By Eric Torres: As reported by some media outlets, the proposed mega fight between Miguel Cotto & Manny Pacquiao On November 14th might not go forward. The reason is simple, but not so simple. Manny Pacquiao is now demanding that the fight be for Miguel Cotto’s Welterweight title. Manny Pacquiao is on the verge of being the first seven time world champion in seven weight divisions and the prospect of that clearly has Freddie Roach wanting the fight for Cotto’s Title.
Cotto and I quote, states “If Pacquiao wants the fight to be for the title, it will have to be at 147 pounds… My decision is final and firm.” But Pacquiao’s camp is equally insistent that the fight remain at 145 with the title at stake. “We don’t need the fight if the title is not on the line,” Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, told The Manila Bulletin. “I want Manny to do this for a reason. I want Manny to win seven world titles. Titles are overrated but I would like to see Manny do this.”
My question is why all of a sudden is this coming out, especially after the fight had been announced? Surely, Manny Pacquiao’s camp was fully aware of the title not being up for stake when the fight was announced, Bob Arum has been stating this all along, or is Manny starting to reconsider the fight altogether with Cotto, who at 145 will be only one pound lighter than the 146 he weighed in at for the Clottey fight?
Is the stance by Cotto a relevant one as well? Should a challenger such as Manny Pacquiao (who IS the challenger in this case) be dictating the terms without any challenge from the actual champion, in this case Miguel Cotto?
Cotto, in my OPINION, has swallowed his pride and has taken a lot of abuse the last few weeks since this fight has been announced . He has taken abuse from Pacquiao’s fans and from Manny’s camp as well. He has not been given the respect by the boxing community and has been seen as the weakest opponent for Manny to fight, hence the reason Pacquiao did not jump on Shane Mosley’s proposition to give into Pacquiao’s terms.
It seems Cotto is finally getting aggravated by all of this and putting his foot down. Miguel has settled on the demands of coming down weight to 145, Cotto has given in on the purse of the fight, which from all accounts will be a 65-35 split for Pacquiao. Miguel has given in on the location of the fight which will take place At the MGM Grand in Vegas. I know what some of you are going to say ” Manny is the Pound for pound king, he should call all the shots” But I disagree. That is a STATUS given to a fighter by the fans and boxing experts, NOT AN OFFICIAL BELT. Miguel Cotto holds a Belt and is the reigning WBO champion in the welterweight division, which the last time I checked is at 147 pounds nothing more.
It would be a hypocrisy for the World Boxing Organization to strip Cotto of his belt( which has been the buzz), when Cotto has a legitimate right to state, that if you want to challenge the champion of a specific weight for his belt, you fight him at that weight. If Cotto wanted to fight Manny for his junior Welterweight title I am sure that Manny would say the same thing. Its common sense folks. If Manny wants the fight for Cotto’s belt, then it should be at Cotto’s 147 that is where the belt resides not at 145, which is fair and only right especially if the roles where in reverse.
I am a huge Manny Pacquiao fan quite possibly one of the biggest, but I am a huge fan of boxing which supersedes any fighter. I am starting to think that Freddie Roach and Pacquiao are starting to realize that they might have bitten off more than they can chew. Just a day before this title situation, in which Pacquiao has created, Miguel Cotto recently sent a stern message to Freddie Roach after Freddie had some bold prediction about the outcome of there proposed showdown.
I quote, “Hey Roach, I have some news. I am not Oscar De La Hoya at the end of his career. I am not the overrated Ricky Hatton. Roach knows what he will be facing on November 14th, it will be a war.” Have these words finally sunken into the heads of everyone in Pacquiao’s camp? They know that Miguel Cotto will not budge on this title situation and are NOW saying that without the belt they do not need Cotto. Is this their way out of the fight? Who knows, but the timing of all of this in relation to Cotto’s stern warning have to make you think.
Life is about challenging yourself and others when you are a fighter not taking a short cut to glory. I have to say that in THIS case Manny is trying to take a short cut to glory. He wants the rewards of a belt that is in a higher weight division, without actually allowing the champion to fight at that weight. I would hope that this is not just a ploy to get out of this fight with Cotto because I admire Manny Pacquiao’s body of work.
It would be a shame as well for Cotto to be forced to do something that makes complete sense on his part as well. I have a solution to all of this, Manny if you want to make history and win Cotto’s belt then do it the right way, allow Miguel Cotto to fight without a catch weight and then you would have earned a title the right way.
Cotto has given into all of your demands( and he is the champion), now it is up to you to look into yourself and think long and hard whether you are going to fight your own battle or whether you’re going to have your lawyers or the WBO fight your battle for you. Fans of boxing, Cotto is not fighting Pacquiao for his junior welterweight title he has been there done that, it is the other way around. Manny Pacquiao is fighting for Miguel Cotto’s Belt!
In closing boxing fans. If this fight is canceled then it leaves me with this sad conclusion. Someone that I love as a fighter ( Manny Pacquiao) is nothing more than a bully outside the ring in his negotiating tactics and when FINALLY faced with tough opposition, not only inside the ring, but now outside from Cotto he wants to threaten the fight from moving forward, It seems a little too familiar to why he has not fought Juan Manuel Marquez again. That is a cowardly act that threatens us boxing fans the opportunity to see what can be one of the greatest clashes we have ever seen.
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