Miguel Cotto Fighter Biography

At the age of 28, Miguel is an eight-year pro. The WBO welterweight world champion, he won the title in February, 2009, and has made one successful defense.

He is Puerto Rico's brightest star and biggest draw in the ring, has fought and beaten some of the sport's biggest names, and already had a Hall of Fame career.

Miguel is coming off a 12 round decision win against former IBF welterweight world champion Joshua Clottey in his last fight in June, 2009.

After the fight, Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com [excerpts]: "There's nothing quite like the atmosphere and excitement of a Cotto fight at hallowed Madison Square Garden on the eve of the annual National Puerto Rican Day parade. It's always a festive scene, and for the fourth time in the past five years, Cotto headlined on the weekend and gave his fans something to cheer about. Most of the heavily Puerto Rican crowd of 17,734 was staunchly in Cotto's corner, cheering wildly for him as he made the first defense of the vacant welterweight belt he picked up with a dominant fifth-round knockout of England's Michael Jennings at the Garden in February.

"But this time, Cotto was facing Clottey, a far more dangerous, durable and quality opponent. Clottey is world-class and had given up his own version of the 147-pound crown to make the fight possible rather than face a mandatory challenger. The result was an excellent, high-level fight between two of the best in the star-studded weight class.

"Cotto, two fights removed from his 11-round knockout loss to Antonio Margarito (whom many believe faced Cotto with loaded hand wraps and cheated his way to victory) last summer, overcame a scenario similar to the one he faced in that fight. Like Margarito, Clottey is a rough, physical fighter. The fight played out in a similar fashion to Margarito-Cotto in that Cotto was a bit dominant early until Clottey got rolling in the middle rounds and began imposing himself on Cotto, who was cut and fading slightly. But this time, Cotto hung in like a champ.

"Cotto overcame a brutal gash in his left eyebrow from an accidental head butt in the third round. The blood flowed freely from the cut for most of the rest of the fight and certainly had an impact on Cotto's ability to see Clottey's right hand coming. After the fight, Cotto needed six stitches in a cut below his eye and 14 in the bad one above his eye.

"Clottey can complain that he was robbed all he wants, and some contrary fans and writers can join the chorus, but the reason he didn't win is because of his own shortcomings, not poor judging. Cotto fought all three minutes of the rounds and fought smart. Can't say the same for Clottey, and it cost him dearly."

Fightwriter.com's Graham Houston reported [excerpts]: "A split decision was to be expected after such a well-contested bout, but to me there was no doubt that Cotto deserved the win.

"It is true that Clottey was moving forward in the later rounds, and he looked the stronger man—but walking in with gloves up, following an opponent around the ring and not throwing punches, doesn't win rounds.

"The fight was there for the taking, but Clottey didn't drive himself forward with the extra effort that was needed.

"Cotto won with superior tactics. He moved, stopped to punch and moved again. Clottey, after looking so good at numerous stages of the fight, just seemed to lose the plot.

"Cotto's movement in the later rounds wasn't allowing Clottey to get set to punch. Although Clottey blocked many blows on his high guard, he wasn't firing off his own shots. Cotto was outsmarting him and outpointing him.

"With a number of close rounds, divergent scores were understandable. Cotto's 10-8 opening round, when his stiff left jab sat down an off-balance Clottey, in the end didn't prove to be his margin of victory—he would have won even without scoring the fight's sole knockdown.

"Clottey did some excellent scoring with the left hook to the body and left uppercut through the middle, and he also enjoyed success with the jab and straight right hand.

"Cotto overall was the busier man, though, and his combinations to the body and use of the jab enabled him to snatch rounds when Clottey fell into his move-in-without-punching pattern.

"After 11 gruelling rounds it was Cotto who provided the eye-catching finish."

Miguel is also a former WBA welterweight world champion—he won that title in December, 2006, and made four successful title defenses.

He won the WBO junior welterweight world title at the age of 23 in September, 2004, and made six successful title defenses before vacating the title to move up in weight.

He is experienced against top opposition and has fought current or former world champions Joshua Clottey (W12), Antonio Margarito (TKOby11), Shane Mosley (W12), Zab Judah (TKO11), Carlos Quintana (TKO5), Paulie Malignaggi (W12), Ricardo Torres (KO7), DeMarcus Corley (TKO5), Randall Bailey (TKO6), Carlos Maussa (TKO8), and Cesar Bazan (TKO11). He has also beaten previously undefeated contender Kelson Pinto (TKO6), as well as veteran contenders Muhammad Abdulaev (TKO9), Victoriano Sosa (TKO4) and Lovemore Ndou (W12).

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Manny Pacquiao Fighter Biography

At the age of 30, Manny is a 14-year pro—he made his debut at 16. He has been fighting at the top levels of competition and given some of the most sensational performances in the ring in recent years.

A certain future Hall of Famer, Manny was voted the "2008 Fighter of the Year" by the Boxing Writers Association of America. He also won the BWAA award in 2006, as well as The Ring's 2006 and 2008 "Fighter of the Year."

Manny is also recognized by most observers as the best fighter at any weight in the ring today—the best "Pound for Pound."

He is a national hero in his native Philippines—the entire country of over 96 million people comes to a virtual standstill to watch whenever he fights.

Manny is coming off of an electrifying second-round knockout win against former IBF jr. welterweight and WBA welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton in his last fight on May 2.

The Associated Press' Tim Dahlberg reported from ringside:

"He didn't just beat Hatton. Didn't just knock him out.

"He demolished a world class fighter who had never lost at his natural weight of 140 pounds, and he did it with such precision and ease that the talk afterward wasn't whether Pacquiao is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but whether he might be one of the best ever.

"A right hook—a punch most southpaws don't even have—started it all, dropping Hatton midway through the first round. A left cross that may be one of the greatest single punches ever thrown in a big fight ended it with a dramatic flourish.

"When it was over, Hatton was sprawled motionless on his back in the center of the ring. Pacquiao and his corner were celebrating and the sellout crowd was trying to digest what they had just seen.

"Boxing has a new king in an unassuming fighter so good that he won his last four fights in four different weight classes."

Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com:

"With one thunderous left hand, Manny Pacquiao smashed his way into boxing immortality.

"Anyone doubt his pound-for-pound No. 1 perch now? Shoot, anyone doubt his place as one of boxing's best ever?

"The Filipino icon destroyed Ricky Hatton in two crushing rounds to make boxing history before 16,262 at the sold out and electric MGM Grand Garden Arena....

"It's something those of us who saw it shouldn't soon forget because it may be a long time until we see something like this again.

"In stunningly disposing of Hatton in ruthless fashion, Pacquiao matched Oscar De La Hoya's record of winning titles in six weight divisions. But more important, by adding Hatton's lineal junior welterweight championship to his growing collection, Pacquiao added a fourth lineal title, the first fighter to do that in boxing history. (Granted, there are more divisions now than there were back in the era of fighters such as Sugar Ray Robinson.)

"In plain terms, PacMan has been 'the man' in four divisions, the clear champion in a morass of titleholders at flyweight, featherweight, junior lightweight and now junior welterweight. Toss in belts at junior featherweight and lightweight—and wins against elite opponents—and you have a great fighter.

"It was almost laughable how easy it was for Pacquiao, who was fighting at junior welterweight for the first time in his career after dropping down from welterweight, where he fought in December and destroyed and retired De La Hoya.

"It also happened to be Pacquiao's fourth consecutive win in a fourth different division. It seems as though there is nothing he can't do."

In his previous fight on December 6, 2008, Manny scored the biggest win of his career—a dominant eighth-round TKO against former jr. lightweight, lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight, two-time super welterweight, and middleweight world champion Oscar De La Hoya—the biggest name in the sport over the last two decades and a certain future Hall of Famer himself.

Against De La Hoya, Manny was considered a huge underdog by most observers—and the fight a mismatch—because of their extreme difference in size. Boxing's conventional wisdom says that "A good big man beats a good small man."

After the fight, Dan Rafael wrote:

"Pacquiao stunningly administered a beat down of epic proportions. De La Hoya...was never in the fight for a moment.

"Pacquiao...won his third fight of the year in his third weight division, including winning two titles. The victory makes Pacquiao something of a modern-day Henry Armstrong, the all-time great pound-for-pound legend who over the course of 10 months from October, 1937, to August, 1938, claimed, in order, the world featherweight, welterweight and lightweight championships—when there were only eight divisions."

Manny had made his mark in boxing history, however, even before beating De La Hoya.

He has held world titles in four weight divisions—he won the WBC flyweight world title two weeks before his 20 birthday in December, 1998, the IBF jr. featherweight world title at 22 in 2001.

Manny won the WBC super featherweight world title in March, 2008, with a 12 round decision victory in the rematch against defending champion Juan Manuel Marquez. It was one of the most highly-anticipated fights of the year, and one of the most exciting.

He won the WBC lightweight world title in June, 2008, with a ninth-round TKO against defending champion David Diaz.

Manny's nickname is "PacMan." His webpage address is mannypacquiao.ph.

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