.jpg)
Manny Pacquiao enters the ring with
honor Nov. 14. Photo 4blogsort.com
Knowing my history, you would never believe I would agree with Bob Arum on anything. I have walked on the other side of the street from him for years.
But a weird "Axis of Evil" exists between Arum, WBO president Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel and myself.
The three of us believe WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto should defend his title against Manny Pacquiao and should pay the sanctioning fee he is responsible for when he accepted his title.
This not a novel idea. It's standard operating procedure.
Note: A usually accurate but unconfirmed source tells me that this has all been resolved now and Cotto will defend the WBO title and the sanctioning fee will be paid by someone other than Cotto or Team Cotto and afterwords everyone will go to a camp fire and sing "Kumbayah."
This is about business. Honor, national pride, glory and all are nice, but not the point.
Read the interviews with Arum and Valcarcel. They are not concerned either way. These are two secure, confident men that know their businesses.
Arum can either have "WBO Title" splashed across posters, or he can't. Valcarcel either gets his sanctioning fee from Cotto, or he strips him of the title.
Basically, while an incovenience and a waste of their time. neither Arum nor Valcarcel care if Cotto is there or not.
In fact, just a couple of days ago the world thought this was a good deal for Cotto at $400,000!
This is really Pacquiao's fight anyway. Cotto is the opponent. Publicly Arum and Valcarcel want to show Cotto the respect a world champion and national hero deserves and $5 million large goes a long way toward that.
But Cotto has made a non-issue very difficult, and nobody wants to be negative publicly until it's a virtual lost cause.
The three other major sanctioning groups are pretty much in agreement with Valcarcel. If a fighter is in a situation where he is champion and is defending his title(s) it is understood by written agreement or otherwise that the fighter, promoter and sanctioning body will do whatever is necessary to bring prestige to the event.
What possible reason does Cotto have to believe he can arbitrarily chose to make the maximum amount of dollars with no risk? Wouldn't Valcarcel be better off giving a belt to another candidate more worthy than Cotto? I mean at least the WBO would get paid.
Name a champion who doesn't want to defend his title?
There are situations where a champion makes a non-title defense and pays a negotiated fee. He does this because he understands he can carry the belt into the ring and press conferences and he can call himself the world champion and hold his head high. That is what it is all about.
Valcarcel will certainly take the high road like a gentleman and say Cotto can decide not to defend the title but can drape the belt around him but he has to pay the sanctioning fee.
It's like paying rent even if you're on summer vacation. You just have to do it.
Arum won't like it but what choice does he have? He's out front going along with a non-title fight but won't be the bad guy if an argument between Cotto and Valcarcel boils over.
Valcarcel says the amount owed by Cotto to the WBO is $150,000. That's is three cents on the dollar of what Cotto is supposed to make for this fight.
It's probable someone other than Cotto pays his $150,000 fee and Arum would to save the show I guess. But Cotto should be ashamed of himself if he even takes personal responsibility.
While Arum could have "calibrated" his words differently, don't blame him. This is all Cotto's doing.
And remember, this was a vacant title. Cotto was coming off a loss and the WBO and Arum miraculously gave him a vacant title for beating Michael Jennings.
Vacant is even worse than interim in this case! That's how low Cotto has sunk here.
I remember 20 years ago when a friend helped me out of a jam and when I for some reason didn't return the favor when I could have, well let's just say I feel bad I was obviously selfish to this day and I lost the friend forever. This is the predicament Cotto is in. Look what Arum and Valcarcel have done for him.
Cotto's "people" can't say they chose not to discuss this through the media because they drew first blood. They accepted the best offer. Did they believe the subject wasn't going to come up? That if they ignore it, it would go away?
If Cotto were to win November 14, the best he could ever hope for is to rematch Pacquiao, so why pull this nonsense? I'm on record as saying both the Margarito and Clottey fights have taken it all out of him and he is prematurely shot at age 28.
I think just on instinct he can be in the fight for five rounds but than it is all Pacquiao.
Arum and Valcarcel took the high road.
Manny Pacquiao smartly stayed out of it and in my opinion deserves the highest marks of praise.
I want to be on the other side of the street anyway,
Comments
ur such a bias writer. its easy to tell ur a pacquuio fan.ur terrible.
bias is not the right term. i think "telling the truth" is the proper one. or "right on target". pacquiao fan or not, anyone could definitely see that cotto is playing safe.
again, Stolow, you write it like it is!
ARUM doesnt want cotto to defend his title. business-wise if cotto loses, he's not champion anymore, Arum will lose his only milking cow remaining. Pacman will retire next year, leaving Arum with no superstar to promote unlkess Cotto is still champion. its all about the money BOB
everybody is great until they meet a better man.
arum doing good for himself...
www.neodrops.blogspot.com
DAMAGED GOODS: if there's anyone who is more damaged goods it is pacquiao! he was in with so many wars. 3 morales, 2 barrera, 2 marquez... he has more "wars" than anybody else here. cotto is not damaged goods, only that his opponents were also great fighters.
Hatton is a great fighter. however, pac and pbf are just better. that's a fact. a chinese saying: "There is always someone better than you!"
Cotto is a great fighter. but if someone beats him, then that someone must a little better than him. no excuses please, GENTLEMEN!
I agree with you Stollow that this is all fault of Cotto not for Bob. This is all doing of Cotto. If he is willing to sacrifice his belt of this fight and pay the sanctioning fee of only 3 percent of his total earning of this fight or a total of $ 150,000, then there is no more problem, the fight will be a title fight. I believed that Cotto was 'brainwash' by his team advisers which is a reason he dont want to give his belt to Pacquiao. Or lets say that maybe he is afraid of losing his belt to Pacman. Then he is a TRUE COWARD! It's like a child whose complaining that his candy was taken away from him. That's an absurd and a non sense idea! If your a true champion then fight for a title, defend your title and sacrifice yourself just for the title. Does it makes any sense? Yes! because we are talking here a HISTORY! This is all about History!Pacman will become a first boxer who wins 7th title in 7th division.That's what boxing fans want to see in this fight.Lets make it a TITLE FIGHT!!
If Cotto is really the real champion then he wouldnt risk his title to defend it to someone more deserving to have it.. Hey dude, ur a damn coward if u fyt manny with jst money in ur head.. accept the truth and let the new history be written..
Bob,a sucker..
On a phone interview between Dr. Allan Recto and Paco of WBO yesterday morning (read it in PACLAND), Paco said that Bob Arum will pay the sanction fees for everyone, a total of $340k.
On one article today on BoxeoMundial, it was reported that Cotto refused to talk about a title fight. His advisor said they won't debate the issue with WBO. WBO Paco later said that with title or not, sanction fee has to be paid and he said that Cotto's fight will be for a title. Is Team Cotto listening or reading articles about Cotto-Pacquiao fight? I guess not. Rather than reward Cotto for a non-title fight, I think most Filipinos will prefer Pacquiao to fight Mosley instead. Go Pacquiao-Mosley, Hurray!!!
lets give cotto the benefit of the doubt mate..lets not jump into conclusion and judge him..he is still a great fighter, he always fights the best..atleast give him the benefit of the doubt..he is a true champion for the wars he's been through in the ring..lets just think that this is just a part of the pre-fight hype..and lets help this event to break ppv records..buy ppv bro...
I think Pacquiao is indeed admirable in this situation...
Of course, it is in his best interest that a title would be on the line, because with that he has a chance of making history. But he stayed out of it. He'll proceed with the fight, title or not.
But the world has spoken. And now the title is on the line. Sorry Miguel!
Nicely put Matt!
History in the making! Think about it. If Cotto beats Pacquiao on a title bout, history will say that Cotto is the one who broke Pacquiao's straight wins since his loss to Morales. Cotto is the one who stopped Pacquiao's dream of winning 7 division championship belts. Nice to hear right? But what is team Cotto's thinking? I guess some people still think irrationally.
"Name a champion who doesn't want to defend his title?"
my ans: COTTO
it appears like the pressure was all put on cotto. i agree with the majority that it should be a title fight. it gives more meaning for the fight. sanctioning fee i think is negotiable so why not negotiate it.
ATTENTION: MR. ARUM and MIGUEL COTTO, without staking the WBO WELTERWEIGHT will have Manny Pacquiao everything to loose with nothing to gain. We all know that Cotto is the natural bigger fighter here and Manny will fight him with his pound for pound title at stake and giving Miguel the most money he could get for a fight. If Miguel really wants not to stake his belt WE PACMAN FANS AROUND THE WORLD WILL RATHER NOT WANT THIS FIGHT TO HAPPEN. . . It will be a people power but not in the streets or not through blood wars but we will rally behind the thoughts of BOYCOTTING this fight, I wish that Manny is not just fighting for the sake of money, We don't want to see our national hero Manny Pacquiao to be called Money Manny, We asked you Manny Pacquiao to naot go on with the fight if Cotto will not stake his belt.
IF COTTO DIDN'T PUT HIS TITLE ON LINE,AND HE HAS MANY ALIBI'S, IT ONLY MEANS "HE IS AFRAID TO LOSE TO MANNY PACQUIAO"..AND HE KNOWS IT THAT HE WILL KISS THE CANVASS IF THE FIGHT BEGIN.SO HE IS GAY LIKE DELAHOYA,HE'S MOST GREEDY..IN THAT CASE,EVEN GERRY PEÑALOSA CAN DEAFEAT COTTO IN ROUND 1,2SECONDS TKO,AND DIRECT TO HOSPITAL DUE TO COMMA..HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
Bob dont care if its a title fight or not...he is only after the money!!
..IF COTTO DIDN'T PUT HIS TITLE ON LINE,AND HE HAS MANY ALIBI'S, IT ONLY MEANS "HE IS AFRAID TO LOSE TO MANNY PACQUIAO"..AND HE KNOWS IT THAT HE WILL KISS THE CANVASS IF THE FIGHT BEGIN.SO HE IS GAY LIKE DELAHOYA,HE'S MOST GREEDY..IN THAT CASE,EVEN GERRY PEÑALOSA CAN DEAFEAT COTTO IN ROUND 1,2SECONDS TKO,AND DIRECT TO HOSPITAL DUE TO COMMA..HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
VISIT ME>> WWW.PACFANS-CORNER.COM
well if Cotto does not want to pay up WBO and defend his title, Pacquiao might as well just fight Mosley. We will see then how Cotto cries realizing that he's losing more.
Hope that it should be a title fight thus this fight would be more interesting to watch and let history be written that the worlds greatest fighter was born in the philippines.
cotto bayot.....yahooooo.
If Pacquiao is a damage goods because of the wars he is into then Cotto is a damaged vegetable because of Margacheato and Clottey.
Louis,
I beg to disagree. I believe you are the bias - a Manny Hater.
Louis says:
ur such a bias writer. its easy to tell ur a pacquuio fan.ur terrible.
July 28, 7:47 PM
louis is more terrible.what comment. will u just shut up
Cotto would have been also the IBF Welterweight Champ if the IBF sanctioned the Clottey fight as a unification match. Clottey relisquished his belt which was relinquished previously by Margarito when the IBF demanded that they fight the IBF's mandatory.
Ibelieve when Cotto fight with Pacquiao he is under his mother dress to keep the rubbish tittle belt he has......because when he lose he cant have it again.......
pacquiao must fight mosley instead if cotto will not stake his WBO belt. Mosley is surely willing to fight pacquiao at any catch weight plus WBA welterweight title on the line.
its now a title fight. bob was pressured. he will pay 340K.
As always, people thinks any great fighter who fights Pacquiao and loses, says they're shot or their old, can somebody come up with a different alibi, but if Cotto wins Im sure you'll say he is the best welterweight there is.
this fight should be a title fight. that is the clamor of everybody who loves boxing. without title, miguel cotto will look stupid for how come he does not put in line his title fighting the smaller pacquiao. it only means one thing. he is afraid to lose to pacquiao, and that is certain. anyway, with title or no title at stake, the result would be the same. pacquiao wins impressively.
Oh yeah Right, Rocks-Toronto- "Cotto will beat Pacman" is purely a dream!lol. Talk to yourself!!! Pacman is making a HISTORY here not Cotto!!
"We all know that Cotto is the natural bigger fighter here and Manny will fight him with his pound for pound title at stake and giving Miguel the most money he could get for a fight."
Lapu-Lapu may have been the leader of the tribe that disposed of Ferdinand Magellan, but this lapu lapu does not know his boxing very well. All the writers keep harping on Manny being "the naturally smaller fighter" when he is nothing of the sort. He started his boxing career many years ago as a skinny young kid but he has grown naturally into a natural 140 ~147 pounder. Also, the P4P "title" is just a conceptual idea created by writers just for discussion and is not some actual title so there is no room for that title to be discussed when talking of such things as title fights. I'm a Pacfan who is just tired of such rantings by Filipinos who are just following the only bright thing in Philippine life. What other country in the world looks at a single athlete as the most important thing in the country?
no assurance that pacman would win either cotto, so let's 11-14-09 come.
Watch G-Force Movie 3D Online Free:
www.watchmovieonlinefree.info
i just think that u dont see cotto's side of the coin. the ww title belt indicates by rule that u can fight for it from 141 lbs to 147 lbs. period...cotto feels if u want to try & strip him of the title & pay him the least amount of the split then its like getting robbed first & then getting raped.if ur gonna bend the rule,even if its just a little why should he risk anything when hes being treated like the challenger..i think santioning fees are excuses but i think if u want the belt & the money then he should be allowed to come in @ 147 the way the belt stipulates period....
Cotto will get out of the fight and the "pacman negotiating drama" begins.. but in the end, cotto will risk his belt while pacquiao will fight him at 147.. by the way.. dont give the excuse that cotto was not the same fighter after margarito because a true champion comes back a better fighter after a devastating lost... instead, say that cotto is not a real CHAMPION.. Pacquiao is a real champ because he was KOED badly in his 1st defeat but came back to be a better boxer..
Jerry Lynch, you are not a pacman fan. you are a white trash who does not know how important Pacquiao is to the Filipino people.You probably are somebody who envy people's accomplishments and look down on people just because you feel you belong to a superior race. I am pretty sure that you are one of those uneducated people out there who talks a lot of BS. This is the first time a boxer from the Philippines reach this kind of status. Leave us be for idolizing Pacquiao. Don't be a sour puss.
Manny gonna make it again this time with cotto! He will crush down cotto! Cotto is no match to Pac Man!
Wow Matt, you became a boxing writer through this article. congratulations. you make Marley run for his money as the best boxing scribe of all time :)
The Manny phenomenon is best understood from a Filipino perspective. A race long suffered and looked down upon has someone symbolically uplifted him and bearer of everything good about the Filipino character, humble, God fearing, generous, survivor against all odds. All his accomplishments are done outside of his own country just like the millions of Filipinos making a living outside of their homeland.Manny, inspite of his accomplishments is also not well received by a lot of foreigners as are most of us Filipinos.
Jerry Lynch, I found your comment pathetic, disrespectful and ignorant.
Your obviouly completely uneducated when it comes to other cultures and smaller nations. There are LOTS of countries who place their hopes on single athletes who rise above the norm to become champions! Theyre an inspiration to the people whose lives are probably a lot less fortunate than yours! It gives the people something to be excited about, a world champion who came from the same poor streets they did, and Manny embraces it. They follow him because hes a true champion who works extremley hard, is humble and proud of where he comes from, and he wants to win for "his people". You see, its not just because hes considered best boxer in the world, its the way he goes about it. Thats exactly why I follow Manny Pacquiao, hes an inspiration to everyone, the ways he fights inside the ring and the way he conducts himself outside it. You dont deserve to call yourself a Pacfan. (By the way, im from Ireland).
Pacquiao will get his 7th title in 7 weight classes!!
Pinoy Boxing fans are invited to chat with fellow pacfans at www.pacfans-corner.com
@Jerry Lynch. Don't be racist man. If you're from the U.S., aren't you tired of it? I've got lots of filipino friends and I tell you, these people are GREAT!
i subscribed to the thinking of some that since cotto fights pacman he should at least gamble his belt.for a belt is nonsense once he losses to pacman...but if he stakes his title an acid test by pacman would mean greatness on cotto's part if and when he wins... and since it is pacman who takes bigger slice of the prize the fist battle be held in his homeland Philippines...
I believe that there is a boxing mafia behind this. They are conspiring in not staking the WBO Welterweight title so as not to give the slimmest chance to a non-American and an asian at that to reap the prestige as the "1st boxer in history to become a 7th weight division champion" and be named "the greatest boxer of all time". Mind you, the boxing mafia will do everything to make Pacquiao loss. He will never become "the greatest boxer in history" and surpass American greats: Sugar Ray Robinson or Ali! That's why I'll bet my damn good money in Cotto this Nov. 14. LA will be for Cotto!
Matt, what a traitor. how long have I been trying to tell people Arum should pay these fees. And FYI the $5 mil large for Cotto will be substantially less when he pay his manager and whatever bills his manager hands him after the fight.. plus don't forget those US taxes. Thankfully this fight is not in CA. where the governor just imposed a straight 10% off the top tax for everyone to satisfy his special interest groups and greed, and which would take another $500k from Cotto.
Why is this fight even in the US? Move it to some place so we Americans don't get stuck footing the bill for what Arum thinks is a good deal.
Let Arum take it to Macao and give it to HBO for a great live fight!
Pages
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!