Don't quote me, but I believe the first round Saturday night will be as wild and frantic as the upcoming Examiner.com Annual Boxing Writers Christmas Party in Denver, Colorado.
Seriously, there will be the nationalism of two proud countries on display and as Larry Merchant once told me, "People get emotional about their money."
So it will be a wild scene Saturday night. I hope for everyone's sake that we get out of the first couple of rounds without any serious cuts, headbutts, low blows and elbows.
But you just know Cotto's going to start bleeding during Puerto Rican National Anthem.
Cotto cutman Joe Chavez is going to get Jim Lampley to call him "Joe Souza" by mistake. Souza, of course, was America's cutman or it seemed at least for about 10 years until retirement. I'm planning on watching the fight with Souza and a few friends Saturday night in San Antonio, Texas.
Souza worked corners for the Main Events' fighters and that included Arturo Gatti, Pernell Whitaker, Evander Holyfield, Vernon Forrest, Fernando Vargas, James Leija, Andrew Golota, Zab Judah and heavyweights Michael Grant , Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko. He never missed working local Golden Gloves or Police Athletic League or other amateur tournaments.
Did you know Chavez not only was the cutman for Pacquiao before joining Cotto, but also that he was Oscar De La Hoya's cutman? This guy is my kind of grizzled veteran.
Cotto seems to deliver everything wide and looping but with power, while Pacquiao jumps straight in with deceptive power, speed and accuracy. I'm obviously over simplifying to make an apples to apples comparison.
So we have an obvious clash of styles which means something will happen early and throw most strategy out the window as these two try to establish their turf.
Pacquiao is currently -$3.00 (a prohibitive favorite) while Cotto a respectable +$2.00. The go and don't go is: under 9 1/2 rounds - $1.45 and over 9 1/2 + $1.15 over the scheduled 12.
So the bookmakers are expecting an explosion in the ring. The +$2.00 on Cotto looks pretty juicy and may attract sucker bets, but upon analysis Cotto is fighting the hottest and pound for pound best fighter in the world and who has made everyone forget the fine performance September 19 by Floyd Mayweather, Jr. over Juan Manuel Marquez.
This has been an excellent promotion and I hope it gets out of the first few rounds without a headbutt or serious cut just to get the two fighters out of the gate and let the fans enjoy their skills and strategy as the fight progresses and that we have a clear-cut winner at the end.
Comments
madd props for cotto cutman...he did an awsome job vs clotty.....i honestly thought the fight was over when i seen that gash........cottos a warrior
Chaves can't do anything, by the time Cotto knows it he is already in the 2nd day in hospital.
may the best man win!!!!but the guy with superior boxing skill has the edge and that is PACQUIAO THE GREATEST OF ALL TIMES.go for it PACMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Calling all the PACLANDER PLEASE HELP US FORM A GROUP TO CONVINCE TEAM PAQUIAO TO SUE MAYWEATHER FOR REPEATEDLY ACUSING PAQUIAO USING STEROIDS IN THE LOIS RADIO PROGRAM HE'S TOO MUCH!!! WE CONNOT TOLERATE THAT LIBELOUS ACCUSATION E-MAIL ME AT jstibo@gmail.com
PACQUIAO will win and cotto will find himself unconcious in hospital...so be ready mayweather,PACQUIAO WILL BREAK YOU BALLS ANN ERASED YOUR MOUTH SO THAT YOU CAN'T UTTER FOUL WORDS AND SO WITH YOUR FATHER...!!!!!!!!!!
I did all kinds of solitaires to predict who is going to win and it all pointed to Pacquiao winning by early TKO. By the 4th round the ring physician will stop the fight because Cotto sustained an unstoppable bleeding cut in both eyes that may result in his blindness if he is left to continue. I never missed.
for pacquiao, this is just only the beginning!!! for cotto this is his END!!!!
Clotty was a lousy and slowpoke fighter. If only he was Manny Pacquiao, Cotto, also a slowpoke, would have been KOed badly just like Hatton.
could be like Hagler vs. Hearns?
No way!
Cotto is bigger, stronger, and has a bigger punch & probably a better chin.
Pac should not slug it out with Cotto the first few rounds. He needs to box, stick & jab, in & out like he always do. Give Cotto angles then go on attack mode at opportune times.
As Roach said, can't hang on the ropes.
I see it more as the classic Leonard vs Hagler encounter with the Filipino winning by UD.
Pacquiao KO'ed in couple rounds!!!
Nothing to compare ,it is patented Pacquiao against..NEXT!
now, cotto always would tell that the defining word in this bout is his single strong punch and jab, even when manny would avoid, as long as he gets hit by one, it will send him in the canvass. now, what if pacman can handle his punch??? then avoid his flurries??? what will happen to him when pacquiao can land 8 punch combination when he enters??? he can take single assualt with 8 punch combination, but remember, pacman blazes with increasing combination. one round with a rain of combination, how many rounds can cotto last.
This is going to be an interesting match. Actually for me, the fight is unpredictable. I heard this from someone before : "No matter how good a boxer you are, if you get hit by a very solid punch, you'd still fall."
MAYWEATHER SR. IS A GAY HE LOVES.................................................................................................................................................................................................................DICK
OK Paclander we will do form a group just to silence the bad mouth mayweather... lets sue him.
Yes, this fight is unpredictable... Manny will never know when Cotto will unlease his LOW BLOW... Manny better ask Juddah
Is Souza retired? I didn't think he was. He saved Gatti's ass more than once. I really gained respect for him when he had to make the harsh choice of choosing fellow San Antonian 'Jesse' James Leija over Arturo Gatti. Proving that blood was thicker than water.
As for Sat night. Will there be blood? LOL! Hell ya there will be! I do not want to see either warrior get hurt, but come on. Ya mad blood, mad drama, it is what us boxing fans live for lol!
cotto will win 9 rd !!! stop being on pac-mans nuts !!! cotto is not washed up did u guys forget margcheater cheated
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