Fighters make their Cotto-Pacquiao picks

By Dan Rafael, ESPN Sports

So, who do you like in the big Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao welterweight title bout on Saturday night (HBO PPV) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas? It's the question all boxing fans are talking about as we are just a few days away from the year's biggest, most anticipated fight.

You can read my official pick on our Fight Credential page, but how about some predictions from some famous fighters and former fighters?

• George Foreman (Hall of Famer and former two-time heavyweight champ): I think there would have been a good opportunity for Pacquiao to win if he faced Cotto before he fought Clottey, but now Cotto is thinking defense. I think Cotto is going to pull out a decision, and now because of the terrible beating he took against Margarito, he knows he can't get into a knockdown, drag-out brawl. He's going to be smarter, and I think Cotto wins in a 12 round decision. Pacquiao has been riding high and has beaten some of the best in the world. And it leaves you kind of complacent when you're winning. And even if you don't want it to, sometimes you can't get up for a big fight. And that's a plus for Cotto."

• Mike Tyson (former two-time heavyweight champ): I pick Manny Pacquiao by knockout. I think he will knock him out in (Rounds) 7 or 8. Manny just has too much for Cotto.



• Bernard Hopkins (former middleweight and light heavyweight champ): Pacquiao is going to chop Cotto up. Out of respect, Cotto will get some rounds, but Manny is the Bruce Lee of boxing. His basketball and martial arts background give him that speed agility. You can't tell where his shots are coming from. Unlike Rocky, Bruce Lee was a real dude and so is Manny.

• Joe Calzaghe (former super middleweight and light heavyweight champ): I think Manny Pacquiao is going to be too quick for Cotto. I was ringside when Cotto fought Clottey. He seemed to struggle a bit in that fight and it is hard to say what he will do against a faster, quicker Pacquiao. I know people say Cotto is the bigger guy but I still think Pacquiao beats him in a decision.

• Chad Dawson (interim light heavyweight titlist): Manny Pacquiao, he's the best, he's on top right now.

• Sugar Shane Mosley (welterweight titlist, who has a decision loss to Cotto): It's going to be an interesting fight, and I think Pacquiao better take it very seriously. I think Cotto will win because he's a little bit bigger and is a real welterweight. His power may be enough to overcome Pacquiao's speed. I think Cotto wins in a decision.

• Winky Wright (former junior middleweight champ): If Cotto stays busy, he'll win a decision. I think that Cotto will win the fight, but I thinks it's gonna be a good fight.

• Felix Trinidad (former three-division champ): Manny is a big puncher and a good boxer, but he has never faced a natural welterweight like Miguel. Cotto is the most dangerous fight of Pacquiao's career. On the night of the fight, Pacquiao will still not be a full welterweight. And Cotto is very strong. As the fight plays out, around rounds 7, 8, 9, that's when Cotto starts taking over. I think Cotto will win be decision, but he might even get a knockout. With all of my heart I think Miguel Cotto will win.

• Hector Camacho (former lightweight champ): I'm a Puerto Rican like Cotto, but I like Pacquiao because he has fought better guys, like Oscar De La Hoya. I see him having no problem against Cotto. Cotto is not a smart fighter.

• Carlos Ortiz (Hall of Famer and former two-division champ): Pacquiao is a good boxer and Cotto is a fighter. I'm going to give the edge to Cotto, and not just because he's Puerto Rican, but because of the way he fights. He always comes to fight, he's always in shape. Cotto is going to have the edge. I see him winning by decision, but I do think he can knock Pacquiao out if the chance arrives.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

Custom Search

Video: Pacquiao vs Hatton (HD)

BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com

Custom Search

Larry Merchant Interview on Pacquiao vs Cotto, Mayweather Jr, Mosley, De La Hoya, Hatton and so much More!

By David Tyler, Doghouse Boxing

Larry Merchant needs no introduction. He is considered the greatest television boxing analyst of all time. Larry is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Let’s welcome Larry into the doghouse.

David Tyler – Larry, let’s discuss the Cotto/ Pacquiao mega fight November 14th on HBO PPV. Your thoughts?

Larry Merchant – Well the first thing that comes to mind is that Pacquiao is about a two to one favorite and I think it’s virtually an even fight going in. I think that Pacquiao for the first time since he moved up in weight is fighting a naturally stronger fighter who is a quality fighter in his prime and that will be a really serious test for him.



DT – I agree. How do you see Miguel Cotto presenting problems for Manny Pacquiao?

LM – I think that Cotto unlike Pacquiao is a versatile fighter. He has proven that he can box as well as throw and punch. Maybe the main issue will come down to what happens when Pacquiao hits Cotto with that explosive straight left hand? Also, what speed differential there is between them. Since he has moved up from 130 pounds, Pacquiao has fought three opponents. He had to hit David Diaz enumerable times before stopping him. Everyone remembers his more high profile fights with Oscar who he was just too fast for and Hatton who he just nailed while Hatton was trying to get inside. Hatton couldn’t see the punches coming and lost by a sensational knockout. So going by all that the question is if it turns out to start as a tactical fight who has the edge. Is it the quickness of Pacquiao? If Cotto can handle his punch that may give Cotto the serious edge he needs by being able to put Pacquiao on the defensive.

DT – Cotto has fought some fighters with speed such as Shane Mosley and Zab Judah, they don’t have the speed of Pacquiao. How can Cotto manage the speed issue?

LM – When a fighter moves up in weight and seems to carry his punch with him giving him an edge in speed and punching, that’s difficult to beat and that’s what makes Pacquiao so unusual. What made Ray Robinson so unique was he started as a dominate Welterweight and he was knocking guys out at Middleweight with one punch and that’s not normal. That’s what makes some fighters exceptional and we all know that Pacquiao has that. I don’t think of Pacquiao as a one punch knock out artist. He is boxer, puncher who uses both skills, both controlled in a committed way by that I mean when he boxes he is under full control and when he punches he commits to his punches. So if he can do that to a guy like Cotto then that makes him more of an exception than we already think he is, but I think that Cotto because he can box and has dealt with speed as he did against Mosley and Judah, is what makes him such a serious talent and the question how good does he impose himself on his opponent without endangering himself too much? And near the end of the day in fights like this it often comes down to will and who yields. And that’s something that we don’t know going into this fight.

Larry Merchant

DT – Larry, the Mayweather/ Marquez fight drew almost a million viewers. Do you expect this bout to draw more than a million buyers?

LM – It would seem to have a chance to do very, very, well because it has the fighters on the card who have such strong connections to their fans. I can’t imagine there is a Filipino in America who wouldn’t want to watch this fight or a Puerto Rican. So that’s two serious ethnic groups that are involved and then you have the Mexican American fans who identify pretty closely with Pacquiao and you have Chavez Jr. on the undercard. So you have those three groups heavily involved plus the rest of us degenerates and even Mayweather fans who will watch hoping Pacquiao wins so Mayweather will have the chance to fight Pacquiao. It seems to me that you have the potential to get into the million range and maybe beyond.

DT – I feel somewhat sorry for Cotto in the fact that Freddie Roach and team Pacquiao have been very media friendly and I can’t find anyone supporting Cotto. It seems everyone has given up on Cotto.

LM – I have seen a couple of interviews on television and I was at the Pound for Pound gym on Tuesday and there was a good media turnout. Pacquiao has become a boxing superstar and a phenomenon that has transcended the sport to some degree so it’s natural that with his sensational victory over Hatton and his unexpected victory over Oscar it’s just normal that there would be more star power radiating from him attracting the media. Plus the fact of his having to deal with the typhoon and other issues in the Philippines. When you get a guy like this it’s like every time he fights the preparation becomes bigger than the fight. Now it’s becoming an event. Just think of two guys from places who are not from the United States mainland coming to fight in Vegas and generating enough interest, we are talking about one of the biggest PPV events ever for a non-heavyweight. That in itself is a phenomenon.

DT – Larry, I just can’t find anyone that gives Cotto a chance………..

LM – I give him a chance. I think that it’s an even fight and that certainly means I give him a serious chance.

DT – If I put a gun to your head and said pick one, who would you pick?

Please read the rest of this Interview at DoghouseBoxing.

***

Special thanks to Chee of Doghouse Boxing.

Marshall N. B., Boxing News World

Custom Search

Will The Absence Of A Bad Guy Hurt Pacquiao-Cotto PPV Buys?

By Frank Lotierzo, The Sweet Science

This time two months ago the hype and anticipation for Mayweather-Marquez was just starting to simmer. In the weeks leading up to the bout there really hadn't been all that much interest in it, nor was its outcome in question. It was a widely held opinion that Mayweather was too big, young and physically strong for the smaller Marquez. Asking Marquez to beat Mayweather was like asking the Alexis Arguello who stopped Ray Mancini in their lightweight title bout to beat the Sugar Ray Leonard who beat Thomas Hearns in their welterweight unification fight three weeks earlier. And that just wasn't gonna happen.

Then Mayweather decided to give the fight a needed injection, donning the black hat and assuming the role of the bad guy during the final episodes of HBO's 24/7 and the rest of his interactions in front of the camera and media. Floyd being the astute businessman and manipulator saw that aside from him coming back after a contrived retirement - there really wasn't anything about the fight that made it "must see." The only thing that sparked debate regarding the fight didn't happen until Marquez drank his own urine, and that was short lived.



Mayweather as stated here before is unlikable as a bad guy and is boring and not too interesting as a good guy. In politics everyone says they can't stand negative campaign adds, but every candidate uses them. Why? Because they work. If Floyd knows one thing it's how to adopt the villain role and the buy numbers for his fight with Marquez endorsed that it's his only look. And it can't be overlooked that Mayweather has spent some time around WWE president Vince McMahon during the last few years - and who's made more money and done a better job promoting and selling the good-guy versus the bad-guy scenario than McMahon has? Nobody. It was obvious watching Mayweather during the weeks before the Marquez that he took great notes while being in McMahon's company.

When Mayweather realized the hype for the fight was becoming a little stale he went to work. Floyd's antics began with him ripping writers and fans for not paying the proper homage to him for being the great fighter he believes he is. Then Mayweather started mentioning that he's the greatest fighter in boxing history and how his career accomplishments and ring skills eclipse those of all-time greats such as Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. Simply put Floyd did whatever it took to make fans notice him and he could not have cared less whether or not the coverage about him was negative or positive. Actually Floyd seemed to feed off of the negative publicity he got and went out of his way to be confrontational. As long as he incited people to buy the fight with Marquez, nothing was out of bounds as long as at the end of the day he could count his money on the way to the bank. And he did.

Anyone who knows anything worth knowing about professional boxing knows and gets it that Pacquiao-Cotto is a much better fight than Mayweather-Marquez on paper and the odds are overwhelming that it'll unfold as such in the ring regardless of who wins. But that's not enough in today's society. Whether it's boxing, NFL football or any other sport, sizzle will always sell better than substance. Without pageantry and drama, it's hard to keep fans interested unless they have a vested rooting interest.

As of this writing it's starting to feel that something is missing in regards to the promotion of Pacquiao-Cotto. And that something is probably the fact that other than both Manny and Miguel being great fighters who are willing to fight the best of the best, they're both pretty much nice guys and easy to root for. In truth there's no reason to root against Pacquiao unless you're a big Cotto fan, and vice-versa. During the first episode of HBO's 24/7 we found out that both fighters respect each other and are training hard for the fight, which is not news to anyone. If it wasn't for Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach's openness we wouldn't learn too much from the Pacquiao faction. On the other hand Cotto comes off as if he couldn't be bothered with trying to help promote the fight and is totally focused on training and not talking, a personality trait Pacquiao and Cotto share.

One of the things that makes Pacquiao vs. Cotto such an intriguing fight is the fact that both fighters have shown to all that they're true warriors in the ring and never make excuses for a bad showing or defeat. Both fighters have been tested and have dealt with adversity in superior fashion. Neither goes out of his way to insult their opponents or fans and are only concerned with doing what they're paid to do, and that's fight. The drawback to them being regular guys that can fight their butt off is there's no reason to watch them other than to see a good fight. Never will they denigrate their opponent or say anything inflammatory.

That said, sometimes it takes more than just being a great fighter to spark interest among fringe fans who don't follow boxing and live and die with the result of one particular fighter. The Mayweather-Marquez fight did one million pay-per-view buys less than two months ago despite the knowledge before hand it wasn't going to be a competitive bout. And that was due to Floyd Mayweather going out of his way in doing whatever he could to play the role of the bad guy, hoping the result would be that fans built up such a passionate dislike for him they'd buy the fight just in case he lost.

I'm sure the Pacquiao-Cotto bout will do well based strictly on its substance. However, it would do even better if it had a little more sizzle to wake up the promotion. The problem is neither Pacquiao or Cotto seem as though they have the personal make-up to adopt the role as the villain and put on the black hat. Mayweather came of age during the promotion of his fight with Marquez and showed just by ticking people off and thinking out of the box, a fight where it was impossible to imagine one guy winning actually went over big and had an outstanding buy rate.

Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto have shown they're Mayweather's equal in the ring, but Floyd is their father when it comes to selling a fight, even a presumed mismatch.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

Source: thesweetscience.com

Custom Search

Video exclusive: Freddie Roach breaks down Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto

By Gareth A Davies, telegraph.co.uk

In a series of video exclusives from Telegraph Sport this week with Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym, in LA, the trainer of Manny Pacquiao has insisted that a first round stoppage is possible for Pacquiao against Miguel Cotto.

If Cotto is hurt in the first round, Pacquiao will go for the finish. Roach told me: “Cotto has been hurt six times in his career in the first round, and if we catch him right, we will be looking to capitalise on it. I know I said first round win for Manny a few weeks ago. It is not the most probable outcome, but there is a possibility of it.”

Roach also believes that Pacquiao has advantages in this contest against Cotto, for the WBO welterweight title, because he is a southpaw. “It’s a massive advantage, because the hook is so much closer.” Cotto is also left-handed, like Pacquiao, but tends to take the orthodox stance for most of his activity, though he does switch.

“Cotto will switch,” says Roach. “But we will catch him in the middle of switching.”



Source: telegraph.co.uk

Custom Search

Video: David Haye to defend WBA heavyweight title against mandatory challenger John Ruiz

BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com

After edging giant Nikolai Valuev in a dull but fairly impressive 12-round heavyweight boxing contest in Germany a couple of days ago to get a share of the world title, 29-year old British fighter David Haye sets an ambitious quest to defeat the other world title holders - the Klitscho brothers – and unify the championship. The first obstacle on his path – John Ruiz, the WBA heavyweight mandatory challenger. Check out what Haye has to say about his first defense of the WBA heavyweight title on this video from telegraph.co.uk.


(Source: telegraph.co.uk)

Custom Search

Will Manny Pacquiao v Miguel Cotto be another Hagler-Hearns?

By Gareth A Davies, telegraph.co.uk

Could Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto recreate 8 minutes of ring mayhem as Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns did 24 years ago ?

Promoter Bob Arum thinks it is possible.

Hagler v Hearns, at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, in April 1985, is regarded by many as the most exciting eight minutes in fight history, with Hagler the winner by a technical knockout in the third round. It was Fight of the Year after both men went at it from the opening bell like men possessed.

Miguel Cotto against Manny Pacquiao brings together two fighters who are sporting icons in Puerto Rico and the Philippines respectively, and who are regarded as boxing’s No 3 and No 1 pound-for-pound, respectively, at present.



Cotto, 29, a two-weight world champion, has fought at welterweight for three years, and has been beaten only once in 35 contests, while Pacquiao, 30, attempts to win a seventh world title in a seventh weight division, which has seen him come up over eight years from flyweight to welterweight. He has been beaten twice in his 55-fight career, with two draws.

Although this contest is taking place at 145lbs, Cotto’s World Boxing Organisation welterweight (147lb) crown is on the table.

When Hagler and Hearns met in 1985, for the WBC, WBA and IBF middleweight titles, Hagler was 30, and had lost only twice, much earlier in his career, while Hearns was 26 and had been beaten just once, stopped in the 14th round by Sugar Ray Leonard.

Arum, who promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto, visited both training camps – in Baguio City in the Philippines and Tampa, Florida.

“The way Manny and Miguel are talking about it, it could be like the three-round war between Hagler and Hearns,” the veteran promoter Arum told Telegraph Sport. “The conventional wisdom is that Cotto is best when he’s aggressive, but I don’t know if he feels he can be aggressive with this guy from the get-go. But if Cotto is aggressive, though, it could be a Hagler v Hearns all over again.”



Source: telegraph.co.uk

Custom Search

Pacquiao To Arrive In Vegas Monday

FOX5 News

LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao is due to arrive in Las Vegas Monday night, five days before his highly anticipated bout with WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand.

Pacquiao, known as the “Fighting Pride of the Philippines,” last set foot in the ring back in May, when he floored Ricky Hatton and won the IBO and Ring Magazine Light Welterweight titles in front of a packed house at the same venue.



During that fight, Hatton was knocked down twice in the first round and sent to the mat for the final time at 2:59 into Round 2.

Saturday’s fight has been described as one of the biggest in Pacquiao’s career, as well as a financial gold mine. The 30-year-old is expected to get a much larger share of Pay-Per-View revenues than Cotto.

It is also likely to be a major draw for tourists, although the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority does not project revenues for fight weekends.

Source: fox5vegas.com

Manny Pacquiao

(Source of image: http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091105/i/r3561035453.jpg)

Custom Search

Riches await David Haye in unification series against Klitschkos

By Kevin Mitchell, guardian.co.uk

David Haye could figure in one of the most lucrative fights in the history of boxing en route to becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, according to his American agent, Richard Schaefer.

Schaefer, the chief executive of Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, estimates the potential pot at the end of a two-year rainbow as "tens of millions of pounds" as Haye seeks to capitalise on one of the biggest surprises in the heavyweight division since Hasim Rahman knocked out Lennox Lewis in 2001.

Already Haye has the American cable channel HBO chasing his signature, Schaefer revealed today, as well as the MGM Grand Casino, and he stands to make more money than anyone since Lewis with the World Boxing Association belt he ripped from the giant waist of Nikolai Valuev in Nuremberg on Saturday night. After a mandatory defence, probably in London at either the O2 or Wembley Stadium in the spring against the American John Ruiz, Haye wants a unification fight against either of the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir or Vitali, who hold the three other versions of the titles between them.



The 29-year-old champion says he will retire in two years after unifying the title and defending it a couple of times. He did not rule out a fight with his fellow Londoner Audley Harrison, the Olympic gold medallist who revived his flagging professional career recently by winning the Prizefighter series.

"I think a Haye-Klitschko fight could become one of the biggest fights ever," Schaefer said at Haye's first London press conference since returning from Germany to an ecstatic and unexpected reception at Stansted Airport on Sunday night.

"Right now, the biggest fight ever, financially speaking, was Oscar De La Hoya against Floyd Mayweather, which generated close to $150m in revenues. Haye-Klitschko could certainly match that, if not surpass it, because it would be an event of global proportions."

Haye's trainer and manager, Adam Booth said, "I've had Wembley stadium contacting me already." He added: "David Haye and a Klitschko will be one of the biggest fights in heavyweight history. That's for sure. First things first: get drunk, recover and beat John Ruiz."

Haye stunned the 7ft, 22st 7lb Valuev – as well as the boxing world – by getting a majority verdict, 114-114, 116-112, 116-112, on the judges' scorecards. It is thought the fight drew nearly a million pay-per-view hits on Sky Box Office, netting the new champion close to £5m.

But that, according to Schaefer, is only the start for Haye. "We were waiting for an entertainer to be heavyweight champion of the world again. The last time that really happened was many, many years ago and that was Muhammad Ali."

Source: Guardian.co.uk

David Haye

(Source of image: http://www.europeboxing.com/Euronews/2008/Sports_Network/david_haye_8mar2008.jpg)

Custom Search

HBO Sports: 24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto Series Finale, Nov. 13

SecondsOut.com

On the final installment, Episode #4, of HBO Sports’ 24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto, both camps wind down and the pressure builds as Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto attend mandatory fight week activities preceding their Nov. 14 megafight in Las Vegas.



Prior to the debut of the final episode of 24/7 PACQUIAO/COTTO, the first three episodes will be seen back-to-back, starting at 8:00 p.m. In addition, all four episodes will be seen back-to-back on HBO on Saturday, Nov. 14, starting at 9:30 a.m. The series is also available on HBO On Demand.

On Saturday, Nov. 14 at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT), HBO Pay-Per-View presents “Pacquiao vs. Cotto,” live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The executive producers of 24/7 PACQUIAO/COTTO are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; coordinating producer, Dave Harmon; producers, Scott Boggins and Bentley Weiner; writer, Aaron Cohen. Liev Schreiber narrates.

NOV. 13 EPISODE

Episode #4 (series finale)

Debut: FRIDAY, NOV. 13 (9:30-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 14 (11:00 a.m.), 15 (10:00 a.m., 8:15 p.m.), 16 (7:30 p.m.), 17 (2:30 p.m., 11:45 p.m.) and 19 (10:30 a.m., 10:30 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Nov. 13 (2:10 a.m.), 14 (5:30 p.m.) and 15 (11:50 p.m.)

Source: SecondsOut.com

(Source of image: http://dailycontributor.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Pacquiao-vs-Cotto-24-7.jpg)

Custom Search

OnTheGrind Boxing: Pacquiao vs Cotto Preview With Guests Shawn Porter and Rashad Holloway

FightHype.com

Custom Search