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Pacquiao-Cotto: Recipe for Destruction
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Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao (Photo:HBO)
When a super fight is announced it comes in hand with much anticipation and hope from the fans and media alike. There is something about a world class boxing match in front of a raucous crowd that is unlike anything else other sports have to offer. When the bell sounds and the fighters meet in the middle of the ring we get to see the spirit and heart of each man on display on a platform unlike any other.
The only problem is that some big fights in the sport come with so much hype that they simply don’t end up living up to the event itself. A boxing match is eyed and discussed months ahead of time and the build up that follows can often be hard to reach. In recent years a few contests have come to mind that have left the fans ultimately asking for more.
Felix Trinidad vs. Oscar De La Hoya
September 19th, 1999
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada
It’s hard to believe that it has been over ten years since the undefeated Welterweights met in the ring. Going into the bout both men had built up a huge following and the pairing of the two was compared to early Welterweight clashes of the 80’s such as Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns. The build up was incredible but when the fight took place the contest lacked the suspense and action that was expected to follow.
From the outset of the bout De La Hoya took control of the contest and seemed to befuddle Trinidad with his movement. The Puerto Rican seemed to have serious trouble with Oscar’s in and out style as he wasn’t able to mount a sustained attacked. HBO commentator Jim Lampley even went as far as to state that the bout seemed to be on the verge of ‘domination’ from De La Hoya during the ninth round.
As the fight reached the championship rounds Trinidad began to find his range and started turning the tide of the contest. De La Hoya, thinking he had the contest in the bag, chose to retreat rather than engage late and there weren’t enough definitive moments to set the fight apart as being truly memorable. Trinidad would go on to win a majority decision and scream loudly in celebration as confetti fell down upon everyone. While the island of Puerto Rico may have been elated at the end of the night the fight left us with more questions than answers as to who was the superior fighter.
Lennox Lewis vs. David Tua
November 11th, 2000
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada
When Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis was set to meet power punching David Tua at the Mandalay Bay in November of 2000, fireworks were expected from many fans and insiders. Before the bout Tua had proven his power with stoppages of David Izon and Oleg Maskaev while his fighting spirit was on display in a give and take battle with Ike Ibeabuchi in June of 1997.
Mixing Tua’s thunderous ways with Lewis’ supposed suspect chin left much speculation as to what would happen if the London native was cracked solidly. Ever since his stoppage loss to Oliver McCall years prior, Lewis still had people doubting his ability to hang when the going got tough and what better man than Tua to make things uncomfortable for the WBC and IBF champion? Leading up to the contest the possibilities seemed endless but the final result was definitely unsatisfying.
For twelve uneventful rounds Lewis, standing 6"5, would easily control the fight by keeping the much smaller Tua at bay with his ramrod jab. You can't knock Lewis for doing what he did becasue his job was to simply win the fight and he did just that, even if it was in a manner that was less than captivating. As frustrating as it was to watch for spectators it must have been equally excruciating for the Samoan, however. At the end of the night the scorecards read 119-109, 118-110, and 117-111 for Lewis, but what they didn’t tell was the story of a Heavyweight title fight that never was able to live up to its potential
Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya
May 5th, 2007
MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
Titled as ‘The World Awaits’ the showdown between superstars Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. was described by some as the fight to ‘save’ boxing. At the time UFC was becoming more popular than ever and the Mayweather-De Le Hoya clash was one that was full of many surrounding storylines, intrigue, and endless possibilities beforehand.
What transpired inside of the ring, however, wasn’t nearly as compelling. The bout seemed to be close early on as a rejuvenated De La Hoya pressed his younger foe and seemed to be in control at times. But over the second half of the fight De La Hoya would tire and Mayweather would take control with his speed and counter-punching. As Floyd seized control the bout began to lose it's competitive edge and it never played out how we had all hoped.
When the smoke had cleared Mayweather walked away with his much desired win and the Pay Per View numbers were a record 2.4 million, but the bout hardly changed the landscape of the sport. Both men’s careers would go on in separate directions, with the overall feeling being that a bout between two of this generations biggest stars could have produced something more meaningful.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Marco Antonio Barrera II
October 6th, 2007
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada
When Manny Pacquiao upset Marco Antonio Barrera in November of 2003 in San Antonio, Texas it was quite the shock to see. Combining pure speed and power, Pacquiao would go on to drop his older foe in the third round and batter him over the second half of the fight, resulting in an 11th round stoppage victory. Before the bout Barrera had rejuvenated his career with his battles against Erik Morales but his momentum came to a screeching halt against the Filipino’s whirlwind attack.
Following the loss Barrera would regroup and continue to carve up more victories down the line against the like of Morales in a third fight, Paulie Ayala, and Rocky Juarez, amongst others. All the while people wondered if he would ever face his conqueror from the Philippines again and how exactly he would fair in a rematch.
The two men would meet again in October of 2007 and many felt that this would be a chance for Barrera to redeem himself in some form. This time the bout did unfold much differently, but it seemed as though Barrera was overly cautious and unwilling to engage. Pacquiao seemed intent on bringing the pain but his dancing partner from Mexico City seemed content to simply go the distance the second time around.
When the dust had settled Pacquiao was again triumphant by unanimous decision but there seemed to be a vacant feeling about the contest. For two men who have produced such great fireworks throughout their careers, how exactly did they come together to produce a bout lacking of action? At the end of the day you can’t discredit either man because they have both delivered under the bright lights on countless occasions, but the night of October 6th, 2007 isn’t one that will ever stand out in the minds of boxing fans.
Why it will it be different with Cotto and Pacquiao
You never know how any bout is going to go, which is why boxing is aptly titled the ‘theater of the unexpected’, but gut feeling here is that Pacquiao and Cotto will give everyone exactly what they are asking for when they face off in less than two weeks time. For all of the surrounding numbers and theatrics that are associated with a professional prize fight of this nature, the story itself is always told inside of the ropes and the fighting characteristics of every boxer always comes to light.
Throughout their time in the sport Pacquiao and Cotto have built a strong following but in assessing their careers it has been well earned. The hoopla of the bout has gotten somewhat out of control but none of that changes the fact that we are dealing with two proud, capable, and dangerous assassins. Beyond the hype we have two men who are pure fighters in their hearts and that’s what will ultimately come to fruition when they come face to face. For everyone watching, it's the perfect recipe.
Chris Robinson is a freelance journalist based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He tries to remain objective as possible in all of his articles, putting any personal agendas or bias off to the side. He can be reached at AceFreitas2001@yahoo.com and www.FaceBook.com/CRHarmony. More of his work can be found by clicking the links below.
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