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Sunday 15 November 2009
Pacquiao/Cotto: Freddie's Right – Only One Pac Man in Our Life Time!
By Paul Strauss, East Side Boxing
Manny Pacquiao is such an oddity. There's isn't anyone fighting now like him, and it's a safe bet there never has been anyone like him, including Hammering Hank. The Pac Man can do things no one else in boxing can do, and probably shouldn't try to do. His ability isn't just skill. It's more of gift, something with which only he has been rewarded.
Initially in his matchup with Miguel Cotto it appeared Cotto might be able to give Manny a going over. Cotto was able to land a good solid jab and some hard body shots. He looked bigger, stronger and menacing. He seemed to be very confident and comfortable in the early going. Manny landed some shots as well, but Miguel avoided most and countered well.
Then just when it seemed like Cotto had decided to step things up a bit more in the third round......bam! He got nailed with a right hook. The punch didn't even land on the chin.. It connected more to the side of the head, but Manny's heavy handed punch still put down the stocky Miguel. Cotto seemed more surprised than hurt, but he was a bit more cautious with his aggressiveness in the remaining moments of the round.
In round four, Miguel resumed his attack, and once again used a good jab, and tried to drive Manny back, hoping to get him stationary against the ropes, so he good unload on him with body shots. It looked like he might get his wish, and just as he was again pressing the action.......crunch! This time it was a beautiful shovel hook, which caught Miguel right on the chin. The angle of the punch was perfect, taking advantage of the bent over Miguel, who had gloves along both sides of his head. This time when Miguel went down, he was hurt and befuddled.
Cotto remained dangerous though until about the eighth round. Until that time, he would still show flashes of aggression as he would occasionally land some hard shots. His good jab some times got through and would snap Manny's head back, and every once in a while he would also catch Manny with a lead right.
In several of the rounds, it appeared Manny purposely would take a break, and let Miguel tee off on his body, which I'm sure didn't please Manny's corner. Everyone knows Miguel has one of the best left hooks to the body of any fighter today. But, Manny seemed to take the punches well, and even when a few shots got through his defense, he would do what has become kind of a trade mark with him, and that is to step back a bit and tap his gloves together as a sign of, "Okay, that was pretty good, let's get it on!" That's usually not a good thing for his opponents to see, and Miguel was no exception.
At just about any given moment of Manny's choosing he would explode in a blur, and fire off multiple shots. First, they would be coming in straight lines, then from the side, and from underneath. The phenomenal thing about what Manny does in these moments is to not just move his upper body, but his feet too. There's never been anyone I can recall who has the ability to punch with tremendous power while literally being on the move. It's incredible!
Even when you see it, you know it's not physically possible for someone to do it. But, then when his attack subsides and he steps back, you seen the lumps and cuts starting to form on his opponent's face. You wonder, "How the hell did he just do that?" It's against the laws of physics. Don't you have to be set to punch effectively and especially with power? Henry "Hammering Hank" Armstrong couldn't do that. He was a lot more one dimensional in your chest type of fighter. He always tried to wear down his opponents with volume punching pressure, smothering their shots with his close quarters attack. But, he didn't have Manny's power, speed, or versatility.
In watching Manny over the years, it has become apparent that Freddie Roach helped him become more of a complete fighter. He taught Manny how to use his jab more and develope a great right hook. He also helped Manny improve his defense. But, Manny has been able to take those lessons, and couple them with his ability to defy the laws of nature. No, he can't fly, but he comes damn close to it. It almost seems like he can run at and around his opponent when attacking. There have been other fighters like that, but they're bothersome gnats or insects, buzzing in and out and getting swatted around for their trouble.
Manny is more like a modern day secret weapon, but in his case there are no schematics to study to figure out how it's done. If you're a trainer and you try to have your fighter imitate him, chances are you will get him knocked out. You're just not supposed to be able to do some of the things he is able to do. He jumps in. He repeatedly fires off long lead lefts. He crosses his feet, but not in an awkward fashion. It's more like a calculated run. Call it a cavalry charge with his fists being the heavily armed soldiers, and there you are with just a bow and arrow. Holy crap you think! What's happening here, and why am I on the canvas? Well, by 55 seconds of round twelve, referee Kenny Bayless had seen enough and waived the white flag.
Does all this mean Manny can beat Floyd Mayweather, Jr? Not necessarily, but one thing is for sure. He will do some things Little Money has never seen or experienced. But, of course, Floyd is a phenom in his own right. The hype for that mega matchup renewed itself with vigor after the closing bell of Saturday nights fight at the MGM in Las Vegas. By the time the chatter settles, there might be a new PPV record.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Manny Pacquiao is such an oddity. There's isn't anyone fighting now like him, and it's a safe bet there never has been anyone like him, including Hammering Hank. The Pac Man can do things no one else in boxing can do, and probably shouldn't try to do. His ability isn't just skill. It's more of gift, something with which only he has been rewarded.
Initially in his matchup with Miguel Cotto it appeared Cotto might be able to give Manny a going over. Cotto was able to land a good solid jab and some hard body shots. He looked bigger, stronger and menacing. He seemed to be very confident and comfortable in the early going. Manny landed some shots as well, but Miguel avoided most and countered well.
Then just when it seemed like Cotto had decided to step things up a bit more in the third round......bam! He got nailed with a right hook. The punch didn't even land on the chin.. It connected more to the side of the head, but Manny's heavy handed punch still put down the stocky Miguel. Cotto seemed more surprised than hurt, but he was a bit more cautious with his aggressiveness in the remaining moments of the round.
In round four, Miguel resumed his attack, and once again used a good jab, and tried to drive Manny back, hoping to get him stationary against the ropes, so he good unload on him with body shots. It looked like he might get his wish, and just as he was again pressing the action.......crunch! This time it was a beautiful shovel hook, which caught Miguel right on the chin. The angle of the punch was perfect, taking advantage of the bent over Miguel, who had gloves along both sides of his head. This time when Miguel went down, he was hurt and befuddled.
Cotto remained dangerous though until about the eighth round. Until that time, he would still show flashes of aggression as he would occasionally land some hard shots. His good jab some times got through and would snap Manny's head back, and every once in a while he would also catch Manny with a lead right.
In several of the rounds, it appeared Manny purposely would take a break, and let Miguel tee off on his body, which I'm sure didn't please Manny's corner. Everyone knows Miguel has one of the best left hooks to the body of any fighter today. But, Manny seemed to take the punches well, and even when a few shots got through his defense, he would do what has become kind of a trade mark with him, and that is to step back a bit and tap his gloves together as a sign of, "Okay, that was pretty good, let's get it on!" That's usually not a good thing for his opponents to see, and Miguel was no exception.
At just about any given moment of Manny's choosing he would explode in a blur, and fire off multiple shots. First, they would be coming in straight lines, then from the side, and from underneath. The phenomenal thing about what Manny does in these moments is to not just move his upper body, but his feet too. There's never been anyone I can recall who has the ability to punch with tremendous power while literally being on the move. It's incredible!
Even when you see it, you know it's not physically possible for someone to do it. But, then when his attack subsides and he steps back, you seen the lumps and cuts starting to form on his opponent's face. You wonder, "How the hell did he just do that?" It's against the laws of physics. Don't you have to be set to punch effectively and especially with power? Henry "Hammering Hank" Armstrong couldn't do that. He was a lot more one dimensional in your chest type of fighter. He always tried to wear down his opponents with volume punching pressure, smothering their shots with his close quarters attack. But, he didn't have Manny's power, speed, or versatility.
In watching Manny over the years, it has become apparent that Freddie Roach helped him become more of a complete fighter. He taught Manny how to use his jab more and develope a great right hook. He also helped Manny improve his defense. But, Manny has been able to take those lessons, and couple them with his ability to defy the laws of nature. No, he can't fly, but he comes damn close to it. It almost seems like he can run at and around his opponent when attacking. There have been other fighters like that, but they're bothersome gnats or insects, buzzing in and out and getting swatted around for their trouble.
Manny is more like a modern day secret weapon, but in his case there are no schematics to study to figure out how it's done. If you're a trainer and you try to have your fighter imitate him, chances are you will get him knocked out. You're just not supposed to be able to do some of the things he is able to do. He jumps in. He repeatedly fires off long lead lefts. He crosses his feet, but not in an awkward fashion. It's more like a calculated run. Call it a cavalry charge with his fists being the heavily armed soldiers, and there you are with just a bow and arrow. Holy crap you think! What's happening here, and why am I on the canvas? Well, by 55 seconds of round twelve, referee Kenny Bayless had seen enough and waived the white flag.
Does all this mean Manny can beat Floyd Mayweather, Jr? Not necessarily, but one thing is for sure. He will do some things Little Money has never seen or experienced. But, of course, Floyd is a phenom in his own right. The hype for that mega matchup renewed itself with vigor after the closing bell of Saturday nights fight at the MGM in Las Vegas. By the time the chatter settles, there might be a new PPV record.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
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It Was Almost As If There Were Two Of Him In The Ring
By Ron Borges, The Sweet Science
LAS VEGAS – Freddie Roach had predicted an early knockout for Manny Pacquiao Saturday night. Miguel Cotto wishes he was right.
For nearly 12 rounds Pacquiao battered the WBO welterweight champion the way the typhoon that had driven Pacquiao out of his training camp and back to Roach’s gym in Hollywood had battered the Philippines last month. By the time referee Kenny Bayless stepped in at :55 of the 12th round and stopped what had become a mugging rounds earlier Cotto’s face was barely recognizable, his spirit was broken and his world title was gone.
His cheeks were bruised and so puffy his eyes were half closed. His lips were swollen to the point where it looked as if he’d overdosed on collagen injections between rounds. As he stood in his corner, broken and beaten, his mother came to his side and held his hand, kissing his fingers as if trying to comfort a small boy who had run into the town bully on his way home from school.
Cotto had spent much of the second half of the fight in almost constant retreat, circling on his toes and seldom throwing anything at Pacquiao with authority because he knew if he did the beating he was taking was only going to get worse. Yet not even retreat allowed him to avoid what became a constant onslaught from Pacquiao for which he had no answers and no defense.
“I couldn’t see where the punches were coming from,’’ Cotto admitted. “I couldn’t protect myself.’’
His corner should have but they didn’t, allowing him to go out for the final round when it was clear he had no chance to win and was absorbing almost constant punishment. When Pacquiao again drilled him with a stinging combination that drove him into the turnbuckle, Bayless stepped in and mercifully ended what had become a nightmarish affair for Cotto and a glorious one for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao had by then rearranged Cotto’s features, battering his face until it was all but unrecognizable. From the second round on, Pacquiao’s superior hand speed and movement had allowed him to control matters, catching him time after time with fierce combinations that quickly transformed a proud champion into a pacifist unwilling and unwanting to throw punches because he was spending much of his time using both hands to try and smother the assault he was under.
The fight started cautiously enough with both men measuring the other but taking few chances. Cotto flicked his jab and tried to land a left hook over Pacquiao’s right while scoring to the body on several occasions in the opening round but that quickly changed in Round 2 with both flurrying more and Pacquiao turning up the pressure and quickly changing angles to try and confuse Cotto.
Pacquiao dropped Cotto to his gloves with a short right hook with more than two minutes still left in Round 3 but that seemed only to enrage Cotto, who attacked, pushing Pacquiao back into the ropes. The two had several fiery exchanges and in Round 4 Cotto seemed to have Pacquiao trapped on the ropes for most of the round when suddenly Pacquiao reversed the situation, flurrying as he did. Cotto went to the ropes and was hit with a right hand and a following left hook that snapped his head around and sent him to the floor a second time. For all intents and purposes the fight was over at that point.
“Manny fought Cotto’s fight too much early,’’ Roach said, “but as the fight went on Manny’s speed was too much for him. It should have been stopped three rounds sooner when he began to run.
“Manny broke him down. His hand speed was too much. His in and out movement was too much. Once I saw him backing up I knew it was over.’’
Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO) was calm in the early rounds even when Cotto was landing some snapping punches and pressuring him into retreat. All along he kept waiting for the moment that quickly came, the one where he could unleash his fury on Cotto and begin what would become a systematic demolition of the welterweight champion.
“I was looking for the knockout shot,’’ Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO) said. “That’s why I didn’t throw a lot of punches. Then I landed a good right hook.
“The key to the fight was to stay disciplined. We didn’t panic in the ring (early). I needed time to test his power. As the fight went on I was looking for a one-shot knockout.’’
He didn’t get that but when Cotto arose from the second knockdown round four was nearly done. As it turned out, so was he.
There was already a bruise under his right eye and as he sat on his stool he wore the blank expression of a man lost in the wilderness as his trainer, Joe Santiago, vigorously rubbed his scalp to revive him. Cotto survived the next round by staying in a defensive shell but Pacquiao continued to outquick him and change angles, always seeming to be a move – and two punches - ahead of him.
The champion’s last stand came in Round 6 when the two were at close quarters most of the round and engaged in several furious back-and-forth flurries. But once again Pacquiao got the final word in, a stinging left hand near the end of the round that rocked Cotto, sending him backwards once again. Cotto quickly spun off the ropes this time and pushed Pacquiao away before he could land another blow but by then the Filipino’s speed was taking a heavy toll on Cotto’s features.
“He hit harder than we expected,’’ said Cotto’s trainer, Joe Santiago. “He was a lot stronger than we expected.’’
For the rest of the night Cotto settled into a defensive shell, his hands held high, staying on his toes and circling away with the wary look of a beaten animal in his fast-closing eyes.
Round after round the story never changed. Pacquiao would blister Cotto with fast flurries that bent him over or sent him backwards and then Cotto would retreat only to soon enough be assaulted once again. He had no answer to any of this except to bravely try to hold on until the Filipino storm had blown over.
This, and little more, is what he did until Bayless finally said what Cotto’s father had been hollering for several rounds - “Enough!’’
But that was well after he was rocked again in the ninth round by another combination that sent him back to the ropes and although he briefly escaped it soon happened again and then a third time. With each crushing flurry, Cotto’s face continued to swell like an angry blowfish, his eyes now little more than slits.
“I didn’t protect myself,’’ Cotto said before leaving for a full head and body scan at University Trauma Center. “He threw from all angles.’’
Worse than that, he landed from all angles. No matter where Cotto turned there was no route of escape, no safe haven, nowhere to turn. Pacquiao seemed to be everywhere. It was almost as if there were two of him in the ring.
There was not however because there is only one Manny Pacquiao. Of that, Miguel Cotto, and all of boxing, can be quite sure.
Source: thesweetscience.com
LAS VEGAS – Freddie Roach had predicted an early knockout for Manny Pacquiao Saturday night. Miguel Cotto wishes he was right.
For nearly 12 rounds Pacquiao battered the WBO welterweight champion the way the typhoon that had driven Pacquiao out of his training camp and back to Roach’s gym in Hollywood had battered the Philippines last month. By the time referee Kenny Bayless stepped in at :55 of the 12th round and stopped what had become a mugging rounds earlier Cotto’s face was barely recognizable, his spirit was broken and his world title was gone.
His cheeks were bruised and so puffy his eyes were half closed. His lips were swollen to the point where it looked as if he’d overdosed on collagen injections between rounds. As he stood in his corner, broken and beaten, his mother came to his side and held his hand, kissing his fingers as if trying to comfort a small boy who had run into the town bully on his way home from school.
Cotto had spent much of the second half of the fight in almost constant retreat, circling on his toes and seldom throwing anything at Pacquiao with authority because he knew if he did the beating he was taking was only going to get worse. Yet not even retreat allowed him to avoid what became a constant onslaught from Pacquiao for which he had no answers and no defense.
“I couldn’t see where the punches were coming from,’’ Cotto admitted. “I couldn’t protect myself.’’
His corner should have but they didn’t, allowing him to go out for the final round when it was clear he had no chance to win and was absorbing almost constant punishment. When Pacquiao again drilled him with a stinging combination that drove him into the turnbuckle, Bayless stepped in and mercifully ended what had become a nightmarish affair for Cotto and a glorious one for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao had by then rearranged Cotto’s features, battering his face until it was all but unrecognizable. From the second round on, Pacquiao’s superior hand speed and movement had allowed him to control matters, catching him time after time with fierce combinations that quickly transformed a proud champion into a pacifist unwilling and unwanting to throw punches because he was spending much of his time using both hands to try and smother the assault he was under.
The fight started cautiously enough with both men measuring the other but taking few chances. Cotto flicked his jab and tried to land a left hook over Pacquiao’s right while scoring to the body on several occasions in the opening round but that quickly changed in Round 2 with both flurrying more and Pacquiao turning up the pressure and quickly changing angles to try and confuse Cotto.
Pacquiao dropped Cotto to his gloves with a short right hook with more than two minutes still left in Round 3 but that seemed only to enrage Cotto, who attacked, pushing Pacquiao back into the ropes. The two had several fiery exchanges and in Round 4 Cotto seemed to have Pacquiao trapped on the ropes for most of the round when suddenly Pacquiao reversed the situation, flurrying as he did. Cotto went to the ropes and was hit with a right hand and a following left hook that snapped his head around and sent him to the floor a second time. For all intents and purposes the fight was over at that point.
“Manny fought Cotto’s fight too much early,’’ Roach said, “but as the fight went on Manny’s speed was too much for him. It should have been stopped three rounds sooner when he began to run.
“Manny broke him down. His hand speed was too much. His in and out movement was too much. Once I saw him backing up I knew it was over.’’
Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO) was calm in the early rounds even when Cotto was landing some snapping punches and pressuring him into retreat. All along he kept waiting for the moment that quickly came, the one where he could unleash his fury on Cotto and begin what would become a systematic demolition of the welterweight champion.
“I was looking for the knockout shot,’’ Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO) said. “That’s why I didn’t throw a lot of punches. Then I landed a good right hook.
“The key to the fight was to stay disciplined. We didn’t panic in the ring (early). I needed time to test his power. As the fight went on I was looking for a one-shot knockout.’’
He didn’t get that but when Cotto arose from the second knockdown round four was nearly done. As it turned out, so was he.
There was already a bruise under his right eye and as he sat on his stool he wore the blank expression of a man lost in the wilderness as his trainer, Joe Santiago, vigorously rubbed his scalp to revive him. Cotto survived the next round by staying in a defensive shell but Pacquiao continued to outquick him and change angles, always seeming to be a move – and two punches - ahead of him.
The champion’s last stand came in Round 6 when the two were at close quarters most of the round and engaged in several furious back-and-forth flurries. But once again Pacquiao got the final word in, a stinging left hand near the end of the round that rocked Cotto, sending him backwards once again. Cotto quickly spun off the ropes this time and pushed Pacquiao away before he could land another blow but by then the Filipino’s speed was taking a heavy toll on Cotto’s features.
“He hit harder than we expected,’’ said Cotto’s trainer, Joe Santiago. “He was a lot stronger than we expected.’’
For the rest of the night Cotto settled into a defensive shell, his hands held high, staying on his toes and circling away with the wary look of a beaten animal in his fast-closing eyes.
Round after round the story never changed. Pacquiao would blister Cotto with fast flurries that bent him over or sent him backwards and then Cotto would retreat only to soon enough be assaulted once again. He had no answer to any of this except to bravely try to hold on until the Filipino storm had blown over.
This, and little more, is what he did until Bayless finally said what Cotto’s father had been hollering for several rounds - “Enough!’’
But that was well after he was rocked again in the ninth round by another combination that sent him back to the ropes and although he briefly escaped it soon happened again and then a third time. With each crushing flurry, Cotto’s face continued to swell like an angry blowfish, his eyes now little more than slits.
“I didn’t protect myself,’’ Cotto said before leaving for a full head and body scan at University Trauma Center. “He threw from all angles.’’
Worse than that, he landed from all angles. No matter where Cotto turned there was no route of escape, no safe haven, nowhere to turn. Pacquiao seemed to be everywhere. It was almost as if there were two of him in the ring.
There was not however because there is only one Manny Pacquiao. Of that, Miguel Cotto, and all of boxing, can be quite sure.
Source: thesweetscience.com
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Pacquiao bloodies Cotto to affirm dominance
By GEORGE WILLIS, New York Post
LAS VEGAS -- The legend of Manny Pacquiao reached a new level last night, not only with his winning a world title in a record seventh weight division, but also proving he's clearly the most exciting fighter in boxing.
Using a brilliant combination of speed and power, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) administered a systematic beating to Miguel Cotto before referee Kenny Bayless mercifully stopped the fight 55 seconds into the 12th round.
"I didn't know where the [punches] were coming [from]," Cotto said, "and I didn't protect myself from those punches."
Chants of "We want Floyd," rang out at a sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena as Pacquiao laid claim to the WBO welterweight championship and added fuel to a potential showdown with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather in 2010. It's a fight that has to happen now that Pacquiao easily handled one of the top welterweights in the division.
"My job is the fight in the ring," Pacquiao said. "It's the promoter who makes the fight."
Pacquiao fought magnificently. He withstood all of Cotto's power punches, while dropping Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) in the third and fourth rounds to take control of the bout. The fight should have been stopped after the ninth round. By then, Cotto was bleeding from the mouth and had an ugly mouse under his right eye. His face was a mess, looking much like it did in his loss to Antonio Margarito in July 2008.
"He was stronger than we expected," Cotto's trainer, Joe Santiago said of Pacquiao. "He was faster than we expected."
Pacquiao seemed to pull back his assault over the final three rounds, as if trying not to inflict too much damage. Cotto's corner refused to stop the fight, leaving it to Bayless to step in 55 seconds into the 12th round.
"Manny's speed was too much," said Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach. "His in-and-out motion was too fast. Manny broke him down."
Pacquiao's speed began to show in the third round, when he caught Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) with a right hook that dropped the Puerto Rican to a knee. It was more of flash knockdown as Cotto got up and began to land his own punches, countering amid Pacquiao's burst of fire.
Cotto frequently went to Pacquiao's body looking to slow down the Filipino. At one point in the fourth, Pacquiao stayed on the ropes in rope-a-dope fashion. But he battled off the ropes and landed a clean left hook that dropped Cotto for the second time in the fight. The Puerto Rican was staggered but saved by the bell.
Cotto regained his senses in the sixth and stalled Pacquiao's assault with a hard right hand along the ropes. But Pacquiao kept up the pressure.
Entering the eighth round, Cotto needed to do something to turn the fight in his favor. But Pacquiao couldn't be stopped. He began to walk through Cotto's punches, hitting the Puerto Rican with just about everything he threw.
Cotto's best chance to win coming in was to use his strength and his will to break down Pacquiao. But it was Pacquiao whose power and will were dominant. By the ninth, Cotto was spitting blood, his face starting to look a mess. At this point, his corner should have stopped the fight.
"I wanted to fight," Cotto said. "It was my decision."
In the other televised undercard bouts, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. remained unbeaten with a unspectacular unanimous decision over Troy Rowland, and Alfonso Gomez won a technical six-round decision over Jesus Soto-Karass of Mexico. The fight was stopped because of a bad cut Gomez suffered from a head butt.
george.willis@nypost.com
Source: nypost.com
LAS VEGAS -- The legend of Manny Pacquiao reached a new level last night, not only with his winning a world title in a record seventh weight division, but also proving he's clearly the most exciting fighter in boxing.
Using a brilliant combination of speed and power, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) administered a systematic beating to Miguel Cotto before referee Kenny Bayless mercifully stopped the fight 55 seconds into the 12th round.
"I didn't know where the [punches] were coming [from]," Cotto said, "and I didn't protect myself from those punches."
Chants of "We want Floyd," rang out at a sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena as Pacquiao laid claim to the WBO welterweight championship and added fuel to a potential showdown with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather in 2010. It's a fight that has to happen now that Pacquiao easily handled one of the top welterweights in the division.
"My job is the fight in the ring," Pacquiao said. "It's the promoter who makes the fight."
Pacquiao fought magnificently. He withstood all of Cotto's power punches, while dropping Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) in the third and fourth rounds to take control of the bout. The fight should have been stopped after the ninth round. By then, Cotto was bleeding from the mouth and had an ugly mouse under his right eye. His face was a mess, looking much like it did in his loss to Antonio Margarito in July 2008.
"He was stronger than we expected," Cotto's trainer, Joe Santiago said of Pacquiao. "He was faster than we expected."
Pacquiao seemed to pull back his assault over the final three rounds, as if trying not to inflict too much damage. Cotto's corner refused to stop the fight, leaving it to Bayless to step in 55 seconds into the 12th round.
"Manny's speed was too much," said Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach. "His in-and-out motion was too fast. Manny broke him down."
Pacquiao's speed began to show in the third round, when he caught Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) with a right hook that dropped the Puerto Rican to a knee. It was more of flash knockdown as Cotto got up and began to land his own punches, countering amid Pacquiao's burst of fire.
Cotto frequently went to Pacquiao's body looking to slow down the Filipino. At one point in the fourth, Pacquiao stayed on the ropes in rope-a-dope fashion. But he battled off the ropes and landed a clean left hook that dropped Cotto for the second time in the fight. The Puerto Rican was staggered but saved by the bell.
Cotto regained his senses in the sixth and stalled Pacquiao's assault with a hard right hand along the ropes. But Pacquiao kept up the pressure.
Entering the eighth round, Cotto needed to do something to turn the fight in his favor. But Pacquiao couldn't be stopped. He began to walk through Cotto's punches, hitting the Puerto Rican with just about everything he threw.
Cotto's best chance to win coming in was to use his strength and his will to break down Pacquiao. But it was Pacquiao whose power and will were dominant. By the ninth, Cotto was spitting blood, his face starting to look a mess. At this point, his corner should have stopped the fight.
"I wanted to fight," Cotto said. "It was my decision."
In the other televised undercard bouts, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. remained unbeaten with a unspectacular unanimous decision over Troy Rowland, and Alfonso Gomez won a technical six-round decision over Jesus Soto-Karass of Mexico. The fight was stopped because of a bad cut Gomez suffered from a head butt.
george.willis@nypost.com
Source: nypost.com
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Manny The Magnificent! Pacquiao Brutalises Cotto - Mayweather Next?
By James Slater, East Side Boxing
Last night in Las Vegas, Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao further solidified his status as an all-time great, as he brutalised an incredibly brave Miguel Cotto on the way to a 12th-round TKO victory. Managing to turn a fight that, going in was pretty much deemed close to a 50-50 affair, Pacquiao dominated, busted up, knocked down and eventually TKO'd the gutsy Puerto Rican with just less than a minute gone in the 12th and final round.
In so doing, the amazing Filipino southpaw, who turned pro down at 106-pounds, once again made us talk of him as a modern day Henry Armstrong. In fact, as high praise as it may be, maybe Pacquiao is even better than that. Winning virtually every round last night, the 30-year-old dynamo looked better than ever. Indeed, phenomenal is a word that has to be used when describing the fistic talents of "Pac-Man.."
Blurring and fast, even up at welterweight, a weight where Pacquiao has also retained his crunching punching power, Manny had way too much for the natural 147-pounder (who, of course, had to come in at 145 for the bout). Now the holder of the WBO welterweight crown, Pacquiao also remains firmly positioned atop the pound-for-pound lists.
The fight, as great as Manny's performance was, was tough to watch at times, as the sustained beating Cotto took was fierce. Dropped twice in the earlier rounds, the Puerto Rican favourite took one helluva hammering. Busted up, cut and swollen, the younger man may well have taken so much punishment he will never be the same fighter again. Antonio Margarito punished Cotto, and Pacquiao did even more damage.
Should Cotto, as brave as he was, have been pulled out - say around the 7th or 8th round? I think so. Instead, his corner allowing him to continue, and Cotto soaked up more punches, even though he was largely on the back foot in the last couple of rounds. Cotto deserves immense credit for the courage he showed, but will he ever want to fight again now? Only time will tell.
As for superstar Pacquiao, he will fight again, probably in March. And we all know who we want him to get it on with. But will Floyd Mayweather Junior be able to agree to terms to take the fight - a fight that would be the biggest match-up fought at 147 since the days of Leonard and Hearns. We can only hope so.
As to who would win if the two greats met at welterweight - going by last night's superb performance, Pacquiao would have to be given an excellent chance. Showing he can take a good shot from a welterweight, as he was tagged a number of times by the strong-punching Cotto, Pacquiao was never wobbled or visibly hurt.
Yes, "Money" is a better pure boxer than both Pacquiao and Cotto, but would he be able to hurt or discourage the lethal southpaw? It's too early to talk predictions with regards to "Pac-Man Vs. Money," but fans everywhere will now be calling for this natural of a mega-fight.
Is Manny Pacquiao the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of his generation? There is only one more fighter who needs to be beaten before "Pac-Man" can claim such a distinction.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Last night in Las Vegas, Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao further solidified his status as an all-time great, as he brutalised an incredibly brave Miguel Cotto on the way to a 12th-round TKO victory. Managing to turn a fight that, going in was pretty much deemed close to a 50-50 affair, Pacquiao dominated, busted up, knocked down and eventually TKO'd the gutsy Puerto Rican with just less than a minute gone in the 12th and final round.
In so doing, the amazing Filipino southpaw, who turned pro down at 106-pounds, once again made us talk of him as a modern day Henry Armstrong. In fact, as high praise as it may be, maybe Pacquiao is even better than that. Winning virtually every round last night, the 30-year-old dynamo looked better than ever. Indeed, phenomenal is a word that has to be used when describing the fistic talents of "Pac-Man.."
Blurring and fast, even up at welterweight, a weight where Pacquiao has also retained his crunching punching power, Manny had way too much for the natural 147-pounder (who, of course, had to come in at 145 for the bout). Now the holder of the WBO welterweight crown, Pacquiao also remains firmly positioned atop the pound-for-pound lists.
The fight, as great as Manny's performance was, was tough to watch at times, as the sustained beating Cotto took was fierce. Dropped twice in the earlier rounds, the Puerto Rican favourite took one helluva hammering. Busted up, cut and swollen, the younger man may well have taken so much punishment he will never be the same fighter again. Antonio Margarito punished Cotto, and Pacquiao did even more damage.
Should Cotto, as brave as he was, have been pulled out - say around the 7th or 8th round? I think so. Instead, his corner allowing him to continue, and Cotto soaked up more punches, even though he was largely on the back foot in the last couple of rounds. Cotto deserves immense credit for the courage he showed, but will he ever want to fight again now? Only time will tell.
As for superstar Pacquiao, he will fight again, probably in March. And we all know who we want him to get it on with. But will Floyd Mayweather Junior be able to agree to terms to take the fight - a fight that would be the biggest match-up fought at 147 since the days of Leonard and Hearns. We can only hope so.
As to who would win if the two greats met at welterweight - going by last night's superb performance, Pacquiao would have to be given an excellent chance. Showing he can take a good shot from a welterweight, as he was tagged a number of times by the strong-punching Cotto, Pacquiao was never wobbled or visibly hurt.
Yes, "Money" is a better pure boxer than both Pacquiao and Cotto, but would he be able to hurt or discourage the lethal southpaw? It's too early to talk predictions with regards to "Pac-Man Vs. Money," but fans everywhere will now be calling for this natural of a mega-fight.
Is Manny Pacquiao the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of his generation? There is only one more fighter who needs to be beaten before "Pac-Man" can claim such a distinction.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
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Pacquiao stops Cotto to win seventh world title
By Mark Lamport-Stokes, REUTERS
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao enhanced his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world with a commanding win over holder Miguel Cotto to claim the WBO welterweight title on Saturday.
The Filipino southpaw stopped his opponent 55 seconds into the 12th and final round to win a seventh world title in an unprecedented seventh weight class.
Pacquiao twice knocked the Puerto Rican to the canvas in the earlier rounds at the MGM Grand Garden Arena before referee Kenny Bayless ended the fight after Pacquiao had pummelled his opponent with a flurry of combinations against the ropes.
"Our plan was not to hurry and to take our time because we knew his strategy," a beaming Pacquiao said in a ringside television interview.
"We knew he was going to counter and that's what he did. We were very careful in the early rounds."
Cotto, whose was cut above the right eye and had his nose bloodied after being repeatedly battered by Pacquiao's jabs and punches, said: "Manny is one of the best."
Watched by a sell-out crowd that included basketball great Magic Johnson and Hollywood actors Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, Cotto landed a couple of telling left jabs in the opening round to hold an early advantage.
Both fighters picked up the pace in the second round, exchanging thumping jabs and body punches before Pacquiao began to take control.
Pacquiao, who improved to 50-3-2 with 38 knockouts, dropped Cotto to the canvas with a searing right hook in the third round and later pinned his opponent to the ropes with a series of combinations.
Cotto struck Pacquiao with a left uppercut late in the round and landed a right uppercut in the fourth before he was again knocked to the canvas by a Pacquiao uppercut.
The frenetic pace continued in the fifth and sixth rounds, although the Filipino maintained overall dominance by cleverly mixing left jabs with right hooks.
In the seventh, Pacquiao landed a thudding hook and then an uppercut to leave Cotto reeling and he kept the Puerto Rican on the back foot in the eighth, twice pinning him to the ropes with a flurry of jabs.
In the ninth, Pacquiao forced Cotto to back-peddle into the corner with a furious onslaught before twice more battering his opponent against the ropes.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Source: uk.reuters.com
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao enhanced his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world with a commanding win over holder Miguel Cotto to claim the WBO welterweight title on Saturday.
The Filipino southpaw stopped his opponent 55 seconds into the 12th and final round to win a seventh world title in an unprecedented seventh weight class.
Pacquiao twice knocked the Puerto Rican to the canvas in the earlier rounds at the MGM Grand Garden Arena before referee Kenny Bayless ended the fight after Pacquiao had pummelled his opponent with a flurry of combinations against the ropes.
"Our plan was not to hurry and to take our time because we knew his strategy," a beaming Pacquiao said in a ringside television interview.
"We knew he was going to counter and that's what he did. We were very careful in the early rounds."
Cotto, whose was cut above the right eye and had his nose bloodied after being repeatedly battered by Pacquiao's jabs and punches, said: "Manny is one of the best."
Watched by a sell-out crowd that included basketball great Magic Johnson and Hollywood actors Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, Cotto landed a couple of telling left jabs in the opening round to hold an early advantage.
Both fighters picked up the pace in the second round, exchanging thumping jabs and body punches before Pacquiao began to take control.
Pacquiao, who improved to 50-3-2 with 38 knockouts, dropped Cotto to the canvas with a searing right hook in the third round and later pinned his opponent to the ropes with a series of combinations.
Cotto struck Pacquiao with a left uppercut late in the round and landed a right uppercut in the fourth before he was again knocked to the canvas by a Pacquiao uppercut.
The frenetic pace continued in the fifth and sixth rounds, although the Filipino maintained overall dominance by cleverly mixing left jabs with right hooks.
In the seventh, Pacquiao landed a thudding hook and then an uppercut to leave Cotto reeling and he kept the Puerto Rican on the back foot in the eighth, twice pinning him to the ropes with a flurry of jabs.
In the ninth, Pacquiao forced Cotto to back-peddle into the corner with a furious onslaught before twice more battering his opponent against the ropes.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Source: uk.reuters.com
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Pacman better everytime out, dismantles Cotto
By Steve Cofield, Yahoo! Sports
He's not too small. He can take a welterweight punch. And yes, Manny Pacquiao may be the fastest fighter in the world. Miguel Cotto, a very good welterweight, was taken apart for 12 rounds. By the end of the fight, Cotto had blood leaking from above his left, below his right eye, from nose and mouth. Pacquiao won a seventh title in a seventh weight class, picking up the WBO welterweight title via TKO at 0:55 of the 12th round.
Pacman (50-3-2, 38 KO's) put Cotto on the floor twice, in the third and fourth rounds. Pacquiao's greatness is clear in the fact that it was a short right that produced the first knockdown and a left uppercut that put him on the deck in the fourth.
Cotto had little left by the eighth. His wife Melissa, left the arena with her son after the 10th. Cotto's father begged for a stoppage after the 11th but was overrules by the corner. They couldn't overrule referee Kenny Bayless who saved Cotto in the final stanza.
Pacman outlanded Cotto 336-172 and nailed him with 43-percent of his punches. Over 270 of those punches were to head and 276 were power shots. He landed those with a 49-percent accuracy rate.
Cotto did land some big shots on Pacquiao but the Filipino withstood all of them. He did have some bruising and small cuts under both eyes.
Pacquiao wouldn't say in the cage if wanted Floyd Mayweather Jr. next. His trainer Freddie Roach didn't hold back saying that's the fight he wants.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
He's not too small. He can take a welterweight punch. And yes, Manny Pacquiao may be the fastest fighter in the world. Miguel Cotto, a very good welterweight, was taken apart for 12 rounds. By the end of the fight, Cotto had blood leaking from above his left, below his right eye, from nose and mouth. Pacquiao won a seventh title in a seventh weight class, picking up the WBO welterweight title via TKO at 0:55 of the 12th round.
Pacman (50-3-2, 38 KO's) put Cotto on the floor twice, in the third and fourth rounds. Pacquiao's greatness is clear in the fact that it was a short right that produced the first knockdown and a left uppercut that put him on the deck in the fourth.
Cotto had little left by the eighth. His wife Melissa, left the arena with her son after the 10th. Cotto's father begged for a stoppage after the 11th but was overrules by the corner. They couldn't overrule referee Kenny Bayless who saved Cotto in the final stanza.
Pacman outlanded Cotto 336-172 and nailed him with 43-percent of his punches. Over 270 of those punches were to head and 276 were power shots. He landed those with a 49-percent accuracy rate.
Cotto did land some big shots on Pacquiao but the Filipino withstood all of them. He did have some bruising and small cuts under both eyes.
Pacquiao wouldn't say in the cage if wanted Floyd Mayweather Jr. next. His trainer Freddie Roach didn't hold back saying that's the fight he wants.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
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Shane Mosley getting back in ring
Los Angeles Times
Pomona's Shane Mosley hasn't fought since last January, when he defeated Antonio Margarito in the memorable Staples Center fight when the Mexican champ's gloves were unloaded of plaster inserts.
Mosley lobbied hard in the interim to be considered by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, neither of whom took him up on the offer, wasting months. Mosley's camp says that's because he's too skilled. Mayweather's team has complained Mosley can't draw a big enough crowd. Pacquiao came to terms with Miguel Cotto, and they'll fight in hours.
So on Saturday morning, world welterweight champion Mosley, 38, showed up at Mandalay Bay in Vegas to announce his Jan. 30 return to the ring for a title unification bout against World Boxing Council champ Andre Berto(25-0, 19 KOs). HBO will broadcast the fight live, and tickets will range from $50-$300. Mosley is slightly more than a 2-to-1 favorite in Las Vegas sports books.
The athletic, hard-punching Berto has beaten Luis Collazo and Juan Urango by decision this year, and he's enthused about taking on a bigger name.
"I'm young and talented and [Mosley's] at the end of his career," Berto said.
Berto's promoter, Lou DiBella, also invoked that theory, contending Mosley's TKO victory over Margarito isn't all that impressive because Margarito "got caught for being the cheater he is." He told Mosley, "[Margarito] let you look better than you are." Margarito's license was revoked early this year, though he denies knowing the inserts were in his hand wraps.
Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) countered that his opponent -- exactly 12 years younger -- makes mistakes "that are going to be a problem for him in our fight."
Mosley really had no choice after so much time off but to take on someone other than the Mayweather, Pacquiao, Cotto group. He says that as soon as beats Berto, he wants to be part of the conversation again.
"I heard Pacquiao's people want to fight me next, so we can do it in April or May," Mosley said. "I want to fight the best."
Mosley's promoter, Richard Schaefer, however, said he's confident he can create a Pacquiao fight against Mayweather should the favored Filipino win tonight.
"But eventually, these guys will be coming to Shane, probably late in 2010," Schaefer said.
Mosley's heard that before.
-- Lance Pugmire
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
Pomona's Shane Mosley hasn't fought since last January, when he defeated Antonio Margarito in the memorable Staples Center fight when the Mexican champ's gloves were unloaded of plaster inserts.
Mosley lobbied hard in the interim to be considered by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, neither of whom took him up on the offer, wasting months. Mosley's camp says that's because he's too skilled. Mayweather's team has complained Mosley can't draw a big enough crowd. Pacquiao came to terms with Miguel Cotto, and they'll fight in hours.
So on Saturday morning, world welterweight champion Mosley, 38, showed up at Mandalay Bay in Vegas to announce his Jan. 30 return to the ring for a title unification bout against World Boxing Council champ Andre Berto(25-0, 19 KOs). HBO will broadcast the fight live, and tickets will range from $50-$300. Mosley is slightly more than a 2-to-1 favorite in Las Vegas sports books.
The athletic, hard-punching Berto has beaten Luis Collazo and Juan Urango by decision this year, and he's enthused about taking on a bigger name.
"I'm young and talented and [Mosley's] at the end of his career," Berto said.
Berto's promoter, Lou DiBella, also invoked that theory, contending Mosley's TKO victory over Margarito isn't all that impressive because Margarito "got caught for being the cheater he is." He told Mosley, "[Margarito] let you look better than you are." Margarito's license was revoked early this year, though he denies knowing the inserts were in his hand wraps.
Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) countered that his opponent -- exactly 12 years younger -- makes mistakes "that are going to be a problem for him in our fight."
Mosley really had no choice after so much time off but to take on someone other than the Mayweather, Pacquiao, Cotto group. He says that as soon as beats Berto, he wants to be part of the conversation again.
"I heard Pacquiao's people want to fight me next, so we can do it in April or May," Mosley said. "I want to fight the best."
Mosley's promoter, Richard Schaefer, however, said he's confident he can create a Pacquiao fight against Mayweather should the favored Filipino win tonight.
"But eventually, these guys will be coming to Shane, probably late in 2010," Schaefer said.
Mosley's heard that before.
-- Lance Pugmire
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
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Pacquiao protege upgraded to stable
Los Angeles Times
Filipino bantamweight boxer Z Gorres, a protege of six-time world champion Manny Pacquiao, was ungraded to stable condition in a Las Vegas hospital hours after being carried from the ring following a unanimous-decision victory over Colombian Juan Melendez at the House of Blues and Mandalay Bay on Friday.
"He's conscious and responding to stimuli," said Keith Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. "All in all, it's pretty good news."
Gorres was dominating the fight until Melendez caught him with a quick left cross with about 25 seconds left in the 10th and final round. Gorres barely beat the count to get back to his feet and appeared wobbly, struggling to survive the final seconds of the bout, said Kizer.
"He held on the last 10 seconds but his eyes were gone," said a photographer who was ringside. "He was gone."
After celebrating his victory by circling the ring with a Philippine flag, Gorres returned to his corner and tried to climb through the ropes to leave the ring. But he became dizzy and couldn't lift his legs and ringside doctors immediately raced to the boxer's aid. Gorres was given oxygen and carried from the ring on a stretcher but Kizer said he never lost consciousness before being rushed to the trauma unit at University Medical Center.
Gorres underwent surgery to relieve severe swelling to the left side of his head. Initial reports said doctors intended to keep the boxer in a medically induced coma for a few days but Kizer indicated Gorres has responded to treatment much better than anticipated. Kizer credited the quick work of the ringside doctors and emergency medical personnel, who were under the direction of Bill Berliner.
"They got him out of there as quick as they could," Kizer said. "It was the best [efforts] I've ever seen."
Gorres (31-2-1) is part of the Pacquiao stable training out of the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. He began boxing at the age of 9 and was thought to be a line for a shot at the world bantamweight title. Kizer said it's too early to stay if he'll make a complete recovery.
"We'll have to wait and see," he said. "It's a dangerous sport, getting hit in the head."
-- Kevin Baxter
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
Filipino bantamweight boxer Z Gorres, a protege of six-time world champion Manny Pacquiao, was ungraded to stable condition in a Las Vegas hospital hours after being carried from the ring following a unanimous-decision victory over Colombian Juan Melendez at the House of Blues and Mandalay Bay on Friday.
"He's conscious and responding to stimuli," said Keith Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. "All in all, it's pretty good news."
Gorres was dominating the fight until Melendez caught him with a quick left cross with about 25 seconds left in the 10th and final round. Gorres barely beat the count to get back to his feet and appeared wobbly, struggling to survive the final seconds of the bout, said Kizer.
"He held on the last 10 seconds but his eyes were gone," said a photographer who was ringside. "He was gone."
After celebrating his victory by circling the ring with a Philippine flag, Gorres returned to his corner and tried to climb through the ropes to leave the ring. But he became dizzy and couldn't lift his legs and ringside doctors immediately raced to the boxer's aid. Gorres was given oxygen and carried from the ring on a stretcher but Kizer said he never lost consciousness before being rushed to the trauma unit at University Medical Center.
Gorres underwent surgery to relieve severe swelling to the left side of his head. Initial reports said doctors intended to keep the boxer in a medically induced coma for a few days but Kizer indicated Gorres has responded to treatment much better than anticipated. Kizer credited the quick work of the ringside doctors and emergency medical personnel, who were under the direction of Bill Berliner.
"They got him out of there as quick as they could," Kizer said. "It was the best [efforts] I've ever seen."
Gorres (31-2-1) is part of the Pacquiao stable training out of the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. He began boxing at the age of 9 and was thought to be a line for a shot at the world bantamweight title. Kizer said it's too early to stay if he'll make a complete recovery.
"We'll have to wait and see," he said. "It's a dangerous sport, getting hit in the head."
-- Kevin Baxter
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
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