Dundee Not Betting on a Pacquiao win vs Cotto

For the third time, legendary trainer Angelo Dundee is keeping off his bet on Manny Pacquiao in his Nov. 14 title showdown with Miguel Cotto.

Despite being proven wrong twice before by the Filipino boxing champion, the 88-year-old Dundee thinks reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title holder Cotto has got what it takes to pull off a stunning upset.

Filipino ring superstar Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican bomber Miguel Cotto. Top Rank photo

Hall of Fame trainer Dundee visited Cotto's training camp recently in Tampa, Florida, and was convinced the Puerto Rican champion can beat Pacquiao based on what he had seen.

“If I had to pick anybody in the world to fight Pacquiao, it would be Cotto," Dundee, who recently moved in from Miami to Tampa, told Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, whom he chanced upon at Cotto’s Florida training camp.

“Cotto has the best chance of anybody to beat him (Pacquiao) because of his physical power and strong left hook."

Despite being a revered boxing personality involved in the “sweet science" for more than six decades now, Dundee has never got it right in Pacquiao’s last two fights.

The long-retired trainer helped prepare superstar Oscar De La Hoya when he fought the "Pacman" a year ago in a mega-fight that ended with boxing’s "Golden Boy" quitting on his stool just before the ninth round of their "Dream Match" showdown.

The bout proved to be De La Hoya’s last as he retired shortly after.

And only last summer, Dundee also picked two-time junior middleweight champion Ricky Hatton to beat the hell out of Pacquiao. The opposite happened as the 30-year-old General Santos City native knocked the lights out of the boxer from Manchester and scored a swift, second round technical knockout.

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If I had to pick anybody in the world to fight Pacquiao, it would be Cotto. Cotto has the best chance of anybody to beat him (Pacquiao) because of his physical power and strong left hook.

– Legendary trainer Angelo Dundee

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As the man who promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto, Arum wouldn’t come out in public as to who he thinks will win the much-anticipated slugfest at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

But having seen the two fighters sweat it out in training camps, the veteran boxing promoter, undoubtedly, is a lot impressed with Pacquiao’s work ethic.

“I think, in general, both guys looked very, very good," he said.

“Cotto looked strong. He’s Cotto. He works hard for two hours, He does all his sparring. He’s in tremendous shape," said Arum of the 28-year-old champion from Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Yet for Arum, Pacquiao does more than that.

“I know Cotto works hard, but in contrast to the other guy (Pacquiao), it looks like he’s taking a vacation," said the 77-year-old promoter. - GMANews.TV


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I can't blame him (Dundee) for his comments. His reasons dictates that the bigger fighter (Cotto) has the biggest advantages in winning this megabuck event between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. Although oddsmakers favored Pacquiao in this fight, seeing a smaller man challenging a bigger man tells boxing fans that this is not a walk in the park for the pound for pound king. It always means that the bigger and heavier man packs the biggest punch and the possibility of knocking out Pacquiao is not far from the equation. Statistically and physiologically, Cotto is ahead in numbers.

But then, Pacquiao is different. I can still recall a joke saying that Manny Pacquiao is a heavyweight disguised as a lightweight. This speaks of his dynamite fists that either bloodied faces or simply puts bigger boxers lying in the canvas. Of course what is strength without accuracy and Pacquiao reiterates the importance of accurately hitting his opponents is as important as having firepower in each hands.

My bet is Manny Pacquiao winning his 7th world title this coming November 2009 and the manner of winning the fight? I simply don't care as long as he wins the bout.

Raul B. Romilla
boxingfanatico.blogspot.com

Miguel Cotto Could Be Next Spoiler As Puerto Rican “Game Changers” Not Unusual In Sport’s History

Although boxing and betting experts are bestowing their beliefs and bank accounts on a Manny Pacquiao victory over Miguel Cotto on Saturday November 14, Miguel Cotto believes differently and boxing history books tell a different story as there have been many a Puerto Rican fighter—from an island rich in producing infamous boxing champions—who have come in the underdog and walked away with the upset victory. Cotto looks to keep the tradition of these former Puerto Rican fighters alive by doing the same to Pacquiao when they meet in one of the most exciting boxing battles of the year..

March 30, 1965: Jose Torres KO 9 Willie Pastrano, MSG, NYC (Wins world light heavyweight title): Pastrano, a veteran of 82 fights, is dropped by Cus D'Amato protege and 1956 Olympic silver medalist Torres, 34-1-1, in the sixth round, and the fight is stopped between the ninth and 10th. Torres, 28, becomes an instant hero in NYC. Pastrano, 29, never fights again.

November 13, 1965: Carlos Ortiz W 15 Ismael Laguna, San Juan (Regains WBC lightweight title): Seven months earlier, Panamanian speed demon Laguna, 40-2-1, had taken the title from the 28-year-old Ortiz in Panama City. In the rematch, Ortiz, 45-5, stuns the world by negating Laguna's speed and reclaiming the title by unanimous decision. They would fight a rubber match in 1967, with Ortiz winning by unanimous decision in New York City.

March 6, 1976: Wilfred Benitez W 15 (split) Antonio Cervantes, San Juan (Wins WBA junior welterweight title): Puerto Rico's Benitez, 17, becomes the youngest world titlist in history (record still stands) by brilliantly outpointing consummate pro Cervantes, 30, who was making his 11th defense and engaging in his 86th fight. It can be argued that defensive genius Benitez, 26-0, never matched this performance despite going on to win world titles at two additional weights.

November 17, 1972: Esteban DeJesus W 10 Roberto Duran, MSG, NYC (non-title bout): In the first of what would be three epic battles, the 21-year-old DeJesus, 33-1, floors lightweight champion Duran, 31-0, with a left hook in round one and goes on to win a unanimous decision to the delight of the predominantly Puerto Rican crowd at the Garden. Duran would win the second and third bouts, both title fights, by kayo, and DeJesus would go on to win the WBC 135-pound title.

October 28, 1978: Wilfredo Gomez KO 5 Carlos Zarate, Hato Rey, PR (Retains WBC super bantamweight title): The 21-year-old super bantamweight champion Gomez, 21-0-1, shocks the boxing world by crushing Mexico's Zarate, the reigning bantamweight champion who is ranked in the top three on virtually all pound-for-pound lists. It is Gomez's sixth title defense. Zarate was favored because he entered the ring with a barely believable record of 52-0 with 51 kayos. Both fighters struggle to make weight, but Zarate needs four trips to the scale to reduce to 122, and is clearly weakened by the effort

September 26, 1986: Edwin Rosario KO 2 Livingstone Bramble, Miami Beach (Wins WBA lightweight title): After losing to Hector Camacho in June, Rosario, 28-2, is a significant underdog against the 26-year-old Bramble, 24-1-1, and in his prime after scoring wins over Ray Mancini (twice) and Tyrone Crawley. Rosario, 23, flaunts his crushing kayo power against a fighter with a defense that had been thought to be impenetrable. It is the start of Rosario's second reign as a 135-pound titlist.

September 18, 1999: Felix Trinidad W 12 Oscar De La Hoya, Las Vegas (Retains IBF welterweight title; Wins WBC welterweight title): In a hotly anticipated battle of unbeaten champions and icons, Trinidad and De La Hoya add a significant chapter to the history of Puerto Rico-Mexico (or Mexican-American) battles. The 26-year-old Trinidad, 35-0, rallies in the late rounds, forces De la Hoya to retreat and wins a controversial majority decision.

ABOUT PACQUIAO vs. COTTO

Promoted by Top Rank in association with MP Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions, MGM Grand and Tecate, FIRE POWER: PACQUIAO vs. COTTO will take place Saturday, November 14 at the sold out MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, has won six world titles in as many different weight divisions ranging from 112 to 140 pounds. His performance in 2008 was described as “Henry Armstrongesque,” winning world titles at 130 and 135 pounds with victories over Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz, respectively, and knocking out and retiring Oscar De La Hoya at 147 pounds to complete the trifecta. This year, he picked up where he left off last year – winning another world title in a new weight division – by dealing defending junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton a one-punch second-round knockout on May 2.

Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico has sold more tickets to Madison Square Garden in this millennium than any other fighter. He has held a world title every year since 2004. Puerto Rico’s most exciting fighter, Cotto held the WBO junior welterweight crown from 2004-2006, successfully defending it six times before vacating it to capture the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title at the end of 2006, a title he held for nearly as long. He won his second welterweight title in February, knocking out Michael Jennings in the fifth round at Madison Square Garden to become the WBO welterweight champion. Notable scalps on Cotto’s belt include Sugar Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Paulie Malignaggi and Demarcus Corley.

The Pacquiao vs. Cotto pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $54.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View®, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Pacquiao vs. Cotto fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com or www.toprank.com.

HBO's® fast-moving reality series "24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto" returns with an all new episode on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The four-episode series chronicles the preparations and back stories of both fighters as they train for their November 14 pay-per-view showdown. Episodes one and two are available on HBO ON DEMAND®.

Source: East Side Boxing

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Upsets are not uncommon in boxing and seemingly invincible boxing champs got beaten in a pulp by once unheralded boxing newcomers or washed up looking old-timers. Always a possibility in the world of boxing. But for me, as long as Manny Pacquiao follows Freddie Roach's training regimen, he can take care of himself inside the ring. I'm sure Roach is aware of Cotto's punching power being the bigger guy and makes the necessary adjustments in defense. I hope Manny Pacquiao wins convincingly and I wish him more success to his endeavors.

Raul B. Romilla
BoxingFanatico.blogspot.com