Valcarcel: “If a Fight is Going to be inside the Welterweight Limit, then It has to be for the Title”
August 5th, 2009
By Giancarlo Malinconico: As reported by columnist Mark Vestor, WBO president Francisco Valcarcel told El Nuevo Dia that he believes the Cotto bout ought to have the WBO Title at stake: “With one or two pounds less, you are still inside the limit. We (The WBO) have the responsibility… that if a fight is going to be inside the welterweight limit, then it has to be for the title.”
The fact that Pacquiao only weighed 142 pounds against De La Hoya, and is not a “walk-around” welterweight is the real problem I have with criticisms about this catch weight. Critics of catch weights (or just Pacquiao in general) seem to neglect Pacquiao is sacrificing a division, while Cotto is sacrificing just two pounds. In my opinion, the catch weight still favors Cotto; he will come in heavier. Weight is obviously at least somewhat of an advantage in boxing; otherwise why would we have so many weight classes in the first place?
If you want to see the best possible pound-for-pound match ups, then you cannot complain about catch weights being a part of it. You cannot expect to have it both ways in every case. If a fighter clearly cannot make a catch weight, he should not sign to fight.
I say the belt ought to be on the line because Pacquiao is fighting arguably the first or second best 147-pounder in the world. Instead of criticized, Pacquiao ought to be commended for taking this fight with Cotto, and if he is victorious he should be glorified as a world champion in seven different weight classes. Boxing analysts and fans have historically criticized boxers for moving up in weight to win “alphabet” titles from subpar champions. If Pacquiao is victorious, we can say he did not just move up various weight divisions collecting belts from “cab-driver” opponents. More importantly, we can truly say, Pacquiao won his seventh world title against a real champion.
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Of course if they did add a judge it would then altar the whole points system so maybe it would have to be five judges..LOL..it could work,,realy it could..lol
Just a thought…
Hey Wayne Lord,good stuff on Sugar Ray…My dad a while back first showed me some films of Sugar and lets see…i think it was like somewhere in the late 80′s and man i could never believe that a fighter could be so graceful.It’s true,the man had everything and thats an understatement…Power in both hands,speed for days,footwork you name it he had it.
I could never forget the KO over Rocky Graziano,Ray had Rocky against the ropes and connected with a combo,not sure if it was the left hook or the right cross but Rocky went down and you could see him kicking his leg out like stretching it out to get some feeling back in them..sick.
My dad introduced me to the sport and after seeing the likes of Ray Robinson,Rocky Marciano,Joe Luis,Carmine Basilio,Jake Lamotta ect…I just loved watching all the old fights that ive never seen.To this day it’s my favorite sport.
Oh!,lets not forget,if i’m not mistaken,Jake Lamotta was the first man to beat and knock down Sugar Ray at middle weight.I think they fought like five times Sugar winning 4 out of the five(one robbery)i forget witch one of the fights it was with Lamotta n Robinson but Jake got a raw deal in one of the fights he lost to Ray.Lamotta knocked down Ray in a close fight and they gave it to Sugar.
You know i see that happen alot today in boxing were it seems like if the two fighters are real fast or one of them for that matter,the judges have a hard time seeing what is actually connecting and whats being blocked by a fighters gloves.
I had some thought on the subject and think that it would be beneficial
if the judges were possibly moved from all three being next to each other and spread out around the squared circle like maybe one judge on each side adding a judge making it four judges,spread all around the ring.
Ever wonder why out of the three judges theres alway’s one of them thats totaly off from the rest.
This Pac n Cotto thing is getting alil old so i’d thought we change it up a bit,talk about something else…ya know..lol
There has been many catchweight fights in history for titles. Many people, including myself, have already given examples of such fights in articles to these sites.
I will note the big one between Leonard & Lalonde in the late 80″s and that was for the L-heavy & the newly formed S-Middle Titles. Lalonde could not exceed 168. The WBC gave their blessing to that farce so Leonard could be the 1st to get 5 titles. Does anyone remember that?
There has been many catchweight fights in history for titles. Many people, including myself, have already given examples of such fights in articles to these sites.
I will note the big one between Leonard & Lalonde in the late 80″s and that was for the L-heavy & the newly formed S-Middle Titles. Lalonde could not exceed 168. The WBC gave their blessing to that farce so Leonard could be the 1st to get 5 titles. Does anyone remember that?
All will this do is ensure that no sensible will ever agree to fight at a catchweight ever again.
Why dont pacquiao and his fans get this? YOU CANNOT HAVE A WORLD TITLE FIGHT AT CATCHWEIGHT
Umaasa ako Pacfans hindi aabandunahin Pacman kapag nawala siya sa Cotto
Maaari Pacquiao tatakbo ang buong labanan?
I’m sure Cotto and Pacquiao both feel the weight issue is not a problem, otherwise they wouldn’t get into this deal. I think the fans are more worried than the boxers.
If its for the title then shouldnt Cotto be allowed to weigh in at the welter limit of 147?
I have no objections to the title being on the line and dont quite understand all this catchweight malarky.
It would be more exciting if it was for the WBO belt, but the WBO belt Cotto holds is for the 147 pound division…
Tale of the tape
Pacman
Stance: Southpaw
140 lbs. WEIGHT
5’ 6 1/2” HEIGHT
67” REACH
38″ CHEST NORMAL
40 1/2″ CHEST EXPANDED
13″ BICEPS
12″ FOREARM
28″ WAIST
20″ THIGH
15″ CALF
16″ NECK
8″ WRIST
10” FIST
Cotto
Stance: Orthodox
147 lbs.* WEIGHT
5’ 8” HEIGHT
69” REACH
39” CHEST NORMAL
41” CHEST EXPANDED
13” BICEPS
11½ ” FOREARM
32” WAIST
22½” THIGH
12“ CALF
16” NECK
7½ ” WRIST
11” FIST
Despite the all the talks about their size difference between both fighters:
Pacquiao and De La Hoya entered the ring nearly as equals.
Unofficial weight reports said de la Hoya entered the ring at 147 pounds, which is 13 pounds lighter than his usual fighting weight of 160. This is an indication that the Mexican-American wanted to obtain speed with a lighter weight. Pacquiao came in at 148.5 pounds with the same speed and power.
For the Hatton fight,
HBO report[ed] that Hatton [at fight night] weighs 152 and Manny is 148. That’s nice considering the official weight is 140.
It would seem to me from the above information that we are not talking about a 138lb or 142lb fighter in Pacquiao but a nearly 150lb fighter at fight night. If Cotto comes in as some expect 154lb that really is not that big a disparity.
The two boxers are of comparable size
People all back Pacquiao trust me Miguel Cotto is a warrior and all the Pacman fans better be ready for what they see as a suprise but to me it won’t be a suprise because ive seen Cotto at his worst and his best. He takes big shots, is fast for a big guy and is very powerful when he goes 2 the body. Cotto vs Mayweather 2010.
Somebody .. i mean SOMEBODY wake me up please!!!
i am dreaming!!!!
Pacman would make Cotto famous. Cotto would be the last man to be knocked out before Pacman retires as the number one pound for pound fighter in the world.
obviously Cotto is intimidated by just the sound of Pacman, the greatest pound for pound fighter in the world. he should be. he’d be fighting for his life not just for pride or title. the fact that the last two opponents of pacman went down in such fashion can make any champ pee in his shorts. it’s all just business, nothing personal. if Cotto’s too chicken, Pacman will just find someone else who’s got the balls.
nice analysis man! damn those two witty writers. they are such cry babies… hahaha!
But how can Pacman be a 7-weight champion if he isnt fighting at 7 weights… he has fought at 6 weights and a catchweight. What if he wanted to defend it against a andatory, is he gonna drag them down to 145 as well?
That message is intended for writer Manuel Perez. he he he.
SORRY ABOUT THAT WRONG POST.
Excellent points. I’ve read a lot of articles on this site criticizing Pacman for that 2 pounds difference and I don’t think those writers are being objective. You’re spot on, Pacquiao is in a more difficult predicament going up in weight for a small guy while Cotto will only be 1 pound under his natural fighting weight. Cotto is a natural WW and Pacquiao’s stature is LW at best. Pacquiao’s critics belittles his accomplishments. The thruth of the matter is they wouldn’t accept the fact that he is a special athlete and his record proves that. I don’t think he was crowned P4P king for nothing.
“i say the belt ought to be on the line because pacquiao is fighting arguably the first or second best 147-pounder in the world”. LOL exactly-one of the best 147 pounders, not 145.this fight will be a discrace if its for da title at 145.
finally an article that makes some sense, written with intelligence by someone who actually seems knowledgeable about boxing. I applaud you for that Mr. Malinconico. Maybe you can teach Mrs. Perez a thing or two.
Finally, an article that make sense. All i can say is when you are on top of the boxing world like Pacquiao, people will smear his accomplishments as if he does not deserve it. The only way to defeat Manny is not thru boxing but politics. Next year he will run for a congressional seat and that would be a landslide defeat on his part. I know Arum will use the angle for Pacquiao as a boxer-politician. I also believe that Manny will keep on fighting because a prizefight of 15 million(minimum)dollars is hard to walk away especially for Manny because he is a giving person to his people and others.
which means you’re also crazy kevin.
What wrong in giving opinion or comment?
all people writting thier comments here are crazy
BoxingNews 24.COM = Santiago/Perez Smear Bomber/Stalker of Pacquiao? Thanks Malinconico for balancing the site and putting those two clowns their place.
First off this fight was first discussed as a catchweight bout and nothing else. Then someone from Manny’s camp wanted it to be a title fight. If I recall correctly Manny told Arum to make the fight happen with Cotto who is the current champ at 147 not 145. This author says Manny should be commended for taking this fight BS fight at 147 and you wove earned my respect. Whats next Manny is going to move up to super welterweight and demand to fight a champ at a catchweight of 148. This P4P title is made up and doesn’t represent anything while the WBO belt is something which is real. Man up Manny and let Cotto weigh the limit.
Not exactly even. The catch weight prevents Cotto from coming in at 147, which benifits Pacquiao. Also, the pay per view revenues go largely to Pacquiao’s side, even though he’s not the champion. The penalty for coming in over weight, $1 mil per pound, hurts Cotto more than Pacquiao because he’s the bigger fighter and the one more likely to come in heavier.
Pacman is virtually putting the mythical P4P title on the line.
Cotto is/should put the WBO 147 title on the line.
Now they are even-steven. I don’t know about the money share though.
This is a decent article yet I am not 100% in agreement. I get the fact that Manny is a natural 135-140 lber at this stage and I have said before that Cotto is too big. But now the fight is set and terms agreed to you just can’t suddenly say it for the title.
A champ is allowed to have a non-title fight and I believe this could be it. The other argument is that if the weight is in the limit then it is a title fight. However, Manny was not ranked but the WBO has now done so retroactively.
This rekes of politics and that is what boxing has become. If I was the Czar of boxing, I would said from the beginning, guys you can reach your own agreement. You are good fighters worthy of being the champ. Once they sort it out and they are in the weight limit, the title is on. If the contract did not state it was a title fight, then I would not force Cotto to defend it.
Fair is fair but I am not the Czar and ther is no such person in boxing like Dana White.This farce is a disgrace and that is why boxing is faalling.
I just read another materpiece on Sugar Ray Robinson. He started as a small lightweight but often gave away lbs to bigger guys who actually were welters and still beat them. He eventually went up to welter but was still way under the 147 limit. In fact he was fighting middles while he was still a welter.
That is over 13 lbs difference not even counting rehydrating. When he finally went to middle, he was usually 152-155 and again gave up as more weight after the weigh in. He was 85-0 and then 128-1-2 after being going 85-0 as an amateur.
Can you imagine today’s fighters doing that? He fought all comers and sometimes 3,4, 5 times. He did not feel anyone could beat him. His problem was women and booze and that he fought way past his prime. He put the sweetness in sugar. I saw many of his fights over the years.
He had one shot power, speed, combinations, text book skills, defense, a great chin, was handsome and had charisma in and out of the ring. Again, I ask, can any fighter today emulate that?
As much as I love Manny he should not worry about a few lbs. He wnats to go down in history as a great, so he should not allow people to say crap about him. He can beat Cotto with speed and power like Robinson did to Lamotta. Go Manny, go!
Ricardo Mayorga for president LOLLLL!!!
YEA UR RIGHT COTTO IS NOT DELAHOYA OR HATTON- HES WORSE!
Listen like COTTO said he ain’t de la hoya or hatton. He is going to pound pacman and prove to all you haters out there that cotto is the real deal. I can’t wait for the fight, he is going to man up and fight and beat pacman back to lightweight where he belongs…..
you’re right hatton is no. 1. he is good
Damm Straight! Cotto should give Pacquiao his due or just don’t fight him. He can go after one of the easier match ups in Mosley, Berto or rematch Clottey. Cotto got to remember he is the “B” side of this fight. Message to Cotto; give The MAN what he wants, take your lottery ticket and cash it in! Or start steppin and stop wasting everybody’s time.