisions before the public tires of it and the judges finally wake up and get a clue. The judges will figure it out sooner or later that Pacquiao’s ability doesn’t match his popularity and won’t give him the benefit of the doubt when he gets dominated like he was against Marquez. My hope is that they do this sooner rather than later.
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Pacquiao Revamped

By Trevor Weis: Manny Pacquiao is dead. The brawling aggressor has changed, evolved; he’s not the Filipino slugger that caught our attention—he’s become the Living Legend that captures our hearts, our respect, and speaks to us on some inexplicable level; he’s become something else completely… He has sprinted full-speed ahead since his humbling loss to El Terrible in 2005, leading us boxing purists on a 10 fight, 4 year winning streak. One thing is certain: he is paying us back for our loyalty.
This new Pacquiao has speed, power, and technical soundness that have yet to be rivaled. The one-handed brawler with a big left has evolved into a thinking, tactical machine with shotgun power in either hand. It’s not often a Saint becomes a demon—but in that ring, he breathes fire.
Ricky Hatton was wondering how he ended up on his knees before he even realized he ate a sharp right hook. Mayweather picked Hatton apart in ten. Pacquiao ran a train over him in two. Mayweather won a debatable split decision over De la Hoya; Pacquiao pushed the Golden Boy into retirement inside eight brutal rounds. And one must admire Mayweather’s technical and defensive ability—he doesn’t make exciting fights, but he knows how to win. The undefeated technician left the ring with his mouth running. He returned on the morning of Pacquiao’s big fight to talk himself up as the returning king; without saying a word, Pacquiao let everyone know who wears the crown right in the center of the ring.
When Pacquiao steps into the ring against the Puerto Rican Bull, Miguel Cotto, he will be challenging a legitimate welterweight champion, a top-10 RING Magazine pound for pound fighter, and a naturally bigger man. Floyd Mayweather should be taking notes right about now…
All I read about is why Pacquiao isn’t fighting Mosley, whether it’s fear or “cherry-picking.” Maybe Pacquiao doesn’t want to hear about how old and weight-drained Mosley would be, or how Mosley was out-pointed by Cotto in a unanimous decision in 2007. In fighting Cotto, Pacquiao is trying to beat the man that beat the man; even though I can see no way to fault Pacquiao should he emerge victorious, I’m sure on Sunday, November 15th, the blogs will be riddled with “Cotto was damaged goods.”
Maybe we should praise Pacquiao for the feats he’s reached, the wars he’s waged, and the bigger boxers he’s bested. Everyone has weaknesses, even Manny. Just because Pacquiao and his three-time trainer of the year, Freddie Roach, can create and execute a near flawless game plan, that doesn’t make him a cherry-picker. It makes him dangerous.
The post De La Hoya era belongs to Manny Pacquiao, boxing’s biggest draw and most marketable star. Mayweather can contest the loss of his throne, but cannot rightfully reclaim it until the ruler of boxing has been unseated.
Instead of contesting his recent wins, dissecting the weaknesses of his defeated opponents, and criticizing him for demanding catch weights when challenging naturally larger and stronger opponents, all I have to say is this: how blessed we are to have a champion, a courageous warrior like Manny Pacquiao.
With humility, grace, and undeniable skill, Pacquiao is paving his own way in boxing history.
All hail our King.
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Roach: We don't need the fight if the title is not on the line

"If Pacquiao wants the fight to be for the title, it will have to be at 147 pounds". That was WBO welterweight titleholder Miguel Ángel Cotto’s vehement declaration when interviewed by Puerto Rican newspaper Primerahora last week. Cotto does not believe that a catch weight of 145 lbs. merit staking the title he valiantly defended against Joshua Clottey, all bloodied and bruised with a nasty gash practically the whole fight. That is his prerogative and no one can take that away from him. It may also be a concession tactic. Wisely using the title belt to boost his purse share completely mindful of how important the belt is to the whirlwind from the Philippines.

Meanwhile, there is no way in hell that Manny Pacquiao will budge and go north of 145 lbs. "We don't need the fight if the title is not on the line," so asserts Freddie Roach. A title win will give the Pac-Man a record breaking 7 titles in 7 weight classes. That will separate Manny from Oscar Dela Hoya and will move a few spots closer to Sugar Ray Robinson in the all-time greatest list. It is not ludicrous to assume that team Pacquiao will not make the date with Cotto if Cotto’s not bringing the trinket.

So what now? Top Rank’s Bob Arum is trying to work this out before the scheduled kick-off news conference on September 10 at Yankee Stadium. The only solution is to get Cotto to stake his belt. Arum, a member of the distinguished hall of fame, knew better going into the negotiations that there are historical implications if Cotto defends his title against Pacquiao yet played it down and instead declared that "nobody in the US cares about the belts". He was not mindful of Pacquiao’s legion of fans who clamored for the title supporting their idol’s quest for boxing immortality and a permanent place in the sweet science record books. Pacquiao is a definite shoo-in to the hall of fame and will most likely get every vote when his time comes. The chance to take this record-shattering recognition is arguably a step above it. This is unheard of and will take another generation to break, if that’s even possible.

So let’s work on a hypothetical. Let us say the November 14 fight is not yet signed while Cotto will stand by his pronouncement and Pacquiao eventually backs off their scrap. Who are Pacquiao’s alternatives? Who are the other title holders that can give Pacquiao a shot at the unbelievable 7 division titles?

WBA’s Sugar Shane Mosley

Financially, for Pacquiao, he is the closest to Cotto if they get the same alleged split of 65-35. For Arum, it will be far off having to share the promoter’s commission with Golden Boy.

Chances of breaking the record? Probably less than against Cotto if we base it on their last fight. Mosley convincingly punished Antonio Margarito. It can be argued that Margarito was not mentally in his game that night having been caught with elements of plaster of paris before the fight. Regardless, Sugar Shane made himself daunting to future opponents in that fight.

The pluses for Pacquiao. Barring a Richard Schaefer intervention, it will not be difficult to negotiate with Mosley who has been practically on his knees begging for a fight against the pound for pound king. To offset the potential financial setbacks when compared to arguably a more lucrative Cotto fight, Mosley might agree to a slightly modified share of the pie.

The catch weight will not be an issue either. Mosley already stated that he can go as low as 140, but of course we all know that is unreasonable. Pacquiao will not even accept having to put Mosley in such a predicament because it will also tarnish his title quest. A catch weight of 144 lbs. sounds equitable enough.

As for the trinket, it’s already a foregone conclusion that Mosley will put his belt on the line.

Among the alternative titlists, Mosley is the obvious leader and one with name recognition even to casual boxing fans.

WBC’s Andre Berto

By the time this article is published, it is possible that Berto and Mosley are off the fall and winter market. Golden Boy’s premiere negotiator and CEO, Richard Schaefer is scheduled to meet Lou DiBella in New York to work on a potential unification fight between the two 147-lb. champions.

If they finalize a deal, Cotto gets extra bargaining power on his stance. Pacquiao then has to significantly compromise just to include Cotto’s belt. Nevertheless, if Berto and Mosley do not happen, what can Berto offer to the king?

First of all, staking his green belt. Don Jose Sulaiman will be more than happy to have the WBC sanction another Pacquiao title fight. The return of the prodigal son will again be bringing considerable bounty to the coffers by the form of sanctioning fees.

Berto, even at 70-30 share will potentially get his career-high earnings. Coming out of nowhere to get a shot at Pacquiao and getting his first PPV appearance is an opportunity that is difficult to refuse. Agreeing on a catch weight will be the possible quandary in the negotiation. Berto never went below 145 lbs. in his pro career. He even went above middleweight in his pro fight and continued as a junior middleweight in at least a dozen fights.

Pacquiao’s chance against Berto is more than decent. Berto is quick and has power but he has problems against sharp shooting southpaws. He narrowly beat hard-luck Luis Collazo. It might be difficult to knock Berto down but Pacquiao can get a decision win against him.

IBF’s Isaac Hlatshwayo

Who the heck is Isaac what? Yeah, yeah. This South African titleholder is like the David Diaz of the lightweight division when Pacquiao knocked the Chicago native out last year. Hlatshwayo is the least popular champ in his weight class and the most beatable too.

If things do not really work out against Cotto, and Mosley and Berto agrees to fight then Hlatshwayo is Pacquiao’s only option to a seventh division title. This has a very diminutive chance of happening but deserves to be pointed out as Hlatshwayo still has a major sanctioning body title to brag.

Hlatshwayo last week just captured his IBF title against Delvin Rodriguez by a close split decision. If not for Rodriguez running out of gas in the second half of the fight, it would have been the Dominican getting a possible yet improbable shot to the Pacquiao sweepstakes.

So for the three major negotiating points - title, purse and catch weight. Hlatshwayo will definitely stake his title. Getting a 10% slice of the pie will still be by far his biggest earnings. Catch weight of 143 lbs will be trouble-free. His last appearance in the US, prior to last week’s fight, was against Kendall Holt at lightweight.

Pacquiao’s chances of winning? Close to a guarantee. Hlatshwayo does not have knockout power and will not be skilled and quick enough to catch Manny. Pacquiao has the potential to stop him early. Hlatshwayo’s upside is his stamina and a tough chin. If he can withstand Pacquiao’s left straight then going the distance is already a victory by itself against the pound for pound king.

Even at 90% purse share, the pound for pound king will not get his usual PPV earnings. To come close to getting decent PPV buys, this will need a strong undercard which is not really promising when reviewing Pacquiao fights of late.

By the way, to see Hlatshwayo in action, SNY will be re-airing the Hlatshwayo-Rodriguez fight but the schedule is yet to be reported.

Back to Cotto

With all three titleholders, especially Mosley and Berto, having a negotiable chance to win in this year’s last offering of the Pacquiao sweepstakes, Cotto better start softening his stance. He is jeopardizing his chance of earning the biggest payday of his life. Not mentioning the chance to beat the best fighter in the world today.

It is not just the pay, it is the opportunity to push him higher in the boxing elite ranks and potentially obtain another lucrative fight early next year against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. if he overcomes the odds against Pacquiao.

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Manny Pacquiao needs to clean his own house right now

I don’t need HBO’s unofficial judge Harold Lederman to tell me who is ahead in the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto preflight fight.

I give the first round to the Boricua Bomber and his legal adviser, Gabriel Penagaricano Jr., by a 10-8 margin due to knockdowns.

Seriously, while all the controversy has pumped up Pacquiao-Cotto big time even before tickets go on sale, it has been strictly “Amateur Night in Dixie” for Team Pacquiao.

For a millisecond, let’s put aside the endless brouhaha about whether Cotto will risk his WBO welterweight crown against Megamanny and talk about other issues.

They are:

1. NO SIGNED CONTRACT: Meaning that the so called verbal agreements about a 145 pound weight limitation and anything else are not worth the paper they are not printed on. Let’s make it clear that Cotto is in the driver’s seat as the Pacman camp has poorly played its strong hand. You cannot blame Penagaricano from squeezing both promoter Bob Arum and Team Pacquiao like a lemon. No signed contract means no signed contract meaning that only spoken words have been exchanged here.

2.PACMAN MUST DROP HIS TWO POUND CRUTCH: This may have been Cotto’s two-pronged ploy from the get go, milking Arum for more dough in the bout contract and a new promotional contract or extension of same and also getting around the 145 pound limit insisted upon by Coach Freddie Roach and the other members of Pacman’s team.
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Pacquiao Should Stop Dragging Boxers Down in Weight

By Liam Santiago: I am a big fan of Manny Pacquiao. But I wish he would stop demanding boxers come down from their natural weight. What gives Pacquiao the right to demand boxers lose extra weight than what they are comfortable losing. Of course, this gives Pacquiao a big advantage. His opponent is likely to be weak after pushing his body to extreme limits to make the weight limit. At this level, every pound makes a massive difference. As I say, I’m a huge fan of ‘Pac-Man’, but I wish he would fight at a weight limit, whether it’s lightweight, light welterweight or welterweight, I don’t care.
Just to be clear, this problem did not effect the Hatton fight. Pacquiao fought Hatton at light welterweight and shown his superior skills and talent by knocking Hatton out in the second round. This is what I want to see Pacquiao do, boxing at a weight limit. Weight limits are there for a reason. They prevent boxers getting seriously injured. When I heard Pacquiao was fighting Oscar De La Hoya, I instantly knew Oscar could not win. He simply could not make that weight limit and fight as he could at light middleweight. When a boxer fights in that condition he doesn’t stand a chance. Even at the weigh in, you only had to take one look at Oscar to decide who was going to be victorious the following day. He looked awful.
However, even though Miguel Cotto is going to have to shift an extra 2 pounds on November 14th this year, I am still predicting a Cotto knock out. Yes, them two pounds will play a part, but I think the Puerto Rican star can deal with it. If Cotto does not win it will be because he couldn’t deal with that drop in weight. Before the Oscar fight critics said Oscar would be too big, but, as I’ve said, the weight had the affect. Before the Hatton fight critics said Hatton would be too big and strong, but Hatton’s poor defense was embarrassingly exposed. Fighting Miguel Cotto, I imagine, will be somewhat different. Cotto should deal with the weight ok and he won’t have a weak defence ; plunging forward with his chin out to dry, like Hatton did. I know it has been said before, but I see power and size being the key factor. I predict Cotto to stop Pacquiao in round 9 or 10.
But, the big question is Can Cotto handle that extra two pound drop in weight. If it does bother him and he loses energy like Oscar did, Pacquiao will win and the referee will probably stop the fight. I don’t want to see Pacquiao’s legacy built on fights where his opponents were drained that badly they could only stand there and take Pacquiao’s shots. That’s no legacy. However, like I said I am a big fan of Pac-man. What he did against Diaz and Hatton was incredible. He has amazing power and speed and I believe he does deserve his pound for pound spot. The fight I really want to see Pacquiao in is not with Mayweather. Its Marquez 3.
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Face me at 147 for WBO title, Cotto tells Pacquiao

MANILA -- Miguel Cotto said that he would only agree to stake his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Manny Pacquiao if they agree to fight at 147 pounds.

In a report by MB.com.ph (Manila Bulletin), Cotto said that Pacquiao would have to fight as a true welterweight if he wants the 147-pound title.

“If Pacquiao wants that the fight be for the title, (it) will have to be in 147 pounds. I won the title in that, the welterweight (division) and that is 147 pounds,” the Puerto Rican champion said in the report.

Should the WBO insist on making the Pacquiao-Cotto match a title match at 145 pounds, the Puerto Rican said he will not hesitate to surrender the title.

“The OMB (WBO) has the legal authority to dismiss me as champion and gladly I deliver them the title. (WBO president) PacoValccel, better than nobody, knows that the 145 pounds is not a division,” said Cotto.

Pacquiao is pushing to make his November 14 date with Cotto a title fight in his bid to become a seven-division champion.

“Sa pamamagitan ng pag-sanction ng WBO sa laban namin, mangyayaring magkaroon ako ng tsansa na maging isang seven-division champion, na hindi pa nangyayari sa kasaysayan ng boxing,” the Filipino boxing icon said in his column “Kumbinasyon” posted on Philboxing.com.

Pacquiao, the reigning IBO junior welterweight champion, is a former WBC lightweight champion, WBC Super Featherweight champion, IBF Super Bantamweight champion and WBC Flyweight champion.

He also won lineal championships in four weight classes, one of which was counted as a title he won over Marco Antonio Barrera.
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Pacquiao Poll: What course should Manny take?

By popular demand, as the Pacquiao Worldwide Army is on air raid alert, a White Gorilla poll of you the paying customers.

What should Manny Pacquiao do now:

a) Forget about 145 pounds, agree to fight Miguel Cotto for WBO title with 147 limit

b) Fight the Puerto Rican, hold to 145 pound limit, and don’t worry about the belt

c) Tell Cotto to stick it where the Boricua sun don’t shine and fight Shane Mosley at aqreed to contract weight of 140 up to 143 or 144.

d) Demand that Bob Arum make Cotto risk the title and keep to 145 pounds as verbally agreed to.

Post your vote on the Comments section under this article as my email mailbox is limited in space.
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Pacquiao Wants Cotto Fined $1 Million Per Pound Over the Limit? – News

By Manuel Perez: Not only will Manny Pacquiao be getting the bigger cut of the revenue and having Miguel Cotto’s WBO title on the line at a catch weight of 145 instead of the normal welterweight limit of 147, but he also reportedly wants Cotto to be penalized a whopping $1 million per pound that the Puerto Rican fighter comes in over the 145 pound catch weight that Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach have set for Cotto for the November 14th bout at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to Nick Giongco from MB.com. Giongco reports that Pacquiao wants the “a penalty of $1 million per pound” that Cotto comes in over the 145 pound catch weight. (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/212734/pacquiao-wants-cotto-fined-excess-pounds).

Cotto, 28, could make as much as $10 million for the fight on the high end of the scale, Giongco writes, but with potentially hefty fines for every pound that Cotto comes in over the weight, he could in theory end up getting much less than that.

In contrast, Pacquiao is guaranteed to make a minimum of $12 million but will likely make much more than that by the time the ticket sales and Pay per view figures are final. But if Cotto ends up getting fined an absurd $1 million per pound over the limit, Pacquiao could make out like a fat rat while Cotto ends up going hungry.

I thought the business about Cotto having to put up his WBO welterweight title at 145 was a stinker, but this pretty much takes the whole cake. I hope this doesn’t take effect because that would be an enormous fine tilted in the favor of Pacquiao.

The Filipino already has everything else in his favor – weight, revenue split of 65-35, gloves, location and likely Cotto’s WBO title on the line – but this is going a bit too far. Cotto is the champion here, not Pacquiao. Who cares if Pacquiao has won titles in six different divisions in the past?

Pacquiao became popular recently when he defeated a shot and weight drained Oscar De La Hoya, and a war scarred Ricky Hatton. I tell you, if you put another fighter in the same position as Pacquiao, say Juan Manuel Marquez, he likely would have done the same thing that Pacquiao did and he would be the one getting the glory right now and not Pacquiao.

It’s all about Pacquiao fighting the right people at the right time. He already got boxed silly by Marquez twice previously and should have lost both fights in the minds of many boxing fans. Pacquiao hasn’t shown much interest in fighting Marquez a third time after winning a terribly controversial bout last year where Pacquiao defeated Marquez by a 12 round split decision.

So Pacquiao goes from that fight into bouts against three vulnerable fighters – David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton – and all of a sudden Pacquiao is vaulted into the status of a pound for pound number #1 fighter in the minds of some.

I put it to you. If you put Marquez in with the same three fighters that Pacquiao fought, he would have likely won each one of those fights and proved that what Pacquiao accomplished was no big deal. It’s like the mineral pyrite, which is what is also referred to as ‘fools gold.’

It has the same yellow luster as real gold to the naked eye, fooling people not knowledgeable about mining but to professional miner, they know the difference immediately and aren’t fooled one bit. Well, I’m the miner and I’m telling you I can see a lot of fool’s gold in what Pacquiao has recently accomplished with victories over De La Hoya and Hatton and it’s sad that he’s being thought of as the pound for pound number #1 fighter in boxing while a talent like Marquez goes ignored.

As for the $1 million dollar fine per pound, if it does exist, Cotto needs to put his foot down and tell Pacquiao and Roach what they can do with their penalty. While Cotto is at it, he should stick to his guns and not put his WBO title on the line unless Pacquiao agrees to have the fight take place at the normal welterweight limit of 147 instead of the handicapping weight of 145. If Pacquiao is afraid to fight at 147, so be it. Pacquiao can then go hunt down another alternative like David Diaz or one of Pacquiao’s other quality opponents.

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Cotto’s title on the line vs Pacquiao

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) removed one of Manny Pacquiao’s concerns when it announced Sunday that Miguel Cotto will defend his welterweight crown in a catch weight of 145 lbs — and not 147 lbs — against the Filipino boxing icon.
WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel told the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia that (the fight) it’s going to be for the (WBO) title” and that everything will come to a “happy ending” for both parties.
Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal said he had spoken with Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum also yesterday, assuring him that the fight will be at 145 lbs and that Cotto’s WBO throne will be on the line in the super showdown penciled at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Cotto had insisted a few days back that if Pacquiao wants to go after the WBO crown, the fight will have to be at 147 lbs.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said fighting Cotto in a non-title bout is almost without value.
Now that it appears that a major stumbling block has been cleared, next up for discussion would be the crucial choice of finding a new training camp for Pacquiao, who has been advised by the Harvard-educated lawyer to set up the first half of his training camp outside US territory owing to an IRS regulation called the Substantial Presence Test.
Arum, whose promotional outfit Top Rank is staging the megabuck fight, will embark on a huge promotional tour of four cities in September, kicking off with the lead event at Yankee Stadium in New York on Sept. 10.
The next stops will be in Cotto’s hometown of Caguas in Puerto Rico on Sept. 12, AT&T Park in San Francisco on Sept. 13 and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles on Sept. 14.
Then, the two will head to their respective training camps with Cotto going to Tampa, Florida, and Pacquiao in the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico or the Philippines.
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Cotto: Pacman in for a surprise

MANILA, Philippines - Title or no title, 147 or 145 pounds, Miguel Cotto has vowed to give Manny Pacquiao a hell of a time when they clash on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Speaking to fighthype.com, the 27-year-old Puerto Rican said there’s a very big difference between him and Oscar dela Hoya and Ricky Hatton who both fell way short of expectations when they fought Pacquiao.
Dela Hoya, the golden boy, was exposed as an aging fighter and was pounded to submission by Pacquiao last December while Hatton lasted no more than two rounds and there are so many calls for him to retire.
Cotto, the reigning WBO welterweight champion, directed his shots at Pacquiao’s long-time trainer, Freddie Roach.
“Hey Roach, I have some news, I am not Oscar dela Hoya at the end of his career. I am not the overrated Ricky Hatton,” Cotto told fighthype.com the other day.
“Roach knows what Pacquiao will be facing on Nov. 14. It will be war,” added Cotto who stands to lose his crown if he decides to keep his $150,000 instead of paying the WBO the sanction fees.
Cotto will reportedly earn no less than $6 million for the Pacquiao fight, the biggest ever paycheck for the Puerto Rican, and said the only way he’d stake his crown is if the Filipino icon goes up to 147 lb.
Either way, he’s bound to lose his title because Roach said there’s no way Cotto could beat Pacquiao.
“We will expose him,” said Roach of Cotto who may be younger and bigger but is definitely the slower fighter. This early, Pacquiao has been installed a 2-1 favorite.
“We’re not gonna stand in front of this guy and trade with him. Manny’s a much smarter fighter now,” said Roach, who shouldn’t lose sleep whether or not Cotto puts the title at stake.
Roach knows the consequences.
“If Cotto gives it up I think the WBO will make Manny the number one. We’ll pay the sanction fee and the title will be on the line. That’s what I think will happen,” he told boxingscene.com.
“I haven’t spoken to Manny about it but if it was me I would ask for the title to be on the line. I think regardless of what Cotto says, the title will be on the line. I want it for Manny’s legacy. Manny won titles at 112, 122, 126, 130, 135 and 140. I want to see him become the first fighter to win seven world titles in seven weight divisions,” said Roach.
While there’s been a verbal agreement between the two camps, the fight contract has yet to be signed.
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Pacquiao and His Critics!

 By George Guello: Let me start off by saying that the numerous articles that have been posted on the internet this past few weeks about Manny Pacquiao never ceases to amaze me. It is pretty evident that this little guy from the archipelago of the Philippines had crossed over to mainstream boxing. I would say that it is a gauge on how popular the aforementioned has become and many would concur with me. But with the glamour and success comes an opportunity for critics to lambast and do what they are trained to do, find a hole on the P4P champ’s fortified wall.
What Pacquiao has accomplished so far in his illustrious boxing career is by no means a walk in the park. The guy had fought more than fifty times and only lost three. Yes he was knocked-out twice but that was more than a decade ago and a lot of improvements were made since. One quality of a great fighter is to learn from his losses and transform his weaknesses, which resulted to those defeats, to strengths.

No question Pacquiao has it and he showed it again when he lost to the great Erik Morales in 2005 and went to strike back by annihilating the latter twice in 2006. Since that lost 4 years ago, the phenom called Pacman went on a roll winning 10 straight bouts knocking out 7. Oscar Dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez top the list of Pacman’s victims. Pretty impressive victories over Future Hall of Famers but such feat is not good enough for other people.

I don’t have a problem with critics, it’s definitely normal to have one especially if you’re at the top. But there is a line between criticizing someone objectively and just simply hating. As of this time I’ve read around ten articles written by a couple of boxing scribes the last 5 days criticizing or should I say degrading Manny about his upcoming fight against Miguel Cotto and his accomplishments.

Most of their points don’t hold water. My God, it only shows that the champ is at the top of the boxing world because if you are being hated on it only means that you are being envied by those people. One of the writers I’m referring to, whose initials is the same with the champ, does nothing but to write about Pacquiao twice a day.

He must be having some success in attracting views and hits from the fans that one his colleagues followed suit and started his own bombardment by saying that the only way Manny wins his upcoming fight against Cotto is if the latter feels any effect of the 2 extra pounds that he has to shed. Is Manny that bad? To answer my own question it is a resounding no!

This same writer must be in wonderland like when Hatton got knocked-out by Manny by stating that he agreed with the Brit’s recent statement that he was winning the 2nd round by a mile before he got floored that ended the fight. And the most recent issue that was addressed was the weight limit and whether Cotto should stake his WBO crown on the line.

145 pounds is not as bad considering the fact that the last time Pacquiao weighed against Hatton he was only 138lbs and Cotto tipped the scales at 146 lbs in his last bout, just a pound over the agreed weight. Now who do you think will exert more effort between the two at the proposed weight? For me it’s Pacquiao since he has more grounds to cover.

For your information, 147 lbs is not the welterweight weight rather it is the maximum weight. There’s a big difference between the two. Having said that, the WBO diadem that Cotto currently holds should be on the line since 145 lbs is well within the division’s weight range of 141-147.

Lastly, everyone should realize that even before Manny stepped on the ring with Oscar Dela Hoya and Ricky Hatton, he was already considered as the P4P champ and his legacy as a great fighter was already secured by being one of the very few fighters to win 5 championship belts in 5 divisions.

To these guys, there are other boxers to write about. It’s like getting up every morning with the same set of breakfast. It’s always Manny, Manny and more Manny and the fans just keep falling for it. The more you insult Manny the more he’ll prove you wrong. Well what could you do? It is what it is!

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Fire Up The Grill and Simmer Until Ready

By Mike Burnell: First and foremost this is a fight fans fight. It’s a fight that stimulates our primitive hunger for violence. This may not be the huge fillet mignon that hardcore fight fans crave but it is a juicy rib eye. Anyone who has grilled a day in their life knows that it is almost impossible to grill a ribeye that doesn’t satisfy. This fight will leave us full and anticipating the next meal.

This fight is a case of two fighters going in opposite directions. Both fighters have legions of absolute die hard fans but unfortunately only one side will celebrate the result. Fans of both fighters will be able to hold their heads high at the end of the bout however fans of the Filipino phenom will be salivating like a starving dog in Pavlov’s kennel for the Super fight we all know is on the horizon.
It is certainly a telling sign when Pac, who calls the shots, opts for dangerous Cotto at 145 (only two pounds under the welter limit) instead of a ‘weight drained’ Shane Mosley at 140 who hasn’t been close to that weight in nearly a decade. On the surface it appears to be a much more comfortable weight for the smaller framed overachiever to take on Shane but he opted against it despite the decided advantage. What does he see?
Miguel Cotto has a very impressive record of 34-1 (27). His sole loss to Antonio Margarito is shrouded in doubt as Margarito was discovered with loaded gloves v Mosley. Cotto apologists will give him a pass as it is possible Margo had loaded gloves that night too. Truth be told loaded gloves don’t help a mans beard and Cotto couldn’t substantially hurt him. The freshly tattooed Cotto’s victory over Michael Jennings was meaningless to knowledgeable boxing fans but a great blind antiseptic him and his fans.
Most recently Cotto engaged in a life or death struggle against much avoided Josh Clottey. Enduring a huge wound over his left eye in the early rounds he managed a disputed decision in front of a pro-Cotto crowd. Most objective fans wouldn’t have a problem had the decision gone the other way. Cotto is a very tired 28 years old with wars against Zab Judah, and Shane Mosley while being rattled by Chop Chop Corley and others along the way. The Cotto we saw v Clottey will bring impressive credentials into the ring and he will likely be carried out v Pac.
Manny Pacqiuao is 30 years old and is deservedly recognized as the mythical pound for pound champion of the world. He recently annihilated larger Hatton who had lost only once (to Floyd Mayweather Jr) and dethroned the legendary Kostya Tszyu. Freddy Roach helped Pac turn the corner from being a one armed bomber with good intentions to a two-fisted southpaw killer.
Mayweather will be successful as expected v smaller Marquez via 7th round TKO and Pac defeats legit Welter Cotto at 145 with an accumulation of punishment however the official result will be TKO on cuts. It will set up the mouth watering fight of the decade. The money will be far too large to prevent the fight (they will argue percentages but the fight will happen) for recognition of the best fighter of their era and the largest non-Heavyweight purse in history.
This is not an interesting match between unproven prospects, it is the biggest bout that can be made with todays two biggest stars. It is reminiscent of the first Ali-Frazier bout where both had legitimate claims to the same championship. They chose to settle it in the ring and the rest is history.
While we may hunger for fillet lets enjoy the rib eye that we are being offered. Regardless of the result the grill is hot and ready for the main course…
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Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao: It’s Not All Good - Boxing News

So I'm a contrarian. Sue me.While nearly all my colleagues have celebrated that Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao will get together in a ring on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, I'm a little bit less than giddy.Don't get me wrong, the fact Bob Arum has created a scenario in which the reigning WBO welterweight champion and the incumbent IBO junior welterweight title-holder will meet ensures boxing’s status as a SportsCenter lead item come fight week.The best at 147 pounds is fighting the best at 140.That without question is a good thing.Arum scheduled a September publicity tour for the HBO PPV extravaganza, which will be billed as "Fire Power." A Sept. 10 event at Yankee Stadium is planned, as are stops in Puerto Rico, San Francisco and Beverly Hills.Neither an agreed-to weight nor a championship belt on the line have been confirmed – thanks in part to recent reports that Cotto is hesitant to risk his crown at less than 147 pounds – though it’s widely assumed the two will compete for Cotto's title at a contracted weight of 145.Assuming those assumptions are correct and the fight indeed comes off with a championship on the line at something less than 147, my initial reaction of frustration will stand firm.The fight's a good idea.Just not nearly as good as it should have been.But before the e-mails begin, I’m not arguing Pacquiao is the biggest thing in the sport today.And I know writers, promoters, analysts and fans have been climbing over each other to be most profound in describing him as a throwback, and comparing his recent run of dominance to the one established as benchmark by Henry Armstrong in the 30s and 40s.Problem is, no matter how many times it's insisted by the cognoscenti, it's still wrong.Only a fool would deny Manny's status as a great fighter. I certainly will not.Even if nothing had preceded it at lower weights, his climb to elite status at 130 pounds with a win over Juan Manuel Marquez – albeit a close and controversial one – was evidence enough to prove pound-for-pound prowess to me. He’s great. No question.But before too many more mentions are made of Armstrong, take a closer look.First, remember that Pac's post-Marquez climb to the championship rung at 135 pounds was not made against an incumbent three-belt champion, but with a lesser-regarded and more favorable stylistic match in David Diaz – then the WBC claimant – as punching bag of choice.True, his surprisingly brutal shellacking of Oscar De La Hoya six months later was impressive and rightfully earned Manny kudos. I chose De La Hoya by KO going in and never would have dreamed an upset in any form would have approached the level of domination Pacquiao displayed.Still, the Golden Boy's seemingly imprudent weight loss casts at least something of a shadow, and a clearer and usually unmentioned reality is that Oscar’s seven-year absence from the welterweight division hardly makes any conqueror – even a streaking Pacquiao – an automatic Armstrong-like claimant to the throne.If De La Hoya had lost to Steve Forbes at 147, for example, no one would have claimed the former lighter-weight champion was a new terror in the division.But because Manny is the “it” guy in the sport, anything he touches – even a guy whose last victim at 147 was Arturo Gatti in 2001, when Pacquiao was months short of a championship at super bantamweight – suddenly turns to gold.Meanwhile, in 2009, no plausible denial applies to Pacquiao's recent punch-out of Ricky Hatton at 140, where he clearly defeated the most-visible foe a division had to offer and established himself as its new top man.But even with that dramatic one-punch highlight, a subsequent rise of just a few pounds to meet Cotto at a stand-in weight between two divisions opens a similar can of doubting worms as the match with a shrunken Oscar.History shows "Homicide Hank" left no such lingering reservations.And to me, it’s all pretty simple.If Manny wants to weigh just 143 pounds while attempting to defeat a naturally larger Puerto Rican-born foe, so be it.And if Cotto freely chooses to slim down to less than the welterweight max while combating an obviously talented and dynamic Filipino, that's fine, too.But changing the rules to conveniently orchestrate a big title event is simply wrong, and takes away any shreds of legitimacy existent when comparing Pacquiao's laudable achievements to Armstrong's legendary ones.And while I understand his status as reigning big-fight cash cow gives Manny the leverage needed to set the business terms, it'd be nice to hear purists go the same lengths to raise red flags over cheap replicas of "welterweight title" bouts as they did while breathlessly likening him to multi-division trailblazers of decades past.As for the fight itself, it's a bad mix for Cotto no matter where it occurs on the scale.I like Pacquiao in 10.Coming out of this weekend, Nate Campbell’s got issues.No question, the injuries he sustained in round three against Timothy Bradley Saturday night were the result of a butt – not a punch.And under normal circumstances, a referee would have stopped the bout, correctly determined the cause of the cut and declared the bout a no-contest because it hadn’t gone four rounds.However, one major factor may be playing against the “Galaxxy Warrior” here.Regardless of David Mendoza’s mistaken assertion that blood on Campbell’s left eye came from a punch, chances are that his error would have eventually been corrected by officials that night or via subsequent protest by Campbell’s team with the state commission.Problem is, Mendoza didn’t stop the fight. Campbell did.Let’s be clear, I’m not one of the chest-thumping tough guys criticizing Campbell for “quitting.” His peril was the result of serious injury. And given the fact that his vision was compromised and he had a world-class opponent on the other side of the ring ready to inflict more damage, his decision makes healthy sense both for the present and the future.Notwithstanding any basement-residing message-board thugs in the audience.Bottom line, had Mendoza halted the fight because of the cut and awarded Bradley a TKO, Nate would have had ample evidence on his side in the form of video replay showing the clash of heads. A rematch, then, would have made perfect sense.But by retiring in the corner and taking the fight’s conclusion out of Mendoza’s hands, Campbell may have blocked off his own avenue toward getting justice – and another big-money title try with Bradley or anyone else – after the fact. His own version of an inadvertent whistle, if you will.This week’s title-fight schedule:
No title fights scheduled.Last week’s picks: 1-2 Overall picks record: 23-8 (74.2 percent)
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Manny Pacquiao: To make history, just be like Floyd

As of two weeks ago, this fight was a lock. Fast forward to today, August 3rd, 2009, and there are more questions surrounding this issue than those facing the rising odds of a healthcare reform in the U.S.
Among the biggest obstacles is still the question of the WBO strap being on the line. One major issue seems simple to overcome, but the way that issue is resolved will impact all other details involved.
If the strap is on the line regardless, who's to say that Cotto has to follow through with Team Pacquiao's request to enter the ring at 145lbs?
If Cotto stunts the whole fight by showing up at the welterweight limit (147lbs) for the weigh in, and subsequently enters the ring at a near 160lbs like he has in the past, will Pacquiao go through with the fight under those terms?
He would have to if his pledge to become 7-time world champion in 7 different weight divisions can be realized, but would it be worth the disadvantage?
I said a week ago that I felt Arum had announced this fight to the world before it was signed for a reason, and we now find out why. He was under the impression that this move, along with the media buzz around the globe would force the fighters to conform and sign, but he's now learning these guys are not only fighters in the ring. They also fight outside of it, to make their position inside of it a bit easier to handle.
This is just another example of what continues to plague our sport.
You have a sanctioning organization that is more concerned about getting paid than it is about anything else. For those Pacquiao fans who think the WBO has their back, think again. This is about money.
The WBO only wants to get paid their $150K. If both fighters agree to terms, they will make more, but if all else fails, they want atleast that amount, which they would get, even if Cotto abandons the strap and allows Team Pacquiao to pay the cost to earn it.
These type of politics continue to hurt what some refer to as a dying sport.
In the midst of it all, you have Pacquiao, eager to fight anyone, yet his promoter has only given him one option for reasons that only benefit him (Arum).
You have Miguel Cotto who's eager to face anyone as well, but not willing to do it in a fashion that calls for him to concede to a smaller purse, a lower weight, and with the title on the line as well.
This fiasco continues to get wilder by the day, and there's no end in sight.
At the end of the day, this fight negotiation all comes down to two things.
How much Pacquiao wants a shot at breaking history, and how much he plans to give up for that shot? Arum (who has his own agenda) is not gonna back out and substitute Cotto with Mosley, which means that there has to be more give and take from Team Pacquiao.
If they want the title on the line, the weight limit will inevitably need to go up. If they don't agree to it, Cotto has no pressure to meet their 145lb limit, and many expect him to train for a regular 147lb fight and weigh in at that weight, which won't matter because the bout won't be sanctioned as a defense of his title anyhow.
Cotto has not agreed to enter no heavier than 145lbs, and you can firmly believe that he won't.
So Cotto's position (whether we agree or not) is to stand pat. Neither Arum or Pacquiao can make him do anything else.
My resolution....Let Cotto get his extra two pounds. Oscar De la Hoya had an extra four pounds on Mayweather, but it didn't stop the smaller man from being more effective.
Floyd gave Oscar the higher weight and totally destroyed him with speed and defense. Oscar threw 106 more punches, yet Floyd landed 85 more. Pure execution.
Pacquiao has that same ability, and in this case for history, sense Arum won't swap to a Mosley fight for personal reasons, Team Pacquiao may have to adopt that same philosphy.
If they can't, this fight for history will in fact be history.
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Roach: Pacquiao-Cotto gig will be a title fight

Miguel Cotto wouldn’t want to stake his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight (147-lbs) belt against Manny Pacquiao in their November 14 showdown in Las Vegas.

But Pacquaio’s trainer Freddie Roach expressed belief the Cotto’s strap would eventually be placed on the line in the fight set at a catchweight of 145-lbs – whether the Puerto Rican fighter likes it or not.

Miguel Cotto wouldn’t want to stake his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight (147-lbs) belt against Manny Pacquiao in their November 14 showdown in Las Vegas.

But Pacquaio’s trainer Freddie Roach expressed belief the Cotto’s strap would eventually be placed on the line in the fight set at a catchweight of 145-lbs – whether the Puerto Rican fighter likes it or not.
 

Pacquiao, realizing the opportunity to win an unprecedented world title in seven divisions, had instructed his lawyer, Jeng Gacal, to coordinate with Valcarcel and promoter Bob Arum to make the necessary arrangements, including payment of the $150,000 sanction fee.

“I haven't spoken to Manny (about it) but if it was me, I would ask for the title to be on the line. I think regardless of what Cotto says, the title will be on the line," Roach said in the BoxingScene interview.

“I want it for Manny's legacy. Manny won titles at 112, 122, 126, 130, 135, and 140. I want to see him become the first fighter to win seven world titles in seven weight divisions," he added.

Pacquiao, the current International Boxing Organization and Ring Magazine light-welterweight champion, had previously owned titles at flyweight (World Boxing Council), super-bantamweight (International Boxing Federation), featherweight (Ring Magazine), super-featherweight (WBC), and lightweight (WBC). – GMANews.TV 



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Cotto-Pacquiao – How Many Advantages Does Pac-Man Want?

By Liam Santiago: I was utterly disgusted to hear the happenings between WBO welterweight champion, Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao and the WBO this week. Miguel Cotto seems to be being treated like trash. Even though Pacquiao demanded that the fight not be at the usual 147 pound limit, but at 145 instead, he still wants to fight for Cotto’s WBO welterweight title.
That two pounds that Cotto will have to drain could have a big affect. Please don’t tell me two pounds makes no difference; it does. So, if he wants to fight for the welterweight title, why doesn’t he fight in the proper welterweight limits?

Pacquiao demanded that the bout be at 145 rather than 147 before the fight was confirmed. But what he did not mention was that he wanted the title on the line. Does he want the vacant heavyweight title on the line too? He’s not fighting at heavyweight but, hey, it’s Pacquiao and he want’s a 7th belt. Does he want the vacant straw weight belt on the line? Neither are straw weights but I am sure if Pacquiao asked someone nicely they would sanction the idea. Roach and Pacquiao want Cotto’s title as it will be his 7th in as many divisions, even if he is refusing to meet the weight limits for that division. Cotto just seems to be bombarded with disadvantage after disadvantage. Here’s an idea, lets let Pacquiao have a four round head start ; because he wants that 7th belt. And, while where at it, lets give Pacquiao an unfair advantage by adding substance to his wraps like Margarito did to beat Cotto.

The WBO have stated that Cotto must put this title on the line against Pac-Man. So, instantly the Puerto Rican icon said he would vacate the belt as he was utterly disgusted with the rules and the advantages on the Filipino’s behalf. The WBO went on to state that even if he was to vacate, the belt would be on the line as vacant anyway.

However, this is not the first time Pacquiao has used catch weights or other unfair rulings to win bouts. He also set a catch weight to drain Mexican legend, Oscar De La Hoya. Oscar came into the fight without an ounce of energy and he could simply only stand there and absorb Pac-Man’s shots. If the De La Hoya we used to know met Pacquiao I could see him knocking the Filipino out early on, which has happened in the past, in fact, Pacquiao has lost on three occasions and drawn twice.

After De La Hoya, Hatton was next. Now, firstly, we can’t take a thing from this result. Hatton lost as he was unprepared and destroyed mentally by poet/trainer, Floyd Mayweather Snr. As I have said in the past Ricky might as well have had Barry Chuckle in his corner and used his brother Paul as a sparring partner. That wasn’t Hatton that turned up in Vegas, he was way past his peak and if Pacquiao had the decency or the bravery to have it again, I see Hatton winning easy. And, unfortunately, Cotto looks to be next on the draining board.

However, even if Cotto is dead a the weight, I still don’t give Pacquiao a chance. The Puerto Rican star is an amazing boxer with talent that is out of this world. He will bully Pacquiao and to be honest, I fear for the little Filipino. If the fight goes the distance, however, the judges are likely to be favoring Pacquiao. So, if he does somehow manage a win ; it means nothing. It will be as a result of bullying negotiations and weight limits. As a final word I would like to say a big good luck to the Puerto Rican legend and, once again, predict his knock-out victory, even though he is fighting on a string of disadvantages.

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