Roach Prediction : We will knock this guy out!

Well, it looks like old Nostradamus Freddie Roach is back to his predictions again, this time he’s saying that Manny Pacquiao will knock World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto out on November 14th. In an article by Dennis Principe at Sports. Inquirer, Roach had this to say: “I picked him [Pacquiao] to win by decision, but until I started working him to this camp, the way he’s punching, his speed, we will knock this guy [Cotto] out.”

I really love the way Roach includes his name with the “we” part, as if he’ll be out there tagging Cotto as well. That’s funny. It won’t be any ‘we’ on November 14th. Pacquiao is going to be out there all by his lonesome facing Cotto and he’s going to have major problems. But I knew Roach was going to come back with a knockout prediction sooner or later. I was in disbelief when Roach started talking nice recently when he said that Cotto is a dangerous fighter and that the fight would go to a decision.
It almost seemed like Roach was trying to talk up the fight because almost no boxing fans were giving Cotto much of any chance against Pacquiao. Nothing has changed much since then, and here Roach is changing his tune by predicting a knockout win for Pacquiao. I’m wondering what Roach will say next. Maybe predict a 1st or 2nd round knockout, I guess.

He’s going to have to come up with something shocking to top his latest knockout prediction. All I can think of is he’ll say something like, “Manny is not only going to win, he’s going to flatten Cotto in the 1st round. How do you like them apples?” The media will eat it up like candy, of course. But there won’t be a knockout from Pacquiao’s side. There will be a knockout, but it will be Pacquiao who ends up getting taken out and Roach is going to end up with pie his face for his wrong prediction. I’m really looking forward to this so I can gloat and say I told you so.

I hear Pacquiao had some problems against his sparring partner Shawn Porter (10-0, 8 KO’s) in Pacquiao’s first day of sparring. I can’t say I’m surprised. Porter, a light middleweight, is fast and powerful and would probably wipe the deck with Pacquiao if the sparring went beyond three rounds. Porter’s the real deal. I don’t know that he’ll end up a champion in the light middleweight division because he’s only 5’7”, on the short side for a light middleweight, but he’s tough fighter.

I could see him beating Pacquiao up. I wonder how long he’ll last in the camp? If Roach lets him spar too much with Pacquiao, there probably won’t be enough left for Cotto to fight by November 14th. Look for Roach to start substituting the smaller, slower and weaker sparring partners, like Urbano Antillon, real quick rather than letting Porter beat up Pacquiao every day during training camp.

Roach: “Basically, we’re going to have a fast start and we’re not going to give [Cotto] any momentum.” It looks as if Roach is struck on the record of Pacquiao’s last fight against Ricky Hatton, and thinks Pacquiao can have the same kind of success if Manny bum rushes Cotto from the start of the fight. Sorry, that kind of approach won’t work against a talented fighter like Cotto.

It might work against a slower fighter such as Hatton, but not Cotto. If Pacquiao tries that approach, he’ll walk into a big right hand and get planted on the canvas on his backside. I really hope Pacquiao does try that aggressive style on Cotto, because Pacquiao will quickly find out that he doesn’t have the size or the power to be successful using that against a quality fighter like Cotto. That approach works against shot fighters and less talented ones, but it won’t work against Cotto.

Source

Pacquiao-Cotto Fight : Firepower Promo from HBO

24/7 HBO series Miguel Cotto vs Manny Pacquiao begins on October 24 on HBO.



Enjoy watching.

Pacquiao is ready for heavier Cotto

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - Boxing coach Freddie Roach believes Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto would "do a Floyd Mayweather" and said he has prepared Manny Pacquiao for that.

"I'm prepared for that possibility," Roach said about Cotto, the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion, going two pounds heavier than the required catch weight of 145 pounds when he fights Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 14.

Mayweather Jr. weighed 146 pounds, instead of the agreed catch weight of 144 pounds, when he pummeled Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez last Saturday.

Roach said that in the contract they had with Cotto, the Puerto Rican would not be heavily penalized financially if he went beyond the catch weight.

Boxing analyst Frank Lotierzo, writing for sweetscience.com, said "emulating Mayweather" is the Puerto Rican's only realistic chance of beating Pacquiao.

Lotierzo said Pacquiao could easily handle fighting boxers above his normal weight.

"The truth is Pacquiao has handled the move up in weight much better than Marquez. In fact, Manny is one of the few fighters who's carried his big punch into the higher divisions he's fought," Lotierzo said.

Mayweather paid Marquez $600,000 for weighing two pounds over the catch weight.

"But that's no problem," Roach said. "I'm not worried."

"One or two pounds heavier, we are not worried. We have the best fighter here," he said.

Roach did not even remind reporters gathered at the Shape Up Boxing Gym at Cooyeesan Mall here that the last time Pacquiao fought, his opponent (Ricky Hatton) was also two pounds heavier than Pacquiao during their weigh-in last May.

Hatton weighed in at 140 pounds, the catch weight for the light-welterweight division, while Pacquiao weighed 138 pounds. Pacquiao demolished Hatton in only two rounds.

At this early stage, Pacquiao weighed in at 151 pounds. Roach said that the way Pacquiao is training now, it would be an easy time for him to get to the proper weight.

Source : Inquirer.net

Pacquiao versus Cotto Fight Predictions by Joe Santiago

Miguel Cotto's trainer Joe Santiago is under the impression that Manny Pacquiao is a blown-up featherweight. He says the streak of Pacquiao has been impressive so far, but everything will come to an end when Pacquiao steps in the ring with Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas. He says Cotto's strength is going to be one the key factors in their victory.

"Manny Pacquiao is a blown-up featherweight. He started at 108-pounds and will now fight at 145. He's dared to go up and so far everything has turned out well for him but November 14 is a different story. We respect what he's done in boxing but on that day, Miguel is going to be the strongest man in the ring. That is going to be one the advantages in our favor," Santiago told El Nuevo Dia.

Santiago says they are not focusing on any of headlines regarding Pacquiao's late start in training or the internal problems between members of his team. He says the bad cut Cotto suffered above his left eye [against Clottey in June], which required 22 stitches, has presented no problems during camp.

"We heard they didn't start training, that there were problems in the training camp, but that is their problem. Everything is going very well with us. The work by the plastic surgeon was excellent and there have been no problems with the injury. I do not believe that is something that we have to be worried about. It's not the first time where Miguel was cut and none of those previous cuts have been re-opened [in a fight]," Santiago said.

Source

Cotto a Smart Boxer Says Roach

BAGUIO CITY – Freddie Roach admits Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto has lots in common with Briton Ricky Hatton.

Roach said both boasts of jaw-breaking left hooks, both are big and strong, ultra-aggressive and love to go to the body to soften up their foes.

There is one huge difference, though, Roach believes and this one makes Cotto a far more dangerous rival than Hatton for the 30-year-old Filipino fireball.

“Miguel Cotto is a lot smarter than Ricky Hatton,” said Roach, the celebrated trainer who arrived in the country on Tuesday to supervise Pacquiao’s training camp in preparation for the November 14 showdown with Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Cotto’s got this great left hook and he’s smart,” noted Roach.

Hatton had been fancied as a true test for Pacquiao but the Filipino hardly broke out a sweat as he demolished the rugged Manchester native in less than two rounds, flattening him with a left to the jaw that remains a strong candidate for knockout of the year for 2009.

Roach said if Pacquiao thinks he is in for another easy stint, he could be terribly mistaken.

“It’ll be a tough fight for us,” said Roach, who will be here for a minimum of four weeks or a maximum of six depending on Pacquiao’s progress in training and promotional schedule.

During Roach’s first session with Pacquiao at the Shape Up Boxing Gym inside the Cooyeesan Hotel, the residence of Team Pacquiao for the entire duration of training camp, the 49-year-old Boston-born cornerman immediately fell in love over the amenities available at the gym as well as its overall appearance.

“Whoever built this gym did a great job,” said Roach, who owns and operates the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, best-known as the home of boxing’s best pound-for-pound.

Meanwhile, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is arriving on October 1 to check on the progress of Pacquiao’s preparation for Cotto, whose World Boxing Organization welterweight crown will be on the line in the bout aptly dubbed Firepower.

Below is the tale of the tape of the fight.

Source

Pacquiao Versus Cotto Predictions

Here's Pacquiao versus Cotto fight prediction from Boxing24.com

Life, death, and taxes are the the only things certain in life. You can add in Manny Pacquiao beating Miguel Cotto into that equation as well. I have been thinking about this over the last few days, and I can’t think of any way Miguel Cotto defeats a motivated and determined legend like Pacquiao. He just does not have it in him. Now things could change like varibles that are out anybodys control. But if Manny Pacquiao is at his best, he will be defeat Miguel Cotto. Here are the reasons why.

Speed
Boxing is a speed sport. And Manny Pacquiao is the fastest fighter in the business. Cotto advocates will say their man has had success against Shane Mosley and Zab Judah, very fast fighters in their own right. But none of them have the consistent attack of Pacquiao. Plus remember Mosley landed 53% of his power shots against Cotto in their razor tight 2007 affair. If Manny lands at least 40% of his it will be lights out for Cotto. Not because Manny is neccessarily a harder puncher then Mosley. He is a more precise puncher then Sugar Shane. And speed and precision will equal the end of Cotto’s chances.

Style
Manny Pacquiao has the most difficult style to fight in boxing. First he is a left hander. Second he is an offensive minded left hander who can punch from all angles. Third he moves in and out better then anybody in recent memory. Judging from his recent fights, Miguel Cotto does not have the reflexes to keep up with Pacquiao’s pace. Cotto has had success against left handed fighters in the past, Zab Judah and Carlos Quintana. But Pacquiao is a whole different man. He doesn’t fight a safety first style like Quintana, and he does not make the mistakes Judah does.

Stamina
This is the main reason why Cotto will not beat Manny Pacquiao. And what I believe will be the determining factor in the fight. Cotto faded in all of his big fights. He faded against Shane Mosley, he faded against Antonio Margarito, and he faded against Joshua Clottey. What makes anybody think he will not do the same against a much more active Manny Pacquiao. Manny gets stronger as the fight goes on, evidenced by his performances with Erik Morales(2nd fight) and Marco Antonio Barrera. Cotto has a tendency to get on his bike in rounds 8 thru 12. You can’t do that against Pacquiao. He will be coming all 12 rounds with tremendous stamina. Cotto is not Julio Cesar Chavez, he won’t be in your face all night. After 6 rounds of trying to pressure Pacquiao he will revert back to trying to box, and it will not work.

Prediction
This is what WILL happen folks.(Some may think I am full of hot air, but talk to me after the fight)Cotto will come out strong, he will be the aggressor. Heck I think he may win 2 or 3 of the 1st 6 rounds. He is an excellent fighter and a great body puncher. I think he will get hurt in either round 7 or 8, maybe have a cut opened up. Pacquiao will begin to land at will, then by the 9th or 10th round it will be all she wrote. Pacquiao by 10th Round Stoppage.
Cotto fans there is a sliver of hope. Your man is the stronger and bigger fighter, and he has a great body attack. Consistent pressure is his only hope, but he is not capable of it for 12 full rounds. He is not the same fighter he was 2 years ago, and if he was I don’t think it would matter anyway. Unfortunately he is fighting Manny Pacquiao, the best fighter of his generation. This fight will turn out the same way the 2nd Erik Morales fight did, good action early, close rounds until like round 7 or 8 then Pacquiao will begin to dominate.

The only way Pacquiao loses this fight is if he doesn’t train properly and he isn’t ready fight night. But who thinks Freddie Roach or the Pacquiao team will let that happen? He won’t, Pacquiao will be ready and in shape. Michael Buffer will end the night by saying, “Winner and New WBO Welterweight Champion of the World, Manny Pacquiao!!!”

Who's Next for Mayweather? Cotto, Pacquiao or Mosley?

Don’t out think the room. We are all guilty of it sometimes and I was guilty as can be when I picked Juan Manuel Marquez to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. In retrospect. What the heck was I thinking? Floyd was bigger, faster, stronger, and better.

Last night Mayweather Jr. returned to the ring with an excellent boxing display. He pretty much won every round over an over matched but game Marquez. Now the question is where does Mayweather go from here. Does he wait for the winner of Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto? Or does he fight Sugar Shane Mosley? Let’s take a look.

Pacquiao-Cotto winner
If Manny Pacquiao beats Miguel Cotto, it would set the stage for what would be the biggest ‘Money’ fight in boxing. It would be a match-up of the 2 best fighters of the decade. And it would draw in a huge mainstream crowd. Pacquiao’s determination, power and speed would make it a fantastic match-up. Mayweather’s great defence and bigger size would make things very difficult for Pacquiao. This would be the biggest fight in the sport. The sort of draw that boxing needs to have at least once a year.

Now if Miguel Cotto wins it would still be a big event. But it would be a let down from the anticapated Pacquiao showdown. Cotto’s body punching, underated skills, and power would make it interesting. But Floyd would definitely have the advantages going in.

Sugar Shane Mosley
For diehards fans this may be the best match-up. It would Floyd’s first legitimate fight against against a great welterweight. And the 1st fight against against a future hall of famer his own size.(De La Hoya non-withstanding) This fight has been talked about since 1999 but yet it has never happened. It is probably the best fight ‘NEVER’ to happen of the last decade.

Much has been said about Shane turning down Mayweather in 2006 when a fight was proposed. But with a Oscar De La Hoya fight looming with Money Mayweather, it never came about.

The truth of the matter is Floyd Mayweather Jr. Leonard Ellerbe and Al Haymon (Mayweathers’s Management Team) want no part of Mosley. They are flat out afraid to fight Mosley. They will hide behind the excuses that Mosley ‘can’t draw’, and how Mosley is ‘B-side’. But the truth of matter is on paper Mosley is the toughest fight for Floyd, and Floyd has always avoided perceived tough fights. Roger Mayweather and Floyd Sr. are on record saying Mosley would be the toughest fight Floyd Jr could take. Floyd and his advisors care about making the easiest fight rather then securing a legacy and that is sad. If Floyd had any Manny Pacquiao or Shane Mosley in him it would make him a more liked fighter.

Who Should Floyd Fight
He should fight them all. But he won’t. I think Floyd will say ‘No’ to Shane Mosley out of fear. He will come up with some excuse that his fans will buy hook line and sinker. Floyd fans can say what they want but their man is afraid of Shane Mosley. Then he will wait for the winner of Pacquiao-Cotto. He will ask for 60-40 once Pac wins. Which he should not get. Eventually they will probably get down to 50-50. And we will probably have Mayweather and Pacquiao in April or May of 2010. Floyd perceives Pacquiao as an easier fight because of size. But he may be sorely mistaken.

Floyd and his people should not underestimate Pacquiao.

Source : Boxing24.com

Roach : Pacquiao to Shutout Cotto

Manny Pacquiao's irradicable coach Freddie Roach admits Miguel Cotto is a tough opponent to knockout, thus ruling out an abbreviated win in their November 14 punch out at MGM's Grand Arena.

Asked by PDI's fight analyst Hermie Rivera why? The hall of fame trainer replied, "While Manny bested some near-greats previously, Manny will hit and run Cotto (ceaselessly), and box him inning-by-inning (scientifically). The end result will be a terrific 12-round victory."

Speed kills, so the pundits say.

Team Pacquiao knows this by heart. Make no mistake about it.

A caveat -- size and power can neutralize velocity.

"Cotto is the stronger and bigger fighter. And Miguel knows how to nullify speed. Look at how he beat Zab Judah and Shane Mosely," cautioned Roach.

"Anything's possible with Manny's unmatched work ethic."

FirePower: Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto" Primer

Boxing's media circus passed through the City By the Bay with an eclectic display of marketing skills.

Pound-for-Pound king Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto donned San Francisco Giant's baseball jerseys and sounded like solid pitchmen atop the home team Giants' dugout.

And what a way to battle for the hearts and minds of the fans highlighting the fighters' extra-curriculars.

Pacquiao and Cotto played some baseball as little leaguers resulting in cross-over appeal.

Top Rank's Bob Arum is maximizing every available avenue in advertising.

"We have to be creative in promoting boxing. This could be the fight of the year. Heck, fight of the decade!"

"FirePower"---the World Boxing Organization welterweight championship will be held at MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 14. The fight is promoted by Top Rank in association with MGM Grand and Tecate is available on HBO Pay-per-view.

Source : PhilBoxing.com

Mayweather Jr-Marquez Fight Round by Round Coverage

Here's a round by round coverage of Floyd's Mayweather Jr's unanimous decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez in front of 13 thousand fans in MGM Grand Arena.

Round 1: Mayweather opens with a jab to the head and one to the body. Marquez short with a jab. Hook by Mayweather lands. Mayweather lands a hook. Marquez not doing much at all. Jab by Marquez. Marquez misses wildly with a hook. Left-right by Marquez. Good left hook by Mayweather. Another hard left by Floyd. Mayweather wins round, 10-9

Round 2: Mayweather lands a jab and Marquez lands a hook. Mayweather seems so much faster. Crowd chanting for Marquez, but he’s not landing much. Hard right by Marquez. Mayweather smiles. It definitely landed flush. Left uppercut by Mayweather puts Marquez down. Marquez is up. Hard right by Mayweather lands. Marquez misses three shots badly. Combination by Mayweather. Hard right by Mayweather. Mayweather wins round, 10-8.

Round 3: Hard jab by Mayweather to open the round. Mayweather blocks a Marquez combination. Left-right by Mayweather. Straight right by Floyd. Short right inside by Juan. Mayweather lands a jab. Combination by Mayweather lands. Marquez gets in a right. Speed difference between the men is stark. Right over the top by Marquez. Mayweather smiles again. Mayweather wins round, 10-9.

Round 4: Right hand by Mayweather and a jab to the body. They bang heads, but nothing happens. Good left hook by Floyd. Right to the body by Juan. Right to the head by Marquez. Mayweather popping the jab in Marquez’s nose. Marquez’s face is beginning to swell, especially right eye. Right by Marquez. Hard hook by Floyd. Mayweather flicking jab and making Marquez miss badly. Mayweather wins round, 10-9.

Round 5: Marquez tries a combination, but Mayweather scurries away. Mayweather pops jab and it lands hard. Crowd urging Marquez on, but Mayweather lands a left that does not do much damage. Marquez misses a five-punch combination. Counter right lands by Floyd. Big left by Floyd. Left hook by Floyd lands. Marquez’s right eye not looking good. Another hard left hook by Mayweather. Marquez can’t catch up to him. Mayweather wins round, 10-9.

Round 6: Straight right by Floyd. Marquez misses a combination. Double jab by Floyd. Mayweather cracks Marquez with a hard left. Marquez showed effects of that blow. Right to body by Marquez. Hard jab by Mayweather. Jab-right hand by Mayweather. Right by Mayweather. They trade in corner but not much lands. Hard right by Mayweather. Left hook by Mayweather and then a right. Mayweather wins round, 10-9.

Round 7: Marquez missing badly. Mayweather jabs to the body. They clinch in the center of the ring. Hard left hook by Mayweather. Mayweather popping the jab. Mayweather winks at HBO’s announcers while in a clinch. Jab-right hand by Floyd. Marquez’s face doesn’t look good. Marquez lands a left hook. Mayweather’s defense is remarkable. Hard straight right by Floyd and then a left hook. Left hook by Mayweather. Mayweather wins round, 10-9.

Round 8: Right by Marquez. Left hook by Marquez and a left by Mayweather. They trade jabs. Mayweather popping jab. Marquez’s left eye looks awful. He’s right above me and I can’t imagine he sees much out of it. Mayweather lands a left again. Marquez hooks to the body. Jab by Maweather. Jab by Mayweather. Marquez lands a jab. Right by Mayweather inside and he ducks away. Short right by Marquez. Right by Floyd. Combination to the body by Marquez. Mayweather wins round, 10-9.

Round 9: Right by Marquez. Jab by Floyd and a right by Juan. Floyd goes with a left to the body. Combination to body by Marquez. Left hook by Mayweather. Jab-right by Mayweather. Straight right by Floyd. Jab by Floyd. It’s a shooting gallery and Marquez is like a sitting duck. Left-right-left by Floyd wobbles Marquez. Big right by Floyd. Marquez is game, but he’s being pummeled. Mayweather wins round, 10-9.

Round 10: Mayweather is popping lefts to start round. He seems intent on maybe getting Marquez out. Two hard rights to head by Floyd. Another big right by Floyd. Mayweather lands a huge left hook. This is utter domination. Right by Marquez. Combination by Floyd. Three jabs to nose by Floyd. Short lead right by Mayweather backs Juan up. Right by Mayweather. Marquez’s corner ought to think about stopping this. He’s taking clean hard punches. I can hear them from my ringside seat popping off Juan’s head. Mayweather wins round, 10-9.

Round 11: Mayweather is landing hard lefts. Golden Boy’s Eric Gomez is in Marquez’s corner asking them to throw in the towel. Uppercut by Floyd. Marquez misses badly on five-punch combination. Huge right by Floyd. Another right by Floyd. Hook by Mayweather. Right to the body by Floyd. Hard right by Floyd snaps Juan’s head back. Referee is looking carefully at Marquez. Jab by Mayweather. Mayweather wins round, 10-9.

Round 12: Left hook by Floyd to open round. Left-right by Floyd. Mayweather misses home-run uppercut. Mayweather not doing as much in the final round. Marquez misses a combination. Hard right by Floyd and then a left. Huge right by Mayweather and Marquez hangs on. Mayweather wins round, 10-9.

This concludes our coverage of the said fight between still undefeated Mayweather and the numero uno from Mexico, Juan Manuel Marquez. Mayweather wins over Marquez by Unanimous decision. It looks like we’ll have a Pacquiao vs Mayweather in soon time, but before that, let’s prepare for a Pacquiao Cotto battle coming up this November.

Source : sports.yahoo.com

Mayweather-Pacquiao After Mayweather-Marquez and Pacquiao-Cotto

Don’t look now, but a mega-buck fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is reportedly looming in the horizon.

In the event both boxing superstars hurdle their respective coming fights, the path to a multi-million showdown is expected to be sealed and delivered in what could yet be the biggest ever fight in the rich history of prize fighting.

A highly-reliable source within the Pacquiao camp confirmed that the unbeaten Mayweather is now within the radar of the Filipino ring icon, provided of course, he gets past tough Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in their WBO welterweight showdown on Nov. 14.

Mayweather also has to make his side of the bargain by beating durable Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez when they tangle next week in a 12-round non-title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Pag nanalo kami parehas ni Mayweather, kami na ang next na maglalaban," the source quoted Pacquiao as saying shortly after the small entourage of the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter arrived in San Francisco to promote his title fight with Cotto.

“May mga pag-uusap na," added the same source on the possibility of a mega-buck match to be held by 2010.

Cotto first

First things first, Pacquiao needs to concentrate on the 28-year-old Cotto, whom he considers as the biggest and hardest fight of his career.

“Focus muna tayo kay Cotto," the “Pacman" was quoted as saying.

Pacquiao is guaranteed to earn $13 million in the Cotto fight, plus a lucrative cut in the pay-per-view earnings.

The amount is expected to double in the event he collides with Mayweather, whose highly-anticipated match with the great Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 generated a record pay-per-view of 2.5 million buys.

A bronze medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Mayweather is coming off a two-year retirement. He was generally regarded as the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world until he hung up his gloves in 2007.

Pacquiao’s eight-round demolition of De La Hoya last December was a big hit as well with 1.25 PPV.

Following a whirlwind promotion of his fight in Cotto’s hometown in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Pacquiao was flown in by Top Rank Promotions in Los Angeles, where the week-long, five city tour is expected to end Tuesday (Manila time).

He and Cotto dropped by the AT& T Park in San Francisco to hype the fight and at the same time, watch the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The two protagonists will meet each other for the last time at the Beverly Hills Hotel Monday (Tuesday in Manila) for the final conference of the press tour.

Source : GMANEWS.TV

Pacquiao-Cotto News : Both fighters back to their training camps

FILIPINO superstar Manny Pacquiao worked up a sweat at a local gym in Manila yesterday afternoon to start his preparation for his Nov. 14 fight with Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao, who planed in on Thursday morning after a whirlwind five-city publicity tour for his upcoming bout with Cotto, reportedly trained for a little over an hour and complained of the heat inside the Wild Card Fitness Gym in Paranaque, which is owned by his former long-time business manager Rod Nazario.

Pacquiao, however, impressed a local trainer who held the mitts for the boxing icon and indicated that he had never felt a punch so strong.

“His jab is just like the best punch of my welterweight boxer,” said Ericson Asilo in an interview with Fightnews.

Trainer Freddie Roach, according to the report, is scheduled to arrive in the Philippines next week to start the hard training with Pacquiao in Baguio.

The boxing icon is slated to leave for Baguio on board a private plane owned by one of his benefactors on Sunday morning in time for the start of his eight-week training camp on Monday.

Pacquiao has chosen the Cooyeesan Hotel, which also houses a well-equipped gym that the pound-for-pound fighter will use for four to five weeks. Buboy Fernandez, Pacquiao’s long-time training assistant, is now in Baguio and is ready to lend a hand on Roach in training Pacquiao.

“Everything is all ready,” Fernandez was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, sporting a new tattoo on his left shoulder, is scheduled to leave today for Tampa, Florida, where he’ll initiate the last and hardest phase of his preparation for November 14 collision in Las Vegas against Manny Pacquiao. Cotto is accompanied by his trainer José ‘Joe’ Santiago and the conditioning trainer Phil Landman.

Source : FightNews.com and GlobalNation.inquirer.net

Pacquaio Versus Cotto News : Pacquiao using Steroids?

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has belied claims that he is using illegal supplements, including the banned substance steroids, to gain an unfair advantage in fights.

The accusation was made by flamboyant trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., who worked the corner of Ricky Hatton for the bout with Pacquiao last May. Mayweather, in an interview with the Grand Rapids Press, said he believes the Filipino is taking illegal supplements.

“I believe he’s (Pacquiao) on some type of supplements. I’m convinced about a lot of (boxers),” the brash trainer said. “That’s what they’re (Pacquiao camp) doing right now. Everybody should be checked a little bit more thoroughly. Sometimes people know what’s going on but they ain’t saying anything.

Mayweather’s claims may have stemmed from the fact that he witnessed first hand how Pacquiao demolished Hatton easily during their fight — where the current pound-for-pound king’s speed was simply too much for the British slugger to handle.

But against his son Floyd Jr., the older Mayweather said Pacquiao will lose if ever they meet in the ring — steroids or none.

“I don’t think he can beat Lil’ Floyd with steroids in him or not,” he said. “He don’t have that kind of talent. He don’t have that kind of skill, whatever he has in him.”

Pacquiao, for his part, insisted he always fights cleanly, even stressing that he doesn’t know anything about steroids.

“I don’t even know how it looks and what color it is,” Pacquiao said in a TV interview shortly after arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport this morning (Sept. 17).

The IBO junior welterweight champion added that he has already instructed his lawyer, Jeng Gacal, to study any possible legal action they can take against Mayweather.

“We’re thinking of suing him (Mayweather) for what he said,” he added.

Pacquiao is back in the Philippines after wrapping up a back-breaking press tour that took him and upcoming opponent Miguel Cotto to five cities — New York, Caguas in Puerto Rico, and San Francisco, Beverly Hills and San Diego in California.

He, along with trainer Freddie Roach, will head to Baguio City tonight to kick-off his eight-week training camp.

Pacquiao and Cotto will slug it out on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Source : Pacquiao denies Doping

Pacquiao vs Cotto My Biggest Test Says Pacquiao

BEVERLY HILLS, California - Manny Pacquiao, widely viewed as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, is primed for his biggest test when he challenges Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight title in November.

Although Filipino Pacquiao holds a significant speed advantage over the Puerto Rican, he has great respect for Cotto's punching power, strength and intelligence.

"This will be my toughest test as a professional boxer," Pacquiao, 30, told a news conference at a Beverly Hills hotel on Monday to promote the big-money clash.

"I know he is an excellent, smart fighter and a great world champion.

"We also know that he is good in body punching and that he's strong so we have to study that, how to counter it and fight that in the ring.

"We also need to use our own advantage over Cotto," added the southpaw, who cemented his status as the sport's premier fighter with a stunning second round knockout of Britain's Ricky Hatton in May to claim the IBO light welterweight crown.

"Everybody knows that I am faster than Cotto so how can I use that speed in the fight? I will do my best in this fight to capture my seventh title belt."

Pacquiao has a glittering career record of 49-3-2 featuring 37 knockouts, but his trainer Freddie Roach predicted the Nov. 14 bout in Las Vegas would go the full distance.

"It's going to be a much more tactical fight than people think because he (Cotto) is a very smart fighter," Roach said. "It's who can implement their game plan and use it to the fullest advantage.

"I think this is going to be a 12-round fight, no knockout. This guy (Cotto) is very resilient. If a knockout comes, it comes but if you go out there looking for a knockout, you might get caught yourself. We have to be very tactical."

Gruelling win

Cotto, who retained his WBO title with a gruelling split decision win over Ghana's Joshua Clottey in June, felt his own renowned defense would more than match Pacquiao's speed.

"When you have good defense, you can stop speed," said the 28-year-old, 34-1 with 27 KOs.

"I don't know if he (Pacquiao) is ready to be beaten but I am in my prime of my career. I'm going to use every kind of tool I have in my repertoire.

"He has fought a lot of tough fighters but never one like this," added Cotto, who has held a world title in every year since 2004.

"The world will know who the best is when we meet in the ring in November."

Pacquiao, a winner of six world titles in as many different weight divisions ranging from 112 to 140 pounds, is being tipped by boxing pundits as the favorite to win.

The pay-per-view fight is projected to reach 71 million homes, according to organizers.

Source : ABSCBNnews.com

Pacquiao Says He'll Win the Pacquiao-Cotto Fight

Manny Pacquiao says he prepared for any strategy that Miguel Cotto elects to use in their November 14th fight, saying “If I press the fight I’m sure he [Cotto] would run. And if I wait, he’ll come in. That is what will happen, if he either runs or takes the fight to me, it’s all right with me.” So in other words, Pacquiao sounds like he’s mad with confidence, bordering on someone that may have lost touch with reality.

To listen to Pacquiao talk, he looks to me be more than a little drunk on his past success from the Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton wins. I don’t what his sycophants have been doing in the Philippines, but it looks like they’ve been kissing Pacquiao’s backside 24/7 a little bit too much.

To hear Pacquiao tell it, he’s going to dominate Cotto, a bigger and stronger fighter, as if Pacquiao is fighting one of his super featherweight opponents. Pacquiao seems to forget that he hasn’t yet fought the best in the welterweight or even the light welterweight divisions.

If Pacquiao believes that Oscar De La Hoya was one of the best welterweights in boxing at the time that he fought him, then Pacquiao needs to have someone sit him down break the bad news to him about Oscar. De La Hoya wasn’t one of the best welterweights or one of the best light middleweights at the time that Pacquiao got to him. De La Hoya may have been ranked high by the sanctioning bodies, but that doesn’t mean anything.

If you have put De La Hoya in with someone like Alfredo Angulo and James Kirkland, Oscar would have been massacred even worse than what Pacquiao. Of course it would be worse, those fighters could punch a hole through a wall and would make quick work of De La Hoya, and especially Pacquiao.

Okay, so De La Hoya was like a mummified fighter that was still there in body but his ability had left him a long time ago before Pacquiao decided to fight him. The same goes for Hatton. He had been showing cracks in his game since he was defeated by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007.

Besides that, look at the fighters that Hatton had chose to fight since beating Kostya Tszyu in 2005: Carlos Maussa, Luis Collazo, whom he beat by a questionable 12 round decision, Juan Urango, Jose Luis Castillo, Mayweather, Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi. Out of all those names, I consider only the fight against Mayweather as a true world class opponent.

Hatton somehow conveniently missed fighting top light welterweights during that time like Timothy Bradley, Kendall Holt, Marcos Maidana, Victor Ortiz, Junior Witter, and Ricardo Torres. It looks like Hatton was steering away from the most dangerous fighters in the division for the most part and taking on easier opponents.

Okay, so the win over Hatton is no big deal because he hadn’t proven that he was still among the best in the division in the past three years. He was riding along on his past resume alone rather than still proving that he was the best.

So based on Pacquiao’s actual experience against fighters in the light welterweight and welterweight divisions, Pacquiao is essentially coming into his November 14th fight zero experience against top level opposition from what I could see. This is why it seems so weird to see Pacquiao talking as if he can walk on water and move mountains. Pacquiao needs to cringe and show some fear because Cotto is the best fighter, aside from Juan Manuel Marquez, that Pacquiao will have faced in his career.

Source : An article written by Manuel Perez for BoxingNews24.com

Pacquiao and Cotto in San Francisco

Three thousand cheering fans braved the pouring rain after the San Francisco Giants – Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game at AT&T Park in San Francisco Sunday to attend a public press conference for six-time world champion pound-for-pound king Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and three-time world champion and the pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto who are in town to promote their upcoming “FIREPOWER” world welterweight championship fight. Pacquiao vs Cotto is promoted by Top Rank, in association with MGM Grand and Tecate, will take place, Saturday,November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be available live on HBO Pay Per View.

Source : Fightnews.com

Cotto's Key to Victory

If Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KO’s) wants to beat Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KO’s) on November 14th, he’s going to have to make a point to rough Pacquiao up early and often and make it tough for the smaller fighter. Pacquiao will come in at pretty much the same weight as Cotto at the weigh-in, but by the time the fight takes place, you can expect that Cotto will have a 10 to 15 pound weight advantage over Pacquiao.

That extra weight can be a key asset for Cotto, because he’ll be able to use his extra size to toss the little Pacquiao around the ring in close, and shove him off balance so that Cotto can get an extra shot in here and there. It may sound like dirty business, but so what?

It’s boxing and the whole sport is filled with fighters trying to get over on each other in some way or another, whether it is fights being held at catch weights or fighters trying to wrestle on the inside. The point is Cotto needs to take advantage of his own assets in this fight.

Pacquiao will have the advantage of the catch weight, which will probably leave Cotto weaker than he usually is. Besides that, Pacquiao will also have the advantage in hand speed and mobility. But what Cotto has in the experience of having faced bigger punchers than Pacquiao and will likely be able to take Pacquiao’s shots without being hurt by them.

This should allow Cotto to take more chances than a smaller fighter like Ricky Hatton or a badly weight drained one such as Oscar De La Hoya. So for Cotto to take full advantage of all the things that he has going for him, he needs to use his size by being rough as he can to show the smaller Pacquiao what happens when he fights a bigger fighter that’s not old and weight drained like De La Hoya.

Perhaps Cotto might want to throw some elbows, low blows and perhaps a nice head butt to get Pacquiao’s attention and make him cautious about wanting to stray to close with his wild charges. I would never want Cotto do something like this, but if he did, I guess I wouldn’t mind very much.

People are best at remembering things when there’s pain involved. That’s a fact of life. Unless you straighten someone out when they’re doing something wrong, the action tends to continue. This is why Cotto needs to teach Pacquiao that he can’t come rushing him like he does against his lesser opposition.

When Pacquiao gets in close, maybe give him a tap below decks to get his attention and make him think twice about coming in like a wild man. Once Pacquiao has a few reminders of what happens when he comes in aggressively, he’ll likely be on his best behavior and be like school child ready to take instructions from Cotto.

From there, Cotto can easily manage Pacquiao by beating him down with his jab and right hand. Cotto should be able to keep the shorter Pacquiao at the end of his jab without getting hit because Pacquiao’s reach is short and limited.

Once Pacquiao gets in close, that’s where Cotto needs to make him pay by turning it physical and putting Pacquiao off his game. It won’t be hard because Pacquiao won’t have the size or the experience against a similarly talented fighter. Pacquiao has built up his reputation as of late by beating Hatton and De La Hoya, and I see both wins as totally overrated and without value.

SOURCE : The Key to Victory : Cotto Needs to Rough Pacquiao Up by Manuel Perez for Boxing24News24.com

Pacquiao Departs To Hype Up Cotto Fight

MANILA, Philippines - Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao leaves for the United States today for the five-city publicity tour for his Nov. 14 title fight against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The promo tour will start Sept. 10 with a press conference at the Yankee Stadium in New York. It will be open to the public.

The entourage, which includes Team Pacman official Mike Koncz, lawyer Franklin Gacal and probably trainer Buboy Fernandez, will proceed to Puerto Rico, then to San Francisco, Los Angeles before capping it in San Diego.

“After this tour, we’ll start training for eight weeks,” said Pacquiao in Filipino. “We will study Cotto’s style and technique.”

Cotto, however, will no not be around in the final stop of the tour in San Diego since he will go straight to his training camp in Tampa, Florida.

In his Oscar de la Hoya fight, Pacquiao launched his publicity tour in the Statue of Liberty, also in New York, while against Ricky Hatton, they kicked off their tour in Manchester, England.

The 30-year-old world pound-for-pound king, on the other hand, is expected to start training in Baguio upon his return from the US with Fernandez assuring the facilities in the City of Pines are suited for Pacquiao’s training camp.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao handed out a P1 million check to the Philippine Sportswriters Association over the weekend as seed money for the establishment of a foundation benefiting the sportswriting fraternity in the country.

He personally presented the amount to officials of the PSA during a thanksgiving party the boxing icon tendered at the Harbour View Restaurant.

Pacquiao initially made the pledge during the PSA-Annual Awards Night held earlier this year.

“I made the pledge during PSA Awards,” said Pacquiao.

PSA president Teddyvic Melendres of the Inquirer received the amount in behalf of the 60-year old media organization, the oldest in the country.

Pacquiao was named PSA Athlete of the Year in 2008 following his success in the ring that saw him beat the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and the great De La Hoya.

He was likewise elevated to the PSA Hall of Fame by the organization composed of editors and sportswriters from the various national broadsheets and tabloids, making him the first Filipino athlete to be accorded such honor while still at the peak of his career.

Aside from Pacquiao, others pitching in for the PSA Foundation are Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Harry Angping and PLDT chairman and Smart Communications Inc. top honcho Manny V. Pangilinan.

A report by Abac Cordero for PhilStar.com.

Who's the Boss?

An article was written by Eric Thomas for BoxingNews24.com about Manny Pacquiao's training schedule. From the looks of it, Pacquiao is not focusing much of its time to training.

Recently, Manny Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach went head to head over where the training should take place for Pacquiao’s next bout against Miguel Cotto. Roach wanted the training to take place in Mexico, while Pacquiao preferred the same confines of the Philippines.

In the end, Pacquiao got his way and the fight will be taking place in Baguio, in the Philippines. Its unclear how Roach will take this, because he’s seems to have enjoyed his newfound popularity that he’s found because largely due to Pacquiao’s success in the ring.

Roach has seemed like the boss in their interactions with each other, at least in their training camps. However, with Pacquiao basically telling Roach where the training will be taking place, it looks as if Pacquiao is showing who the real boss is in this relationship. Roach is, in essence, an employee of Pacquiao and can be replaced at any time if Pacquiao sees fit.

Beyond the location of where the training camp was to take place, Roach and Pacquiao disagreed about when the training should begin. Roach wanted the training to start already, but Pacquiao was having none of it, saying that eight weeks was enough.

With Pacquiao throwing his weight around more and more, will this affect Roach and their upcoming training? Is their relationship starting to show cracks? It’s hard to tell at this point. It will be interesting to see how well the training camp goes because this isn’t a good start. Roach has a lot of pride, and is highly sought after by boxing’s best fighters. If things don’t work out with Pacquiao, Roach will have a soft landing regardless. The way I see it, Roach should swallow his pride and continue to ride the Pacquiao gravy train until the bitter end. Roach should stay until Pacquiao either dismisses him, retires or begins to get beaten up on a regular occasion.

Roach’s main focus should be on working with Pacquiao and trying to make him a better fighter. Let all the other stuff, such as training locations and future opponents be decided by Pacquiao and his paid advisers.

What do you think? Do you think Pacquiao can still win it?

source : Did Pacquiao put Roach in his Place?

Pacquiao-Cotto Fight : Cotto Needs to KO Pacquiao

This Pacquiao-Cotto Fight article was written by Manuel Perez for BoxingNews24.com.

Read the whole article below.

I’m really looking forward to November 14th, so that WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto can knock Manny Pacquiao down a peg or two. This guy needs be stopped pronto. I was comfortable with Cotto giving Pacquiao a slow methodical beating for 12 long rounds, but now I prefer that Cotto get rid of Pacquiao as soon possible, preferably in the 1st or 2nd rounds. Pacquiao needs to stopped.

Think of it this way: If Pacquiao were to win the fight, we’d probably be seeing a future of him continuing to fight catch weight bouts again fighters that would have little choice but to have their titles on the line or risk being stripped of their titles by the sanctioning bodies.

That’s what happens when you get a fighter that gets too powerful for their own good. They can throw their weight around and make things happen. You know and I know that any close decisions involving Pacquiao very likely go to him, just as was the case in his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez last year. Who in their right mind saw Pacquiao winning that fight. And that’s what I’m talking about. Unless Cotto stops Pacquiao now, he’s going to have too much power for his own good.

I don’t know how Pacquiao got popular because he doesn’t deserve it my view. It was the wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton that did it for him. Before that, Pacquiao was just a fighter like anyone else. He won some fights and then would lose some others. But once he got the wins over De La Hoya and Hatton, suddenly Pacquiao has acquired a lot of popularity. And I don’t see that as good thing. I think it’s time that Pacquiao lose and be brought down to earth.

I want to see him get knocked out, because when you have a popular fighter like him, there’s too much wriggle room for the judges to give him a decision unless Cotto knocks him five or six times in the fight. We’re talking about a popular fighter here. Boxing is known for this kind of thing.

That’s why Cotto has to take Pacquiao apart and make sure that there’s no chance that Pacquiao and get a decision awarded to him unjustly. Because, believe me, if Pacquiao wins by another controversial decision, there’s probably next to no chance that Cotto will get a chance to get a rematch.

If you don’t believe me, just look at Marquez. He’s still waiting for a rematch a year and half later after his controversial loss to Pacquiao. And you know what? Marquez is probably going to wait a lot more longer for a fight against Pacquiao. My guess is probably never.

Source : Cotto Needs to Knock Pacquiao Off His High Horse

Cotto a Shot Fighter?

By Dave Lahr: Although Miguel Cotto is still winning his fights, he didn’t exactly impress in his last fight against Joshua Clottey in June. There are people who feel that Cotto hasn’t been the same since being beaten by Antonio Margarito last year. To be sure, Cotto didn’t look like his old self in defeating Clottey by a 12 round split decision win. Cotto fought as if he was unsure of himself after getting cut by Clottey.

Some of that appeared to be Cotto being worried about the cut, but the other part looked as if Cotto was tiring out and on the verge of quitting.

Cotto didn’t quit and stuck it out, but it looked for like for a moment there that Cotto was ready to go out on his feet. With that in mind, it’s not exactly the best of timing that Cotto is facing an opponent as dangerous as Manny Pacquiao off of a performance like the last one.

Pacquiao is in the prime of his career and is looking better than he ever has. It would seem that Pacquiao are going in different directions right now. Cotto may be sinking at small angle, but he appears to be a bit on the downward slide.

Whether that was just a momentary appearance because of his tough fight with Clottey is unclear. But Cotto’s going to have to look more impressive than he did against Clottey if he wants to come out victorious against Pacquiao on November 14th.

Cotto will have to be prepared to fight his heart out if he wants to win this fight because he can’t afford to slip mentally in this fight or be concerned about a cut. If he gets cut, Cotto is going to have to be prepared to fight that much harder if he wants to win the fight. The good news is that Pacquiao doesn’t hit as hard as Margarito with every punch.

Pacquiao can punch plenty hard when he puts all his energy into his shots, but he can’t fire off one big shot after another with the same kind of power that Margarito can on a consistent basis without tiring out or leaving himself open. Cotto will have to be better at covering up and making sure that he doesn’t get nailed by Pacquiao’s right hooks and straight left hands.

Cotto likely won’t be able to change his stamina problems too much for his fight with Pacquiao. But Cotto can work on his defense and try to block some more shots. I don’t know that Cotto is a shot fighter, but I think he didn’t react well when he was taking punishment at the hands of Clottey in his last fight.

Cotto lucked out in a way in that fight because Clottey stopped punching as much in the later rounds and gave Cotto a break to get his act together. Pacquiao, for his part, probably won’t lessen up on his attacks and will keep Cotto under a constant level of pressure.

Freddie Roach will be able to detect whether Cotto is tiring in the later rounds and will give Pacquiao instructions to go after him. Pacquiao is quite adept at following instructions from his corner and will tirelessly follow whatever advice that Roach gives him. This is why Cotto will have to pace himself and cover up well so that Pacquiao can’t batter him to pieces late in the fight.

As for whether Cotto is shot or not. It’s still too early to tell. He’s certainly not fighting at the level he was before his loss to Margarito, I can say that much for him.

Source : Boxing News