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November 14 is three months away. And the buzz is already here. We assess the advantages each fighter has over the other.
TOP 5 ADVANTAGES: MIGUEL COTTO [34 wins, 1 loss]
1. Manny Pacquiao is shooting movies, tv shows, and commercials. Miguel Cotto has been in training for nearly a week, three months in advance of the November 14 showdown. (It is important to note, however, that the Puerto Rican is no longer working with his regular trainer.)
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach anticipates an eight-week regimen for the Filipino to be conducted after the promotional roadshow. The added training should boost Cotto's stamina.
How much will the extra training tip the balance of power between these two fighters?
Welterweight Profile: Miguel Angel Cotto
2. Cotto has fought, and beaten, bigger (as well as fast) opponents.
Antonio Margarito stood at 5'11" with a 73" reach, compared to Manny's 67" reach. Granted, Cotto lost at the hands of what now appears to be suspect gloves of Margarito.
Shane Mosley, Carlos Quintana, Joshua Clottey, Zab Jjudah, Ricardo Torres. These were all impressive conquests by the Puerto Rican. Cotto out-boxed the speedy and powerful Mosley, and outclassed the quick Judah.
Is this a walk-in-the-park for the Pacman?
3. Pacquiao is training outside of the U.S. for at least half of his training regimen. Due to taxation rules in the United States, it appears Manny will have to temporarily set up quarters in Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, or possibly the Philippines, in order to train against Cotto. The Filipino is superstitious and typically prefers the same routine prior to a fight. Water and air quality differs by country. The food intake can also provide a variation in diet. (For instance, mango in Mexico is vastly different from mango in the Philippines.) Weather and dietary differences can provide for bodily adjustments. The Pacific Northwest and Vancouver, Canada, for instance, is famous for its constant rain and inclement weather. Could this induce cold and flu symptoms?
Will this be a case of Mike Tyson "training" in Japan prior to his fight with Buster Douglas?
4. Size. While Cotto is at best only an inch taller than Manny, the Puerto Rican will enter the ring approaching 160 lbs., a middleweight size. Thomas Hearns, the taller, lanky fighter with legendary power fought many of his battles at welterweight, but then faced Marvin Hagler who fought at a more comfortable, bigger weight. A smaller fighter with explosive tendencies can find out that the bigger opponent is used to that kind of power - as Hearns found out when Hagler adjusted well during the fight. Manny will enter the ring closer to 149 lbs. Cotto has gone face to face with the likes of Antonio Margarito, who could fight at junior middleweight or middleweight if he wanted to.
Has Cotto's wars with Margarito and Mosley prepared him - and hardened his chin - for his super fight with Pacquiao?
5. Ability to trap and corner his opponent. The Joshua Clottey and Zab Judah fight reveals Cotto's brilliant ability, skill, and power to constantly pressure his foe, and force his opponent into the ropes or with his opponent's back against the corner. Cotto unloads power combinations when he successfully traps his opponent, and the Puerto Rican has the footwork to effectively cut off the ring. Even when Clottey blocked Cotto's relentless barrage, he became noticeably worn down.
Can Manny escape Cotto's pressure and trap? Will Cotto's power eventually wear down the Pacman?
Fictional, unofficial, fan-based poster
TOP 5 ADVANTAGES: MANNY PACQUIAO [49 wins, 3 losses, 2 draws]
1. History is on the line. Motivation. He is not called "The People's Champ" for nothing. Pacquiao will be fighting for his country again, and attempt to do what no one in the history of boxing has ever done. Call him Lance Armstrong or Michael Jordan. Along with Manny, only Oscar "The Golden Boy" de la Hoya has won six titles in six different weight classes. A win over Cotto will make Pacquiao the only fighter in history to win an unprecedented seven belts in seven weight classes.
Let's get a better sense of what that means, given the fighters we have today or recently.
Let's apply a so-called "Pacquiao Standard." For all the talent that a Shane Mosley or Floyd Mayweather, Jr. bring to the table, we do not see them fighting a big Paul Williams at junior middleweight. Similarly, we won't see a Paul Williams - as talented and big as he is - fighting a Bernard Hopkins at light heavyweight. As great as he was, you did not see a prime Roy Jones, Jr. fight a 5'11" Mike Tyson.
The point is, Manny is raising the bar. Like no one before has ever done - in terms of weight climbing and mauling the big boys. Here's a 5th grader who's been beating up 6th graders, 7th graders, and now 8th graders in de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Now that 5th grader is trying to maul a high school freshman in Cotto. People say, that's one bad-ass 5th grader. Don't mess with him!
Early Fight Analysis: Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao
2. Faster hands. This everyone knows. Both throw combinations. Cotto's combos are heavier. Manny's combos are quicker. Additionally, I attribute Manny and Cotto to be on par in terms of footwork. The Puerto Rican is an effective footwork tactician in the ring and understands spacing and cornering.
Speed or power?
3. Cotto's historically open defense. This makes the Puerto Rican susceptible to straight lefts. However, this may not be as important factor in the fight as Pacman fans would readily assume. Cotto will be working on tightening up his defense. Specifically, his gloves can be close together, protecting his cheeks and temples, while his elbows tend to be spread apart. That forms a triangular shape that makes Cotto vulnerable to a quick jab from the shorter Pacquiao, similar to what happened to de la Hoya last December 6. Cotto has to tighten up that opening or he'll be eating straight lefts. Worse for him, Roach might concoct a nasty "upper cut cocktail special" for Cotto to drink all night, and get drunk to.
Straight left or upper cut?
4. Venue. Manny will have his legions in
5. Stamina. Pacquiao should only hold a slight edge here come fight night. Cotto tends to slow down later in the rounds, a reflection of the energy he expends on his power punches during the beginning and toward the middle of a fight. Manny, on the other hand, is one of the most conditioned fighters in the sport - along with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley. Surely that is why Cotto is starting his training over three months prior to the fight. Cotto should, to an extent, negate most of this advantage.
Comments
this fight is 50-50 toss up
boricua all the way. cotto by 8th round
that is no lie jimmy. im a cotto fan all the way, and will root for my boy. truth is, anything can happen here. they both go hard!!
It's a toss up if catch weight is at 147 lbs. If at 145 lbs, then Pacquiao demolishes Cotto in 7th or 8th.
Cotto is going to win!!!! He is the real deal. At 2-1 odds I am going to make $$$ in vegas.
We have to be very carefull COTTO is a big Welterweight. I know theres a lot of issues regarding weight and belt come fight night that dont matter!!..PAC will need speed, pressure, stamina and STRONG left!
pacman will trow doble the punchs , will make him look old and slow till nock him out , 9th round
PAC needs the STRONG left hook , COTTO tends to leave right chin open when throwin right hook to the body!!
pac is great but cotto is just way too big. pac slows down and loses to brutal shots
Contrary to what this article says, the difference in weight on fight night will not be as great as stated. We all saw what happened to DLH. Watch for the same to happen to Cotto. Not necessarily to the same degree, but the weight loss will play a role for Cotto. Look for a somewhat weak-looking Cotto at the weigh-in, and a comfortable-looking Pacquiao. The next day, look for an even weaker-looking Cotto and a stronger-looking Pacquiao.
Expect a complete slaughter and a boring fight. Cotto is at this point shot and, along with the weight loss, will be dominated until round 6, when Pacquiao will knock him out.
Cotto is strong and can punch. He will be 145 or 147 at the scale. Then he will balloon up to 160. When this happens he will lose speed and stamina. If he doesn't KO Pacquiao before the 6th round, he will tire and become vulnerable.
Pacquiao is way faster than what you describe him to be. He threw 3 to 4 punches for every punch, diaz, Dela Hoya or Hatton threw. Further, he has shown that he gets stronger and more explosive as the fight goes on.
Cotto's has a chance to win if his punches hit Pacquiao hard and enough times. But remember, Pacquiao is explosive and will probably throw 2-4 punches for every one Cotto throws. Thus, Cotto must also train hard to learn to defend against Pacquiao's quickness, not only to develop stamina.
I give Pacquiao the edge because of his speed and great stamina.
Just wait...Cotto's jabs will sting Manny. It will be a different Manny if one of Cotto's power punch gets through. This will be a BLOODY battle.
KEY TO VICTORY: DOUBLE ON THE JAB, HEAD MOVEMENT, MOVE AGLES MORE TOWARDS LEFT, FULL PRESSURE, EXPLODE AND STRONG LEFT!!
Pacquiao will be at his best and Cotto will be back pedaling and counterpunching like with Mosley. If he went straight ahead to Pacquiao, he is going to get his head blown off!
08/06/2009 7:32PM::: LATER ROUNDS RIGHT CHIN WILL OPEN THUNDERING LEFT WILL COME! 4TH - 7TH PAC BY KO.
Cotto didn't look good when he beat Mosely and CLotty. He was the one who looked scared or beaten. Because i don't know the technical side or scoring but just look at who seems to be in command, I was surprised that he won the two fights. BOth Oppnents are slower than Pacquiao, and I don't think punch hard as Pacquiao. With Pacquiao in front him, Cotto is gonna be in for a big surprise. Diaz, Dela Hoya, and Hatton all said he was too fricking fast! If they couldn't defend against Pacquiao's punches, what makes us think Cotto will be different?
Cotto is really big, strong and powerful but I like Pac's chances better.. Pac has heart and doubled what Cotto possesses except for that big frame.. Pac by vicious KO...
Unlike Cotto, it's been a long time since Pacquiao tasted a solid punch. It will be very interesting how he will react from a very motivated Cotto.
pac will get hit and cracked by the coconut head of cotto and will bleed. cotto will explot and open the cut. TKO round 10. the cards come crashing down
by head butt. cotto will head butt pac all ngiht, like holyfield on tyson.
Everyone is underestimating Pacquiao's power. Let's hope Cotto does too.
no, arum wins
Margarito's loaded gloves battered Cotto's face like a jack hammer. Cotto lost but never ever got dazed. He may be slow but he can bulldozed himself onto Pacquiao.
this will be a very explosive fight. in round 5, one of them will fall. as to who will fall, we can never tell. both are power punchers and willing to trade bombs. both have big hearts as well. the fight fans will surely enjoy the show.
VIVA PUERTO RICO, MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS!!!
Manny is so fast and getting stronger each fight , will be a easy fight for him ,
He should fight with cotto at 147 to se something interesting
$500,000.00 bet for pacman...ANYONE????
The only thing that I feared most for Pacquiao is when Cotto will do the punching below the belt as what he did to Judah.
chavit, i only have $50. im for cotto. paypal?
Cotto will kill pacman by way of low blow just like what happens to Zab, who hurt Cotto badly then hitting Zab in his balls just to win the fight.
The pacman will not be able to sustain the power of Cotto. Cotto is not Oscar or Ricky and has a iron chin. Do you think manny will not get hit? Hello this is boxing unless he plans to run all night. COTTO going to KO pacman. Manny is the best p4p boxer but this is a whole new level. I can see Freddy stopping the fight to avoid manny going down a 2nd time.
training early sometimes not good. he might overcook himself just like hatton.
I hope Manny will start doing his training before september and set aside those movie and tv appointments. He needs stamina more than ever. Cotto has already started his training. It only shows that Manny is a big threat to him. I want Manny to win again. He has to be prepared
I don't believe in the power of Cotto.Remember the fight with Malignaggi.Cotto won by a UD but with Hatton,Malignaggi was outclassed from round 1 to 11 and Hatton won by TKO.
Critics are always wrong when it comes to predicting Pacman. And they're always wrong. Why? Simply because Pacman is unpredictable. Pacman always bring new things in each of the fight. This is a fact.
cotto will tko in early 1st minute. i bet my house & lot and my wife and father in law.
I can do a $1000. I bet you dont even own a car or a house.
-Paul from Vegas
because of Manny Paquiao vodoo power. the carabao strenght. thats true!
chavit, i need my $50. if i win, i get your daughter friday and saturday night. if u win, i only get your daughter friday night. fair?
nobody knows of PACMAN Voodo power....
ARUM is the champion of this fight 1st runner up maybe pacquiao or cotto.
ERMENTANYO:
It is not a joke, Be careful what you wish for.
We can recall that most of the best fighters hardly beaten by pacman such as Barrera, Morales, Marquez, Diaz, Dela Hoya and lately Hatton we have heard this statement from many critics: "if only they were able to throw and hit a good punch then pacman was blown away..." Bottom line, no one was able to deliver, because they all felt the power punches the pacman relentlessly burried in every square inch all over their body that numbs the fighter's muscle. Preventing the defender to throw a single power punch.... The same will happen to Cotto.
i MEAN MALIGNGGI WAS OUTCALSSED BY HATTON FROM ROUND 2 TO 11
training early could result to overtraining and peaking too soon. so this could hurt cotto. cotto size wont be a factor that much cause pacquiao has been fighting people who are naturally bigger than him. cotto has the punching power but pacquiao hasn't been hit in his last three fights due to his speed and unusual rythm so that still has to be seen. cooto has no defense and he doesn't move his head side to side. that's what manny's sharp shooting punches could be effective. so there's almost no chance for cotto to win. and with his defeat to margarito which is causing a big mental blockade plus manny's undefeated in his last nine bouts. the confidence is in manny's corner. not mentioning his going for a boxing record is also a big plus for him to get extra motivated to train.
styles make fights u clowns and bozos
hatton paulie fight is different hatton pac fight. thats just basic boxing. different styles are not comparable so different outcome.
for pacman...pls fight cotto at 147 coz 145 and 147lbs for cotto is d same.and if you KO him at 147 there's no single excuses from them
manny's anting anting will crack cotto's head like a coconut and red milk will flow. when cotto hits manny, the anting anting will make the punches feel like soft pillows only, but cotto will feel like being hit by vladimir klitschko
manny's anting anting will make the fight easy for him, like fighting a girl but cotto will be hard like punching a big carabao
We gonna eat Pac-Man's ribs like them bad boys had bbq sauce on them. Lol u ppl actually think that Manny can hold Cotto's punches. It amazes me. All I know is that if Miguel took 11 rounds of gettin hit wit bricks by a HUGE welterweight in Margarito, what makes u think Cotto is gonna get ko by Pacquiao's lil @$$???
can't you see? Cotto is a rotten meat already!
machine like in training, superb speed and power, what else can a brilliant fighter like the PACMAN be described? Of course, Cotto should start his training now - he badly needs it..I can see Cotto won't last the 6 brutal rounds.
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