Manny Pacquiao Timeline

Manny Pacquiao timeline in Video. Click the links to view the youtube videos. Enjoy!

1998-December-04
Manny Pacquiao vs. Chatchai Sasakul for the Lineal & WBC Flyweight title
Tonsuk College Ground, Phutthamonthon

1999-September-17
Manny Pacquiao vs. Medgoen Singsurat for the Lineal Flyweight title Pakpanag Metropolitan Stadium, Nakhon Si Thammarat

 

2001-June-23
Manny Pacquiao vs. Lehlohonolo Ledwaba for the IBF Super Bantamweight title MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

2003-November-15
Manny Pacquiao vs. Marco Antonio Barrera for the Lineal & The Ring Featherweight titles Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

2004-May-08
Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez 1 for WBA (Super) and IBF Featherweight titles MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

2005-March-19
Manny Pacquiao vs. Érik Morales 1 for vacant WBC International & IBA Super Featherweight titles MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

2006-January-21
Manny Pacquiao vs. Érik Morales 2 Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada for the WBC International Super Featherweight title & WBC Super Featherweight Title Eliminator

2006-November-18
Manny Pacquiao vs. Érik Morales 3 for the WBC International Super Featherweight title Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

2008-March-15
Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Márquez 1 for the WBC & vacant The Ring Super Featherweight titles Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada

2008-March-15
Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Márquez 2 for the WBC & vacant The Ring Super Featherweight titles. Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada

2008-June-28
Manny Pacquiao vs. David Díaz for the WBC Lightweight title Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada

2008-December-06
Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar De La Hoya a non-title welterweight bout MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

2009-May-02
Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton for The Ring & IBO Light Welterweight titles MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

2009-November-14
Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Ángel Cotto for the WBO Welterweight title. Fight at 145-pound catch weight. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

2010-November-13
Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC Light Middleweight title. Fight at 150-pound catch weight. Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

2011-May-07
Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley for the WBO Welterweight title.
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

2011-November-12
Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Márquez 3 for the WBO Welterweight title. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

2012-June-09
Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley for the WBO Welterweight title MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

Manny Pacquiao 4th in Most Influential Athlete Poll by Forbes Magazine

Nielsen and E-Poll surveyed over 1,100 adults about dozens of well-known athletes to measure their likeability and whether they're considered "influential,” an important quality for marketers. The term, among 40 characteristics that respondents could choose from (others: leader, approachable, handsome), can mean slightly different things to different people. As Master notes, some may see an athlete as influential in his sport, while others see him as crossing over and being influential in society at large. Tebow is a perfect example: His clean living and public religious values make him a role model for many, even if they render him polarizing in some quarters. Candidates were limited to pro athletes who are currently active and who score at least 20 percent "awareness” with the general public.

1. Jimmie Johnson (Influential: 25 percent) 2. Tim Tebow (Influential: 24 percent) 3. Peyton Manning (Influential: 21 percent) 4. Manny Pacquiao (Influential: 20 percent) 5. Tom Brady (Influential: 19 percent)

A True Boxing Expert At Last!

I mentioned in this blog before about the self-proclaimed boxing expert who does nothing but predicted Manny Pacquiao will either get beaten to pulp, knocked out early, or be totally dominated by his opponents like Dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and the latest Miguel Cotto. If you actually have read his previous articles, it would seem that Pacquiao would not even have the slightest chance of winning. And all he rants is the greatness of Juan Manuel Marquez (althought I consider him one of the greatest Mexican fighters) and the fight that he feels won by the latter in their last two fights. I resigned to the fact that the boxing site boxingnews24.com is just harboring clowns like Manuel Perez aka Liam Santiago who doesn't even deserve a score of F in grade school English class. Actually I still visit the site and read the clown's articles just for laughs. A guilty pleasure I admit and have been a part of my daily read. What can I say? My strange source of humor article. I don't discourage boxing fans from visiting their site and in fact I encourage you to read the articles there for there are still true boxing experts who can churn out an articles and analysis worthy of HBO or CNN news. I posted the article of Steve Lewis a contributor of boxingnews24.com and I can say that this is one of the most well researched and unbiased article relating to Manny Pacquiao. Read below and see what I mean.

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By Steve Lewis: Previously, I had written about the common post-Pacquiao fight phenomenon called “Monday Morning Quarterbacking.” There is also another sister effect to Monday Morning Quarterbacking. It has been part of our landscape since time immemorial. It is what is referred to by the newer generation as “player hating,” which is often defined as the disliking, resenting, or disapproving of a person due to his/her success or coveted assets. The term “player hater” is often associated with those who are jealous or envious of someone else’s achievements. Whether it is a frivolous and unsubstantiated claim of steroid use, or claims that Manny Pacquiao drains out opponents, or that he avoids fighters of a particular nationality, or that he plain lacks the skills of a true pugilist, people who make such criticisms often have an agenda. And one will be hard-pressed to be objective and unbiased when there is an agenda dictating how they view and perceive things.

It is often baffling why such a nice, humble, yet exciting fighter like Manny Pacquiao would be a target of player haters. He does not have the same self-aggrandizing pomp and brash personality of a Floyd Mayweather, nor the verbal antics of a Ricardo Mayorga, but for some reason, Pacquiao is an easy target. For the fan base of other fighters out there, it is perhaps the product of their disdain for Pacquiao’s rabid fan base and fanatical following, rather than due to Pacquiao himself. Now every major fighter has their legion of followers, but be that as it may, that is no reason to hate on the man himself. One needs to separate the “idol” from the “idolaters.” Those are two separate entities. But for other fighters, trainers, or promoters who player hate, theirs is due to something much more concrete: the pursuit of the almighty buck! Now money is not the only thing. Reputations and one’s place in the sports landscape and hierarchy factor in.

Nate Campbell: It has already been well documented that Nate Campbell had always desired a match against Pacquiao. Join the long list of those wanting to strike it rich in the Pacquiao sweepstakes. What differentiates Campbell as a Pacquiao player hater from all other would-be challengers is that Campbell does not primarily focus on his own attributes as a challenger, but rather downplays and belittles Pacquiao’s attributes as an opponent instead. It’s a classic “I-don’t-want-you-to-focus-on-my-shortcomings-so-let-me-deflect-the-attention-elsewhere” routine.

Others like Edwin Valero will not say, “Pacquiao sucks.” But rather Valero makes a case for himself by citing his punching power as a possible factor in defeating Pacquiao. The same with Shane Mosley. He does not demean Pacquiao in trying to land a match against him, but rather cites to his size, speed and championship experience to prove his worth.

So Nate Campbell’s grandstanding does not get taken seriously, particularly with the irresponsible use of the race card and claims that Pacquiao does not fight people at their own weight. Well, guess what? Pacquiao does not fight at his own weight either! Who knows what weight class he really belongs in? Is he a junior welter or a welterweight? Or is he just a bulked up lightweight? We’re not sure! So these justifications by Campbell is without much merit. Ivan Calderon can balloon all the way up to cruiserweight and challenge Vitali Klitschko at a catch-weight at the cruiserweight limit, and if Calderon pummels Klitschko to a bloody pulp, Campbell would probably say that Calderon did not beat Klitschko at his natural weight (heavyweight), rather than marvel at the fact that a way smaller guy went up in weight and beat a bigger man. That is what is referred to as a “lack of perspective.” And as a side note, as I see this constantly out there, 147 pounds is the welterweight MAXIMUM LIMIT. It does not mean that you have to weigh in at 147 to be a welterweight! All that is required for one to be a welterweight is to weight above 140 pounds, and no more than 147. So many people cannot grasp this concept of a weight ceiling. 147 is max, not a minimum. If the argument was “Allow a welterweight to max out at the limit if he wants to,” then fine. But get the concepts straight. And arguments about weight drain are overly exaggerated anyway. If Miguel Cotto were asked to fight at lightweight or even at jr. welter, then yes. There may be some merit there. But remember, Pacquiao did not have to do anything for Cotto. Pacquiao could have easily said, “Hey, Miguel. Want in on the Pacquiao sweepstakes? You come down to my division at 140.” But he didn’t. Instead, Pacquiao decided that he would be the one to climb up to welterweight, with the concession that Cotto come in one pound under what he previously came in at (which was 146 for the Joshua Clottey fight). Was that an unreasonable request? It was probably unnecessary, but was it unreasonable? If that extra one pound was make-or-break for Cotto, then that’s an indication of bigger problems. As I have said in football, if you can’t get a 1st down on 4th and inches, you probably don’t deserve to win anyway. Paulie Malignaggi: Another example of a fighter who is proven wrong one too many times, and has to find a reason as to why he gets debunked constantly. Malignaggi predicted a Pacquiao loss in both the Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto fight. Both predictions missed their mark. But to rationalize and justify his gross miscalculation, he implicitly attributes it to something sinister instead: steroids (and then cowers behind a disclaimer that he’ll “leave it at that”). And you can lump in the Mayweathers among this group. How could they be so wrong in their assessment of Pacquiao? “Well, it must be something like steroids because I can’t possibly be that off, can I?”

It should be noted that Malignaggi lost to both Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton. And for him to witness the spectacular dismantling of those two by Pacquiao leaves Malignaggi in quandary, because where does that put him in relation to Pacquiao? Afraid perhaps to realize that Pacquiao is light years ahead of him, it is easier to dismiss it by alleging steroid use as a way to explain the unpalatable (which the Nevada State Athletic Commission has already confirmed that Pacquiao is clean). Malignaggi goes the extra mile in belittling the NSAC’s testing procedures, stating how it’s easy to beat the tests. Now that’s really grasping for straws. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it. All other boxers who still think that Pacquiao’s achievements are not all that special: let us see you do better. One would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the current top-10 super featherweight or lightweight division who can legitimately beat Miguel Cotto, even at a 145 lb catch-weight. Find me a flyweight champion or contender who you think has a legitimate shot at a world welterweight title a decade down the line. Just last calendar year, 2008, Pacquiao was fighting in the super featherweight division before his ascent up the ranks. So it’s not like Pacquiao has had much time to settle above 130. In 2009, he captures the WBO welterweight title. Can Humberto Soto or Robert Guerrero take out Cotto at 145 lbs? How about Juan Manuel Marquez? We saw how ineffective he was above 140. Or how about Nate Campbell himself? The same guy who has twice lost to Robbie Peden, fell short against Isaac Hlatswayo, lost to Francisco Lorenzo, and battled Edelmiro Martinez to a draw in 2003 (so he can’t say he was a skinny teenager back then). In other words, only a rare specimen like Pacquiao can do what he achieved. The guy debuted as a straw-weight and is now a welterweight champion, for goodness sake. And he didn’t squeak points-wins against De La Hoya, Hatton, and Cotto either. He knocked those guys around and scored TKO wins against all three! And it’s too bad that a good number of people lack the perspective to appreciate such a feat. Of course, some have to in order to protect their claim as the better fighter (Mayweather), or for strictly financial reasons (Campbell), or simply because they can’t explain and accept that someone could be that good (Malignaggi). Then there are those, who, in today’s age of pseudo journalists/internet bloggers, just like to stir up the pot and see people become hot and bothered (S & P?). But such is the business. As they often retort, “Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.”

Several major American cities want Pacquiao-Mayweather

James Carville is attempting to make a play that would bring Pacquiao-Mayweather to New Orleans. Several American cities want the fight.

The fight has barely started any negotiation at all and is mostly still in the press, but Bob Arum of Top Rank is fielding offer upon offer from major American cities that want to host a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Las Vegas

Go back a few days and read Brick's breakdown of why this fight needs to be in Las Vegas. Also recognize that the reasons listed point to this fight almost sure landing in Vegas. I'd say it's 95% that Sin City hosts Pacquiao-Mayweather. It's the most likely, most logical, and most profitable. Arum is also said to be working with a group willing to build a 30,000-seat outdoor stadium on the Vegas Strip:

Perhaps it's fitting that Las Vegas officials and casino magnate Steve Wynn have already contacted Arum about staging Pacquiao-Mayweather on the Strip. One possibility would be to build a temporary, 30,000-seat outdoor arena on a vacant lot at the old Frontier, where there would be room for corporate hospitality tents and a Super Bowl-like atmosphere.

New York or New Jersey

Yankee Stadium, Citi Field (home of the Mets) and Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (home of the NFL's Giants and Jets), have all been in contact. None are happening, and Arum explains why to FOX Sports:

"There's no conceivable way the fight can take place in New York City because of the tax structure."

In short, 15% of the purses would go to municipal, state and other taxes if the fight were in New York, and the Jersey taxes aren't much lighter. There is absolutely no way you convince Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao that this makes sense for them, because it doesn't make sense.

Los Angeles

The Staples Center has been in touch, reportedly. Pacquiao-Mayweather would surely obliterate the arena records set by Margarito-Mosley this past January, but they simply may not be able to afford it. In fact, it's beyond unlikely that they could outbid the casino folks in Vegas.

Dallas

Pacquiao hadn't even fought Miguel Cotto before this rumor started. The extravagant Cowboys Stadium could hold about 100,000 for boxing, and Texans have turned out in recent times, at least for Juan Diaz fights in Houston. Given that Pacquiao-Mayweather blurs most all fan lines, the fight could do very, very well, and would easily break Texas' record for live gate (which is Marquez-Diaz, by the way). But in the end, would they really make enough money? It'd be tough. But I still say you cannot count out Jerry Jones' desire for attention for himself, the Cowboys, Dallas and that damned mall stadium of his. Jerry might get reckless with the money just to have a trophy case sort of setup out in one of the halls of the stadium with lots of photos of himself standing too close to Mayweather and/or Pacquiao.

Texas also doesn't have those fight taxes.

New Orleans

James Carville -- yes, that James Carville -- is talking with Arum about bringing Pacquiao-Mayweather to The Big Easy, and sees it as a chance for poetry in violence:

"There is an incredible narrative here," Carville said. "This fight could signal a rebirth for boxing and the city of New Orleans. We could have one together."

The Superdome (home of the Saints) hosted the Leon Spinks-Muhammad Ali rematch in 1978, and capacity for that fight was 65,000. Officials say it would be about 70,000 now. Carville is speaking with the Louisiana Governor's office about getting the tax waived to try and help New Orleans' case. The Superdome was also the host for the "No Mas" Leonard-Duran fight. There's plenty of boxing history in New Orleans, but I don't think the juice is there to beat Vegas.

By the way, I went ahead and set up a coverage page to keep all of the Pacquiao-Mayweather talk together while we await what appears to be the inevitable, which is a fight made for May 1, 2010. If the date changes, I'll change the date. If it winds up not happening, the page goes away. But it's there for those interested.

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This is how big this fight is and the repercussion to the boxing industry if this boxing fight does not materialize. After the manhandling Miguel Cotto in 12 rounds, the crowds chanted "We want Floyd" [Mayweather]. And I am sure promoters will move both heaven and earth to make this boxing fight a reality. This is the fight all boxing fans are waiting for. But it's hard to imagine at first that Manny Pacquiao who started fighting professionally at 106 lbs. will now be defending his Welterweight Championship belt at 147 lbs. It does defies the laws of Physics, I may seconded other boxing writer's thoughts. Now that Pacquiao mentioned in an interview that he will fight Mayweather, let us hear the other camp and I hope he [Mayweather] will make the purse split an excuse to duck or avoid Manny Pacquiao. The boxing fans are waiting. Manny Pacquiao always guarantees that he will make the boxing fan's money worth it by letting them watch a fight like no other.

Raul B. Romilla

Boxing Fanatico

Manny Pacquiao TKOD Miguel Cotto in 12th Round

Manny Pacquiao makes boxing history for winning his 7th division title courtesy of the tough and strong Miguel Cotto.

1st round showed Cotto's effective jabs but on the 3nd round Pacquiao dropped him for the first time and another in the 4th round. Cotto is a bloody mess through out the fight and resorted to backpedaling in the last few rounds.

On the 12th round referee Kenny Bayless decided that enough is enough for Cotto and stepped in stopping the punishment the Puerto Rican fighter is receiving from Pacquiao.

I watched the fight live live courtesy of Caloocan City Mayor Recom Echiverri in the aptly named Victory Central Mall and Manny Pacquiao is indeed victorious in his quest for his never been achieved 7th title.

Miguel Cotto always a gentleman inside and outside the ring congratulated Manny Pacquiao for his well deserved victory.

I posted earlier US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's prediction on the Pacquiao Cotto fight and the prediction of Manuel Perez of boxing24.com. Guess who predicted in correctly?

Also Manny Pacquiao promoted his just finished movie Wapakman and invited us all to see the film. Being a Pacquiao fan, I'll watch it. I even bought 10 copies of Asian edition of Time magazine wherein Manny Pacquiao is in the cover.

Raul Romilla
Boxing Fanatico

Weight battle over: Pacquiao, Cotto now brace for war

Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao had a trouble-free trip at the weighing scales while his Puerto Rican rival Miguel Cotto barely made the limit Friday (Saturday in Manila) on the eve of their battle for Cotto’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto show off their fine forms during the official weigh-in for their ‘Firepower’ title fight Friday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. AP

Before a raucous crowd of 7,000 fans, the 30-year-old Pacquiao easily checked in at 144 lbs. while natural 147-pounder Cotto, who reportedly had trouble sliding in weight, tipped the scales at exactly the stipulated catch weight of 145 lbs.

The Pacman’s 144 lb was his heaviest ever weight, according to the Associated Press. He fought at welterweight only once before, last year against the legendary Oscar de la Hoya, but he weighed in at only 142 lbs for that “Dream Match" that ended with “Golden Boy" quitting on his stool at the start of the ninth. The last time Pacquiao climbed the ring against erstwhile light-welterweight supreme Ricky Hatton, he was 138 lbs.

With no worries whatsoever about cutting down on food before the weigh-in, Pacquiao came to the well-attended activity relaxed and in good mood, even engaging in a colorful banter with the event’s host, actor Jeremy Piven.

Piven asked Pacquiao if it is his strategy to become abstinent during training for a fight and the Pacman, according to the Las Vegas Sun, replied: “This is like the Jimmy Kimmel show... Once I start my training I have to focus on my fight so there is no more, I mean, there is no more night time."

For the 29-year-old Cotto, the 145 lb mark was his lightest since weighing the same two years ago in his winning bout with Zab Judah.

The Boricuan bomber virtually admitted having exerted extra effort to cut down his weight but maintained that he’s in the best of shape for Saturday’s fight (Sunday in Manila).

“I think everybody is unhappy when they can’t eat," Cotto was quoted as saying by the Las Vegas Sun. “But I’m pretty healthy. I ate well for this fight. My strength will be too much tomorrow night."

As if to demonstrate the electricity generated by the fight, celebrities turned up for the official weigh-in. The Las Vegas Sun reported the likes of New York Giants’ running back Brandon Jacobs; retired boxer Roberto Duran; Puerto Rican champ Juan Manuel Lopez; and Filipino WBA interim super flyweight boss Nonito “The Filipino" Flash" Donaire, Jr.

Roach, Santiago ‘showdown’

While the two protagonists maintained a cordial demeanor towards each other, their respective trainers did add some “tension" to the affair.

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We believe we have an advantage in speed and in power, too. My speed is still there and if you have speed you can create power,

– Manny Pacquiao

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Pacquiao’s guru, Freddie Roach, and Cotto’s trainer Joe Santiago, got into a heated argument, apparently over Cotto’s weight, the Las Vegas Sun reported. But Top Rank boss Bob Arum stood in the way and stopped it cold.

Engaging the opponent’s trainer is nothing new to Roach as the three-time Trainer of the Year awardee exchanged barbs with Floyd Mayweather, Sr., who handled latest Pacquiao KO victim Hatton last May. It is said to be part of Roach’s psy-war strategies.

The two protagonists, though, were leaving it up to their trainers to get into each other’s skin, preferring to settle the issue inside the ring.

"We believe we have an advantage in speed and in power, too. My speed is still there and if you have speed you can create power," Pacquiao said in an Associated Press report.

Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), who reportedly plans to enter the ring on fight night at around 149 lbs., will be gunning for a historic major title in a seventh weight division, after earlier conquests at the flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight, and light welterweight classes.

Additionally, at stake for the “Firepower" showdown is the first-ever World Boxing Council Diamond Belt, an honorary championship for elite boxers like Pacquiao and Cotto. This belt is handcrafted by an artisan in Mexico City and features 18 carat gold fusion with about 800 diamonds, emeralds and rubies, as well as 150 Swarovsky semiprecious stones.

Underdog Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), who is expected to climb the ring a lot heavier than Pacquiao, is poised to keep his WBO belt and prevent the reigning pound-for-pound king from reaching another career milestone at his expense. Observers, however, noted that the diet regimen that Cotto underwent during training might be a factor come fight night.

“If he (Pacquiao) thinks he is going to win seven titles in seven weight divisions now, he has picked the wrong moment, the wrong fighter and the wrong opponent. If he thinks he is going to win the seventh title against Miguel Cotto, he is very wrong," Cotto said.

But the Pacquiao camp will be ready for everything that the 29-year-old from Caguas, Puerto Rico will bring into the ring.

“I truly think Cotto’s going to run around us a little bit because he’s going to try to be more of a counter-puncher in this fight," Roach said.

“I’m not exactly sure if he’s going to try and use his strength early or use his boxing ability early. We’re just prepared for whatever he brings," he added.

And that means even to the point of going toe-to-toe against the bigger and stronger champion.

“One hundred percent. We will trade with him if he wants to, yes," Roach said. - GMANews.TV


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Let's get ready to watch the fight of the year or possibly the best fight of the decade. All is set and only a few hours left for fight night WBO Welterweight Championship Firepower: Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto. Both camps have prepared their strategies and their secret weapons will be revealed tomorrow and let us see who will bring the most efficient and powerful artillery. Ricky Hatton's scud missile of a punch although I can say is considered a powerful weapon in his arsenal never really hit Pacquiao and the Filipino fighter's bombs got him first which landed spot on and with the effectiveness of the US military's MOAB "Daisy Cutter" bomb.

Hopefully, Manny Pacquiao kept his arsenal intact, with his blazing hand speed, quickness in lateral movement and the mighty power of his fists. He'll need it when facing the mysterious strong and tough guy Miguel Cotto. We'll never know what is in store for Pacquiao.

So this coming exchange of blows by two gentlemen of this violent sport of boxing, will reveal the real deal between the two. One who will automatically face the former pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.


Raul B. Romilla
Boxing Fanatico

No doubt, Pacquiao will beat Cotto, says Clinton

Even the secretary of state of the world’s most influential country has no doubt: Manny Pacquiao, the world’s top pound-for-pound boxer, will again reign in the ring.

“Of course, the Pacman is going to win...Is there any doubt?" said US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton when asked by Kapuso and basketball star Chris Tiu during a forum at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila on Friday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gestures during a forum with students at the University of Santo Tomas, the Philippines's oldest, in Manila, Philippines on Friday. Clinton is in the Philippines on a visit to show support for the country's fight against extremists and its efforts to rebuild after three major storms rocked the islands. AP

“Pacman" is Pacquiao’s nickname.

The 67th US Secretary of State’s response drew loud applause in the town hall meeting, attended mostly by students.

Tiu asked Clinton whether she thought Pacquiao would be able to snatch the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown from Miguel Cotto in their highly anticipated Las Vegas match, dubbed “Firepower", on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

The most popular Filipino will be back in the boxing ring in Las Vegas on Saturday to take on Cotto of Puerto Rico in a 145-pound (66-kilogram) fight that will be closely watched back home.

Clinton’s prediction is similar to that of the majority of respondents to a Yahoo! Sports poll, which posted the question, “How will Saturday night’s fight end?"

A big chunk of the 36,338 who had voted so far or about 64 percent believe the Filipino boxing idol is going to win by either knockout or technical knockout.

On the other hand, 17 percent is going for a KO/TKO win for Cotto.

In the event the 12-round title fight goes the distance, Pacquiao still gets a double-digit batting average with 13 percent foreseeing a Pacman-via-decision outcome, and only seven percent favoring a Cotto win by the judges’ cards.

Upon arriving in the so-called “Entertainment Capital of the World", Pacquiao has been established as a 3-1 favorite to win over Cotto in their anticipated “Firepower" showdown on Saturday at the MGM Grand (Sunday in Manila).

Manny Pacquiao, left, and Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto pose for photos during a news conference at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), in Las Vegas. The boxers will face each other in a WBO welterweight championship boxing match on Saturday. AP

The 30-year-old Pacquiao is targeting a historic seventh world title in a seventh weight division, a career milestone that champ Cotto is deadset to foil.

Clinton said she’s aware that boxing and basketball are “pretty big" in the Philippines. Every time Pacquiao steps into the ring, he brings his native Philippines to a virtual standstill.

A Chicago native, Clinton also confessed that the Chicago Bulls were her favorites — until she moved to New York and started backing the Knicks, something she said was “kind of discouraging."

“Now the Knicks are trying maybe to get LeBron James, now that would make it very exciting in New York. So I will watch that. I am not sure exactly what will happen," Clinton said. – With reports from AP


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Confidence level is high for the WBO welterweight challenger and P4P King Manny Pacquiao and even the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is confident of a Pacquiao victory on his fight with WBO Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto. So it's up to Pacquiao to confirm his status as the best boxing fighter the Philippines have ever produced and the best in boxing history even besting the record of the now retired Oscar Dela Hoya.

Boxing fans love surprises and Manny Pacquiao never failed to surprise us boxing fanatics and I hope we will be happily surprised again with the result of this boxing fight. I'm sure Miguel Cotto has prepared something under his sleeve but I hope Pacquiao's ammunitions would do more damage to the other. As the saying goes, "It's better to give than to receive." especially in this sport and hopefully Manny Pacquiao's generosity remains with him inside the boxing ring.

Raul B. Romilla
Boxing Fanatico

Pacquiao Cotto Face to Face in Vegas, Pacquiao flashes his trademark grin

You may notice how focused and serious WBO Welterweight Champ Miguel Cotto is in this face to face pictorial with six time world champion Manny Pacquiao. Unlike the P4P king which flashes his trademark grin on ninety percent of the occasion, which could be a computer geek term of a default setting. We might say the Cotto is dead serious on this fight with the Philippine pride and he doesn't want to show anything which says otherwise. That's right, boxing is a very serious and dangerous profession and staying focused is one vital part of the preparation to make ones campaign successful and keeping ones health in tip top shape before and after the bout. Hats off to Cotto for he intends to keep his title and he wants to prove a point to his detractors that what they believe is wrong, he is the top guy in the welterweight division and the best man to face Floyd Mayweather Jr.

I have read an article once of a boxing writer who even measured Pacquiao's toughness by judging his looks and attitude in front of his opponent. He even thinks that by showing the famous Pac grin to the other boxer especially face to face during photo ops means a show of weakness and fear. And he thinks that Ricky Hatton, the would be opponent that time is so strong that he is hoping that Pacquiao must show some sort of opposition when the fight starts to make the bout interesting. Well we all know what happened when Pacquiao clashed with Hatton inside the ring. And the boxing writer now says that Hatton is not the top dog in that division. The boxing writer's name? Manuel Perez. Mr. Perez says he will quit his writing career if Cotto fails to defeat Manny Pacquiao. Although when Ricky Hatton lost Pacquiao, he argued that Hatton didn't followed his trainer's instructions so he does not consider the best man winning the fight, according to his article. So, expect hallelujahs on top of his lungs if Cotto wins but read next to infinite excuses if otherwise.

You may see Pacman smile a lot, dance on few occasions of his training and keeps that wide grin of his on photo ops even in front of his opponent. Yes, you may add a few guesting on TV shows, making and even promoting his movie, but when it comes to his attitude on training, he really means business and damn dead serious on keeping his winning streak and form. He is competitive in training and during the bouts but unlike other boxers, he enjoys and savors every moment of his successful boxing career. Pacquiao is already living the dream and all he does is thank everyone who have been a party to his success like his boxing fans.


Raul B. Romilla
Boxing Fanatico

Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank

Pacquiao Cotto Preview: Shooting Down the "Cotto Is Shot" Theory

Published: Nov 08 2009 by: Scott Levinson

Miguel Cotto Should not be Written Off Before the Pacquiao-Cotto fight

The common perception among boxing observers is that Miguel Cotto is past his best. They say he’s an old 28, feeling the affects of a long career before he’d prefer to. Like his countrymen Wilfred Benitez and Felix Trinidad, his chronological age was surpassed by his actual ring age. A tough run at 140 followed by a world-class schedule at 147 have left him worn out. The Margarito beating robbed him of his confidence, chin, and edge. The Clottey fight nudged him a little further down the hill. This is Cotto in decline.

You see a battering like the one he absorbed from Margarito, and you can’t help but think it took a ton out of him. We get caught up in the inertia of the thought until we don’t question it anymore. But has this shot version of Cotto really manifested itself or is all this speculation a misnomer? I don’t see a lot of shot fighters beating top guys like Joshua Clottey, they usually fold under what Clottey brought to the table that night. Shot fighters don’t look as good as Cotto looked during portions of that fight. Sure there’s some evidence suggesting he could be a spent force, but is it possible that he is not? Haven’t the experts been wrong before?

Examples Where the Experts Were Wrong

I think back to Holyfield-Tyson I. Holyfield had lost two of his last four, both losses heavily indicative of a fighter on the slide. The Michael Moorer loss and the rubber-match stoppage to Riddick Bowe saw an almost decrepit-looking Evander struggling to show flashes of his prior form. The perception that he was shopworn was much stronger than whatever we may be thinking about Cotto. Some insiders were fearful about what might happen to Evander against an apparently resurgent Tyson. Were the experts correct? More like: What were they thinking?

Then you think of Shane Mosley, presumably well past his prime, putting on a clinic against Margarito, and it should make us hesitant to give fighters this tag the next time around. Remember what most observers were saying about Mosley before that fight? Does what we saw in the ring have any connection to those opinions?

What were people saying about Bernard Hopkins, age 44, a loser in three of his last five, before he fought Kelly Pavlik? Now take that image and juxtapose it against what we saw in the ring that night. Did Pavlik win any 15-second portion of that fight? Not only were the experts wrong, they were as colossally off-the-mark as one can be.

As a young follower of the sport, I remember watching Roberto Duran, the King of reversing form prove the doubters wrong multiple times. Written off after his early-80’s slump, he came back with another successful title run. Then against Iran Barkley years later, he did the same thing, proving that you can’t handicap human beings like horses. Sure a fighter might have a run of troubling performances, but we often jump the gun in writing a guy off. We don’t account for the human spirit, a force that can lift a man to do things his circumstances shouldn’t allow.

Final Thoughts and Looking to Pacquiao vs. Cotto

So we see it’s not an anomaly when a presumably faded fighter is somehow able to hit the “RESET” button for at least one more night. It’s happened before, and it will happen again. Will it happen with Cotto? This writer tends to think there is some truth to the belief that Cotto is damaged goods. But I urge those who share that thought to consider some of these examples, and realize that if we are wrong, it wouldn’t be that big of a shock.

Photo Credit: Ricardo Ricky Romero / Creative Commons 3.0 License

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Indeed Miguel Cotto is a dangerous fighter for Manny Pacquiao and he can't be too complacent come game time. But I'm sure he will follow the fight plan his fighting guru Freddie Roach prepared for this coming fight and being the obedient and diligent student, success is not far from Pacquiao's grasp. Skill is an important factor in every boxing bout but discipline makes one boxer exponentially adept and dangerous inside the ring.

Raul B. Romilla

Boxing Fanatico

Before Pacquiao Cotto: How Many of Manny's Championships are Legitimate

Published: Nov 09 2009 by: Scott Levinson

Manny Pacquiao has claims to six world championships, but how many are legit?

Manny Pacquiao has won titles in six different weight classes (some incorrectly say five), but which ones are legitimate? Who can really sort through the muddled alphabet-soup mess? Well actually, even in the murky confusion, we can often determine a real championship from a spurious title. We must try to establish the differences in quality among the alphabet straps, or even when a fighter is “World Champion” despite being unrecognized as such by the sanctioning bodies. And we must do this “as we go” since the landscape is always changing.

Now with the influx of interim, regular, and super champions, I defy anyone to keep track of it all. A casual fan feels lost and referring to these organizations for clarity will only make it worse. Boxing insiders must rise above it, and develop a consensus and reality that might sometimes exclude the sanctioning bodies.

We cannot withhold World Championship status to a fighter in lieu of title unification, given the impossible obligations that would now entail, the absurd practice of having multiple divisional titlists even within one organization, the politics, and the unwillingness of these groups to work together. We collectively must find a new way, an essence of clarity and truth, and shun those who try to cloud it while supporting those who champion it.

Let’s look at Pacquiao’s championships and see if we can’t determine which ones were legit and which ones were not.

WBC Flyweight Champion (1998-1999)

In December of ’98, Manny knocked out Thai Chatchai Sasakul in eight rounds to win the WBC Flyweight Title. Sasakul, 33-1, was in his third defense after winning the title from Yuri Arbachakov, a prodigious talent, and perhaps the top flyweight of the 90’s. At the time Sasakul relieved him of his belt, Yuri was the recognized #1 guy, undefeated and in his 11^th defense. By “beating the guy that beat the guy,” Pacquiao became “the guy.” His claim as former Flyweight Champion cannot really be challenged on the grounds of merit.

Verdict: Legitimate

IBF Super Bantamweight Champion (2001-03)

After losing his flyweight title, he immediately leapfrogged the 115 and 118 lb. classes to fight at 122. After a “reign” as WBC International Super Bantamweight Champion, he knocked out Lehlo Ledwaba to become IBF Super Bantamweight Champion. Ledwaba, 33-1-1 and in his sixth defense, was a splendid fighter, a classy and talented practitioner with an almost-irrefutable claim as being the #1 guy at junior featherweight. By the time this fight happened, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales had left the division. Their alphabet soup replacements were simply not on Ledwaba’s level.

Verdict: Legitimate

Ring Magazine/Universally Recognized Featherweight Champion (2003-05)

Here we have a situation where we are forced to virtually ignore the sanctioning bodies. In November of ’03, Pacquiao stopped Barrera in 11 rounds. No official title was at stake, but Barrera was the Ring Magazine Featherweight Champion at the time. He first cemented his status by beating #1 Naseem Hamed. Barrera further locked in his position as World Featherweight Champion by exacting revenge against WBC Champion Erik Morales, but he refused the belt. Good enough? I would say so.

We don’t need nor should we require the sanctioning bodies to cosign on what we already know to be true. If they want to get on board, fine, but if not, we must defer to a higher order of reasoning. There is virtually no way one could coherently debate Barrera’s (and therefore Pacquiao’s) championship legitimacy at this weight.

Verdict: Legitimate

WBC Super Featherweight Champion (2008)

Again, we have an alarming gap in reality as we know it compared to the often times Bizarro World of the sanctioning bodies. Why did it take until 2008 before Manny was crowned at junior lightweight by a major sanctioning body? His run at 130 began with his last loss, to Erik Morales in March of ‘05. By the end of ’06, however, he had stopped Morales twice in rematches and was the clear-cut #1 guy. Who else was there? Barrera? Well, he had already lost to Pacquiao before. Marquez? He was still at 126. Manny went on to beat Barrera again at 130, but still had to beat Marquez before getting a major belt. Whatever. He was the best junior lightweight in the world from ’06-’08, hands down.

Verdict: Legitimate

WBC Lightweight Champion (2008)

Nowadays we often hear the term “strap-holder,” which indicates a fighter who holds a belt from a major sanctioning body, but whose claim as World Champion is shaky at best. David Diaz, outclassed by Manny is nine rounds, was a strap-holder. He won the “interim WBC title” when he beat Jose Armando Santa Cruz, and later was named the organization’s champion when “regular” champion Joel Casamayor was stripped. Not exactly spine-tingling stuff.

Pacquiao needed to beat Casamayor to have become the real lightweight champion .You could almost make a case for unified titlist, Nate Campbell, but nobody thought of Diaz as the real lightweight champion. You can argue Casamayor benefited from a robbery against Santa Cruz, who Diaz stopped or that Casamayor was about to lose to Marquez, who Pacquiao beat, therefore Manny was the legitimate champion. You could argue that. And you would lose that argument.

Verdict: Illegitimate

World Junior Welterweight Champion (2009)

In today’s age, it doesn’t get more clear-cut than this. What the alphabet organizations have to say about it is almost irrelevant. I don’t know, nor do I care. Ricky Hatton was the Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion, a distinction he had enjoyed since deposing Kostya Tszyu. By beating Hatton, Pacquiao became, and is still the recognized champion at 140. If his first bout after Cotto does not get made at 140, however, he would rightfully lose that recognition.

Verdict: Legitimate

Let’s Add It All Up! (The Final Verdict)

As of this writing, Manny has won titles in six different weight classes, five of which are legitimate championships. It’s nothing short of ridiculous to deny him his due at featherweight based on sanctioning body technicalities and maneuverings, a fact overlooked by many in the media when summarizing Pacquiao’s accomplishments.

Nevertheless, what Manny has accomplished is a staggering feat, only achievable by fighting the best, which Manny has done in almost every division he has been in. On Saturday, he goes for an unheard-of title in his seventh weight class. Would it be his sixth legitimate championship if he wins? Well, the catch-weight component, as well as the divisional presence of Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather makes that highly debatable. But it would be a good start.

Be sure to keep checking in with ProBoxing-Fans.com for continued coverage on everything related to Pacquiao vs. Cotto. You can take a look at our Pacquiao vs. Cotto preview and prediction and then on the night of the fight check in for Pacquiao Cotto results.

Photo Credit: Mike Gonzalez / Creative Commons 3.0 License

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I posted this article from ProBoxing-fan.com for the benefit of those anti-Pacquiao factions who blindingly question Manny Pacquiao's achievements in boxing. All they can mention is Juan Manuel Marquez won both fights with Pacquiao. I hope this article by Scott Levinson would be an eye opener to those who doubts the P4P king's skills and mastery over his opponents.

Raul B. Romilla

Boxing Fanatico

Sports Writer Thinks Cotto Will Win, Puts His Career On The Line

For sheer guts in the field of sports writing, this one wins them all. We have our own reasons for believing one boxer would win against another maybe because one sports analyst sees and knows something that others don't. Yes, I believe Miguel Cotto has the boxing skills and strength to give Manny Pacquiao a run for his money. But being so overly confident as to give a fearless statement that says that he would end his career for a wrong boxing prediction would simply be like a career suicide. Even asking other boxing fans to join his bet in favor of Cotto. Win or lose, that's a big mistake. He puts not just his name on the line, but also the name of the organization that he is in.

I'm still for fellow countryman Manny Pacquiao, whom I've been an avid boxing fan even before winning his Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation title for fighting Chokchai Chockvivat for the OPBF flyweight title.

Here's my analysis of Manny Pacquiao's skills. He's really, really quick on using his mitts, that's one. Two, he's also a sharpshooter when it comes to his punches, meaning he's not just throwing punches, Pacquiao or the "Pacman" makes sure he hits the target effectively. That plus the extra power punch of the Filipino boxing pride would mean disaster to the opponent. And last but not the least is the variety of his punches that comes from different crazy locations as if fighting not one, but seems fighting ten boxers simultaneously.

Too bad I don't gamble and I'm not willing to bet anything of monetary value. Just national pride and bragging rights.

Below is the statement of the boxing writer that I am mentioning in this blog.

"I still stand by my statement that if Cotto does not beat Pacquiao, I will quit my writing career. Trust me, put your mortgage on Cotto, he is going to stop the little Filipino. Just trust me." said Liam Santiago. [Full story]

Raul B. Romilla
Boxing Fanatico

Pacquiao set to deliver knockout to Cotto, says Roach

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has predicted a knockout by the Filipino southpaw when he challenges Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight title next month.

Roach had initially forecast the November 14 bout in Las Vegas would go the full distance but he has since changed his tune because of his fighter's impressive work in training camp.

"Camp is going very, very well and we are 100 percent ready for the fight," Roach said on a teleconference call with Pacquiao on Wednesday.

"I feel like Manny, the way he is punching right now and with the power has at this weight, is going to knock Cotto out. I am very confident and I look forward to the win.

"I just think Miguel Cotto's defense isn't good enough. He's hittable and people that Manny can hit he knocks out."

Pacquiao, who has a career record of 49-3-2 with 37 knockouts, spent a month training with Roach in the Philippines before returning to Los Angeles this week to complete his preparations.

Although their time in Manila had to be cut short with Pacquiao being distracted by mass local attention, Roach described their trip to Asia as a great success overall.

"We had the best first four weeks we have ever had and Manny was on fire from day one," he said. "We are just getting ready for Miguel Cotto whatever he brings. If he wants to box us or if he wants to fight us, we are ready for both."

Pacquiao, a winner of six world titles in as many different weight divisions who is regarded by many as boxing's best pound-for-pound fighter, is again moving up in weight to take on Cotto.

SPLIT DECISION

He respectfully acknowledged the challenge posed by the Puerto Rican who retained his WBO title with a gruelling split decision win over Ghana's Joshua Clottey in June.

"Cotto is a bigger guy than me, a hard puncher and strong," Pacquiao said. "He is the champion for this fight and I am the challenger.

"So I am not underestimating Cotto's abilities in boxing," added the Filipino, who cemented his status as the sport's top fighter with a stunning second round knockout of Britain's Ricky Hatton in May to claim the IBO light welterweight crown.

Cotto, 34-1 with 27 KOs, is renowned for his punching power, strength and intelligence but Roach firmly believes Pacquiao's speed will give him the upper hand.

"He (Cotto) makes certain adjustments when he fights southpaws and it's something we expect," Roach said. "But he has never fought a guy like Manny Pacquiao with his speed.

"I think he's going to have trouble with that speed. I really don't think he can handle it."

Roach also rebuffed the danger posed by the Puerto Rican's left hook.

"It's pretty strong but I don't think it's the strongest we ever faced though," he said. "Hatton was supposed to be stronger than us also but I had no worries about that because that doesn't win fights.

"Boxing ability will win fights and Manny is a better boxer than him and will show that on the night."

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All I can say that good luck to both fighters but I hope Manny Pacquiao delivers. Do make us proud again Manny and we're counting on you.

boxingfanatico.blogspot.com

Cotto 'won't leave anything to chance' against Pacquiao

A picture of Manny Pacquiao is seen at the ring as Miguel Cotto (left) trains at the Pound4Pound Gym in Los Angeles, on November 3. Cotto will carry the hopes of his native Puerto Rico on his shoulders in November 14 mega-fight against Pacquiao.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - – Miguel Cotto's handlers say they will carefully scrutinize the gloves and hand wraps of Manny Pacquiao before their World Boxing Organization welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.

Miguel Cotto Sr said Tuesday they blundered by not inspecting Antonio Margarito's gloves prior to Cotto's lone career loss in July of last year and vow never to let it happen again.

"We only commit the same error once," said Cotto Sr. "We will never make that mistake again."

The increased vigilance comes after Margarito was caught using "loaded wraps" in his following fight against Shane Mosley in January.

Unlike Cotto, Mosley's trainers entered Margarito's dressing room prior to the fight. There they noticed that a damp hard white powder had been placed in between the rows of wrapping and tape before Margarito put his gloves on for the fight.

It has never been proven that Margarito cheated by using a plaster of Paris type substance for the Cotto fight but suspicions are strong, especially in Cotto's camp and that's the reason for the stepped up inspections of opponents' gloves and wraps.

Cotto, of Puerto Rico, senses he has the public support on this one.

"A loss is a loss. Nobody knows for sure if he uses it with me, or not, just Margarito and his team," said Cotto, after a 90 minute workout at the Pound4Pound Gym in Beverly Hills Tuesday. "But it makes me feel better (about the loss). Boxing fans are knowledgeable. They are the judges."

A classic boxer in the true sense of the word, Cotto is 34-1 with 27 knockouts.

Cotto bristled Tuesday at suggestions by Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach that the first loss is one of the toughest for a previously unbeaten fighter to recover from.

Cotto denied that the loss to Margarito had any negative effect on his confidence in the ring.

"Why don't you ask Manny that question because he has had three losses I have just one," Cotto said.

"My commitment is with myself. In my last fight (Joshua Clottey) I could have stopped the fight (cuts) but I decided to stay in the ring because of my commitment to myself and my family."

"Sometimes when you lose you win. Since Margarito great things have come to my career.

"Where is Margarito right now and where is Miguel Cotto?"

Said Cotto Sr, "We have worked a lot with his mind and staying focused. Mentally he is a strong guy."

Roach is predicting that the November 14 fight at the MGM hotel and casino won't go the distance and that the favoured Pacquiao will knock Cotto out capture his seventh title in seven different weight classes.

"This is the problem," Cotto said. "Freddie Roach is not the guy who is going to climb into the ring. If he prepares Manny for just nine rounds then he has three more rounds.

"He (Roach) can say whatever he wants. One day he says the first round and the next day he says round seven. I'm preparing for 12 rounds and nobody is going to know what will happen until the night of the 14th."

Cotto said he is focusing on this 145-pound bout and doesn't listen to talk about Pacquiao (49-3-2, 27 KOs) possibly fighting Floyd Mayweather in a mega title fight if he beats Cotto.

"He can fight Mayweather as many times as he wants after I beat him," Cotto said.

Cotto respects Pacquiao for the way he has come from modest roots in the Philippines to become a world class boxer who is revered by Filipinos at home and abroad.

"He has earned everything he has," Cotto said. "Manny looked good against Oscar De La Hoya and (Ricky) Hatton. But I'm not Oscar or Hatton. Manny chose the right time to fight Oscar."

Cotto is looking forward to wrapping up training camp, heading to Las Vegas next week and says this is the biggest fight of his life.

"It is the most important fight of my career, but we'll have to see on the 14th if he is the toughest guy I have fought in my career," Cotto said.

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It is just fair for each camp to scrutinize each others wraps and gloves before the fight just to make sure everything is leveled come game time. Discovery of Antonio Margarito's loaded handwraps put into question Miguel Cotto's only loss in his entire career. Just in time for Shane Mosley but too late for Cotto. Just the same, Cotto's camp is wiser now and they can be certain that their prized fighter would be protected from such unfair disadvantage in the future.

Cotto still considers that loss a loss though but he's now less bitter about it. The coming fight will show how the two prepared for the fight and will answer questions whether Cotto retained his ferociousness and confidence or whether Pacquiao will be the first boxer to win 7 world titles.

Then the medical tests. I guess Manny Pacquiao should also make copies of his test results and shove it to Floyd Mayweather Senior's throat who months ago has been claiming based on his observation that Pacquiao could have been using steroids which makes him relentless inside the ring. I love seeing people especially the likes of Floyd Sr. wrong.

Raul B. Romilla

boxingfanatico.blogspot.com

Pacquiao Foe Miguel Cotto To Hold Media Workout

11/03/2009 | 07:36 PM

HOLLYWOOD – World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Miguel Cotto gets to show how ready he is for his Nov. 14 showdown against Manny Pacquiao by holding a media workout in this district of movies and stars Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time).

The 28-year old Puerto Rican is arriving here from Las Vegas, Nevada where he had already been staying as early as the other day.

WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico

Cotto is scheduled to work out at the Pound4Pound gym in La Cienega Boulevard in El Segundo, California, where an open forum will first be held before the champion does his thing in the ring along with trainer Joe Santiago.

The Caguas, Puerto Rico native already broke camp in Tampa, Florida last week and arrived in Las Vegas the other day, two weeks before his highly-anticipated Nov. 14 showdown with the Filipino boxing superstar.

Reports coming from Las Vegas had it that Cotto appeared drained as he try to meet the 145-pound catch weight agreed upon for the welterweight bout dubbed “Firepower" promoted by Top Rank.

Under the fight contract, Cotto is bound to pay $1 million for every pound excess of the agreed catch weight. This will be the first time the Puerto Rican will be fighting below the welterweight limit (147 pounds) since 2006.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, holds his own public workout the following day (Wednesday, Thursday in Manila) at the Wild Card gym here, where he is in his final phase of an eight-week training that began at the Shape-Up gym in Baguio City, Philippines.

As Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) does his media workout, the 30-year old Filipino ring idol (49-3, 37 KOs) will be sparring with regular sparmates Shawn Porter, Rey Beltran and Rashad Holloway also at the famed sweatshop owned by trainer Freddie Roach.

Pacquiao has already sparred close to 130 rounds and is expected to complete their target of 150 by the time his team departs for Las Vegas Monday next week.

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Miguel is a welterweight with a lot of power and fast hands. Miguel has to make his fight. I don’t think Pacquiao will exchange punches with Cotto, who will win by either decision or knockout.

– Carlos Quintana

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Despite being a 2-1 underdog, two world champions are predicting a big win for Cotto.

Compatriots Juan Manuel Lopez and Carlos Quintana have it on record that the Puerto Rican native will be able to pull off an upset.

“Miguel has all the tools to beat Pacquiao," said Lopez, the reigning WBO super-bantamweight champion, in an interview by Primera Hora, a Puerto Rico-based newspaper.

The undefeated champion, however, stressed that should Cotto gets tired the way he did in his last fight against Joshua Clottey during their WBO championship at the Madison Square Garden, he can be in for a big trouble.

“In his last fight, Cotto was a bit tired in the end, and because Manny throws a lot of punches, that could make him tired. And if that happens, he will have problems," said Lopez.

But Quintana, whom Cotto beat via a fifth round technical knockout in a 2007 title fight, believes the champion’s strength will be too much to offset Pacquiao’s speed.

“Miguel is a welterweight with a lot of power and fast hands. Miguel has to make his fight. I don’t think Pacquiao will exchange punches with Cotto, who will win by either decision or knockout," he said. – GMANews.TV


We will all be surprised by how to two fighters start fighting in the ring. Unlike Floyd Mayweather whose boxing style rarely changes and quite predictable, Manny Pacquiao's style still baffles both boxing fans and his opponents alike. We still have to see much of Manny Pacquiao because his last bout is too short to make thorough analysis of Pacman's style. He hardly broke a sweat and I think his sparring partners gave the pound for pound king more trouble than Ricky Hatton. I believe this fight will show the mettle of Manny Pacquiao and who he really is and will be the gauge of future opponents of Pacquiao when its their turn to face the Philippine boxing idol.

Raul B. Romilla
boxingfanatico.blogspot.com

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