Pacquiao/Cotto – Expect Firepower but No Knockout
November 5th, 2009
By David Berry: With just nine days separating the world from the fight of the year, experts and fans alike have heated up the “Firepower” debate to its boiling point. You’ve heard the arguments – Cotto is stronger; Pacquiao is faster. Pacquiao is a 2-1 favorite; Cotto is a reputed odds-beater. Naturally, if you’re a fan of one and not the other, you’re likely to believe whichever side of the argument favors your fighter. In reality, though, when you throw two premier fighters into a ring with 8 ounce gloves on each fist, all bets are off. When the bell rings, words cease and actions take over.
Let’s take a look at both fighters. There may be no man in boxing today who makes better in-fight adjustments than Miguel Cotto. In addition, no fighter has exhibited the ability to add skills to his arsenal from fight-to-fight better than Cotto. When the bell rang for Cotto’s 2007 matchup with Shane Mosley, Cotto proved to be more than a brawler by not only beating Mosley, but besting him at his own game by out-boxing him. He also brutally dismantled Zab Judah, another slick and quick southpaw who, theoretically, had the tools necessary to win the fight. In both cases, any perceived advantage his opponent had was rendered moot by Cotto’s supreme timing and sustained pressure.
For all of his strengths, Pacquiao has never exhibited the same adaptability, nor has he had to. When faced with adversity, his stamina and power alone have usually given him an edge over his opponents. In life and death battles against Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao relied upon his never-ending supply of energy to outlast Marquez. Against Cotto, though, that same tactic could get him knocked out.
Pacquiao is indeed faster, and Freddy Roach has a valid point when he says that Cotto is hittable. A particular concern for Cotto is his susceptibility to the uppercut. When you consider Pacquiao’s speed and power, that vulnerability becomes extremely unnerving. Cotto has proven vulnerable to other punches as well; particularly the straight left hand against southpaws. However, it’s the uppercut that, loaded hand wraps or not, has made him seem mortal in past fights. When you add into the equation Pacquiao’s ability to throw punches from all angles, and with power, you quickly understand that “Firepower” couldn’t be a more accurate expectation for this fight.
I only have one prediction for this fight, and it’s not on whom the winner will be – it’s that this will be a brutal fight that goes the distance. If Freddy Roach expects Pacquiao to ‘hit and not get hit,’ then he’ll likely be fighting on his toes instead of sitting down on his punches and throwing power shots. For comparison’s sake, expect Pacquiao to fight with a strategy similar to the one on display when he dismantled Oscar de La Hoya. Don’t expect to see Pacquiao physically imposing himself in the way that he did against Ricky Hatton.
Likewise, don’t expect Cotto to take his powerful body attack to Pacquiao in the early going. He’s proven time and time again that he’s not only comfortable when he’s boxing, but he’s also extremely adept at doing so. Cotto is sure to employ a well-timed counterpunching strategy and evaluate the effects of his power shots as the fight goes on. If he’s able to develop a sustained attack to the body, it won’t be until the middle rounds of the fight that he explores it.
Questions remain, but they’ll be answered soon. Pacquiao vs. Cotto is just 9 days away.
Questions? Comments? E-Mail David Berry at iamdavidberry@yahoo.com, and visit http://www.iamdavidberry.com.
Tags: 64 Responses to “Pacquiao/Cotto – Expect Firepower but No Knockout”
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good article a good read. im a big cotto fan though and i dont think he is being given enough credit for his speed, people talk as if he is slow which he deffinetly is not he is also bigger and has the power to get a stoppage. manny was never tested by hatton and if rumours are true he and his camp are not going as well as planned if he wishes to beat cotto he needs more than just speed. cotto to over power and knock out manny.hope he gets the recognition he deserves.
mr ENGOT bawiin mo $550 mo.baka magkasakit ka.thats big money huh?
first round KO, your gueST is not my gueSS.
sorry cotto your going to be eaten up from the outside ,no counter for you just air. footwork and head movement you first seen. then comes the nasty combination , but I heard getting knock out feel like waking from sleeping say what happen. good luck to you. size dont matter.
J: Try to see the replay of the clottey-cotto fight, and see for yourself how hittable cotto is. Fact: The quickness of Clottey is far from that of Pacquiao, yet Cotto has been stunned many times. Fact: The kind of power Manny ripped Hatton would be the same that would KO Cotto. The only difference is that it will not be one punch: It will be in bunches. That would be the antedote for a granite chin. BELIEVE ME. IT’S NOT HYPE!!!!
the reason that manny is deemed explosive…..is that you never know what brutality he’ll bring into the ring.
a knockout is never out of the question…ask roy jones.
if u could not guest it yet i guest their something wrong in your brain, or we call it brain dead
observe the criteria and decide what it tell u
Manny has horrible balance. At welterweight he is knocking no one out. Oscar was letting pac hit him so the fight would end, and pac still could not do it.(that is why oscar finally quit on his stool) Cotto is going to manhandle him……….period. He is going to finish what Marquez started. All you wanna-be boxing fans are in for a rude awakening come the 14th. It’s humerous how all these pac nuthuggers who are new to the sport are all of sudden over night experts. All you guys have is pac and that is it. Puerto Rico had 63 champs including numerous hall of famers. We rule the sport. That’s a fact. See you on these posts on the 15th hawaiian man. Get ready to eat crow.
Miguel will be hitting air; he is too slow, Manny’s foot-work will frustrate Miguel to the point that he will hold Manny’s head with one hand & punch with his head with his free hand; like how Oscar & Ricky did. Miguel will have to resort to cheat tactics…no worries, Manny’s got it covered…he will slap his gloves in protest, he will suck-it-up & BANG throws his right hook for the KO & Miguel will wake-up in Puerto Rico’s canefields thinking he won………
first round KO. guess who…
Manny has martial arts degrees in Karate & Arnis where his speed comes from & with speed comes power with balance of foot-work to attain leverage in order to achieve a power punch….perfect example of this is the Ricky Hatton KO….
JujDred- You forget that Cotto is a master at cutting off the ring, so it does not matter if Manny tries to move around the ring.
# Sopa Says:
November 6th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Cotto slow?
Not to take sides but several people have stated that he can’t handle speed. Think Mosley… Think judah… think Malignaggi???
It’s going to be an interesting fight and I agree with the fact that whoever has the better game plan will win but I’m going to root for the so called “underdog” because thats the way I am.
—————————————————-
Mosley – fast hand but does not use his feet properly. Easy to hit.
Judah – is the same. no feet movement. no heart.
Malinagi – WTF.. he can’t fking hurt a fly. he is not a pro. I can beat no problem…
I will post my vid to show how fast and powerful I am.
Cotto will be floored with a straight left.
7th round.
uppercut, right hook and straight left combo..
I’M A PILIPINO AMERICAN.
LIKE MOST OF THE BOXING FANS, I LIKE TO SEE THE GOOD FIGHT PERIOD.
NOW FOR MANNY P. IF EVERYTHING IS RIGHT I THINK HE WILL WIN… BUT BEWARE OF THOSE POLITCIAN PLEASE! TRUST NO ONE OUTSIDE YOUR FAMILY CIRCLE MANNY…SPECIALLY THE SNAKE TRAITOR BY YOUR SIDE.. CHAVIT SINGSON..HE IS THE SNAKE…I GUESS YOU ARE AMERCANIZED NOW MANNY KEEP YOUR ENEMY CLOSER AND KEEP YOUR FRIEND CLOSE! NOW I THINK YOU CAN TRUST NOYNOY AQUINO AND ERAP… PERHAPS MR ATIENZA MEANS WELL FOR YOU.. I’M SURE IS NOT CHAVIT PLUS BELIEVE IN YOUR FANS THAT ADVISING YOU NOT TO INTO POLITICS… STAY AS AN ICON.. A NATIONAL HERO THAT YOU ARE ALREADY… YOU BRING PROUD TO ALL PILIPINOS EVERYWHERE.. WIN OR LOSE WE ARE WITH YOU… AFTER ALL YOU WILL ALWAYS BE KNOWN AS MANNY PEOPLE CHAMPS… AND WHEN YOU FINANNLY HANGS YOUR GLOVES…PLEASE STAY OUT OF POLITICS AND ENJOY YOUR CHILDREN LIKE YOU DO NOW, EXCEPT WHEN YOU RETIRED YOU HAVE MORE TIME..I THINK YOU HAVE GOOD FUTURE IN SHOWBIZ THAN IN POLITICS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT FOLKS IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE SERRIES “TITLE” SHOW ME THE MANNY WITH MY HOMEGURL MARIAM RIVERA IT IS VERY FUNNY SHOW ABOUT THE ONLY I WATCHED WITH GMA.
NOW FOR COTTO I’M SURE YOUR PUERTO RICAN HOME FOLKS ARE ROOTING FOR YOU AS WELL SO GOOD LUCK.
NOW ONLY ONE MOER SPECIAL THING I CAN SAY.. BOTH FIGHTERS HAVE AN SPANISH ANCESTORS… THATS FOR SURE.
ED REYES
EL CAVITENIO
SPECIALLY WHEN YOU RETIRED….
good unbiased article , this is a nip and tuck fight
J- the only way Pac is getting knocked back to his rice “patties” (is that rice burger?) is by Cotto’s low blow to Pac’s nuts. And Sopa… all the guys you mentioned stood in front of Cotto that’s why he was able to hit them. Like the article said Cotto must land punches to win.. that is if he can find Manny in front of him.
Cotto slow?
Not to take sides but several people have stated that he can’t handle speed. Think Mosley… Think judah… think Malignaggi???
It’s going to be an interesting fight and I agree with the fact that whoever has the better game plan will win but I’m going to root for the so called “underdog” because thats the way I am.
This should be a hake of a fight but Paci on split decision.
pacman s speed is to much for cotto,he is already sliding a bit,this fight will show all the damage done by some cheater in a low life way,which have hurt cotto permantly.
Hawaiian man- Miguel is going to knock Pac back to his rice patties back home! lol
MANNY HAS NEVER GONE DOWN IN HIS 6 CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES…THINK ABOUT IT…WHY??????THE MAN LOVES PAIN….HE’S CRAZY…HE LOVES PAIN…I KNOW PEOPLE IN INSTITUTIONS WHO LOVE PAIN…HE GETS OFFF ON PAIN…IT’S HIS HIGH….Miguel doesn’t know he’s fighting a psychopath……Manny will Knock him out so bad; MIGUEL IS GOING TO WAKE-UP IN PUERTO RICO, THINKING HE WON………..ALOHA
#14. jhon foreman – can you write in your own dialect? you can not express yourself? i dont understand you.. nonsense!!
I’m rooting for Cotto! Great article though!
finally an unbiased article
I been reading alot of bias articles on site about this fight. So much that I got tried of hearing about the bout but this one brought me back. Well written. E.A.D
mike carz – ‘the fact is Clottey doesnt hit that hard’, and how did you work this out? Clottey has very underrated power and skills, possibly the most underrated boxer in the sport today.
Cotto seems to get wobbled regularly, but I wouldnt put this down to him having a suspect chin, he has incredible powers of recovery – on the most part.
This is going to be a great bout. I’m not going to pick a winner, just going to sit back and enjoy.
Pacman could win if he doesnt get caught up in the hype of his last two bouts – if he goes out there looking to demolish Cotto like he did Hatton, I believe Cotto will KO him.
Cotto has to be smart as always, using his ability to nulify Pacman’s speed. The fact is Cotto has been in with much harder punchers (from what ive seen) so im not seeing Pacman’s power being a great issue, maybe not until the later rounds at least.
i dont care……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Mike- I was at the Clottey fight! Clottey caught Cotto with some good shots, but Miguel never wobbled……..that is pure BS…that just proves my point about his toughness….I guess you forgot about the huge cut he fought with through 9 rounds and the fact Cotto dropped granite chinned Clottey with a jab in the 1st round.
Fact- Manny has been stopped twice in his career….from body shot’s….imagine what Cotto’s punches will do to his rib’s. Fact- Timing beats speed…ask Mosely and Judah Fact- Golden boy was a dehydrated way past his prime shell of himself when he fought pac, Diaz is a glorified club fighter, and Hatton is…..Hatton lol….. don’t believe the hype folks…..Cotto by death in the 9th..
J: Have you seen the cotto-clottey fight? There are numerous times where cotto get wabbled by Clottey and the fact is Clottey doesnt hit that hard, and his punches comes in spurt. Imagine Manny’s power punches which comes in bunches. Thats horrible to think. I hope it ends early, coz this man’s gonna fall down, and its hard.
Pacman on the 9th round…tapos sabog ang mukha ni cotto..
It’s the accuracy of the punches that counts most. Power is of none effect if it wont connect. Manny have speed and accuracy, Cotto has power but Manny will beat him to the punch. Golden boy had that experience with Manny, likewise Diaz and Hatton. Manny will KO Cotto in the fifth.
FACTS………..Manny never went down in his 6 Championship Matches…..The man is tough……
Mike carz: All those punches pac will throw will only leave himself open for a Cotto counter. Pac hit Oscar with everything but the kitchen sink and could not knock him down. Only plaster of parris loaded gloves could stop Cotto and it took 11 rounds to do it. Cotto is alot tougher than people give him credit for. Plus Pac was getting manhandled by his sparring partners a couple of weeks from the fight. (24/7 episode 2). Wait until the 14th! Pac Man is a dead man walking!
David Berry-I enjoyed your article, you write like you may have stepped through the ropes a few times.
yeah. Manuel Perez is craziest Pacman hater of all haters. BTW, J, with or without cut, COTTO can’t see all those Pacman punches coming. Pacquiao’s gonna win by an astounding TKO, but i think its in the 8 or 9 round, and I see the corner throwing the towel.
Some posters have commented on Cotto being hittable because of his fight with Clottey. They forget Cotto was fighting with a bad cut for nine rounds and could not see the right hand coming because of this. Despite the cut he still pulled off the win. Pac has poor balance and has a tendency to lunge in with his punches. With fighters way out of their prime, or careless like Hatton he can get away with this. But with a fighter who possesses the balance, power and timing of Cotto, this will be fatal. Pacman has not faced a fighter with Cotto’s skill since Marquez and many people believe he lost both of those fights. Do not be fooled by the hype people. Cotto will be victorious by brutal K.O.
Good article. Why can’t Manuel Perez write this way? Maybe we should not expect too much from a moron.
But Manuel Perez is useful, though. What else can we do in a slow night of the week if we don’t have Perez to kick around anymore?
nice article
but the winner will be pacman based to their fights and styles cotto will be defeated KO….
GO pacman!!!!
say goodbye to your $550.00. TRAYDOR.
what is your problem jhon foreman?you racist…
i think people are forgetting that pacman is the under dog in the fight. To think he could win is crazy, but that is how good this guy is. He has the look of a fighter that can accomplish amazing things. Cotto is fantastic also, but he should be hoping for a comfortable defeat like mayweather did against marquez. If he get beat that will be shocking, def more pressure on cotto to win.
Thank you for a very balanced analysis. I disagree, though, on one point. I also will not call a winner, but I think a later round stoppage might be more likely in the event of either guy winning.
You also make a good point about one of Cotto’s strengths that isn’t often brought up: his adaptability. If he beats Pacquiao, it will likely be because of that.
Haha that John foreman guy sounds rediculous. Good article where have u been man?
Good Article from this website showing so much hate for Pacquiao. We don’t know who will win and that’s the great thing about this fight.
I want to take a time and give Pacquiao kudos for his accomplisment and status. Wow!! would be the perfect word. Imagine a non-american grabbing the imagination of America. But not only in America, but the entire world. That my friend, regardless of the negativity from this boxing forum. you got to hand it to the Pacman for what he has done for boxing and humanity.
Good luck to both fighters and give it your all!!That’s all the people want…
I like reading this article very good not biased. They are all good fighter and each of them has own style. The best fighter on the night of Nov.14 will surely win. And only one of them will win.This would be a very good fight.Who win only God knows.
£200 on Cotto to win-IF my hours of homework are correct?!Miguel just seems to adapt better to adversity during fights whereas Pac,though vastly improved,when in an intense fight will always revert to type and flawed over exuberance-thus leaving himself exposed to an intelligent and powerful counter-puncher such as Cotto.I challenge Pac fans to view,in particular Manny’s second bout with Marquez.How can you honestly say Pac was the worthy victor?Cotto is stronger and in my view better than JMM-without offence to JMM the warrior.
How can F. Mayweather be the #1 p4p when he is not even #1 in his own division which is 147(Mosley/Cotto), he is not #1 in 140 (Pacquiao), definitely not #1 above 147.
It does not matter how you rate a boxer, if he is not the best on any division HE DEFINITELY CAN NOT BE CONSIDERED #1 P4P.
These “experts” who rate boxers better put their names out and explain.
jhon foreman, whattt are you talking about!!!! I don’t understand your point. do you know how to speak english? coz its seems you are the only one who understands your post. whaat the!!!!
I bet $550 on Cotto. Pacquiao is going down… face first.
Finally a sensible article from this website.
Great article mate. Im of the same oppinion think it will be a cracker that goes the distance. Looking for a cotto win thou dont care how it comes!!!!!
Great unbiased article.
Cotto will win by stoppage or KO between 7-9 rounds. Least thats what i think. Better boxer, period.
A very decent article, Manuel Perez and Liam Santiago should learn from your material. Well done
GREAT ARTICLE UNLIKE THE SLOW AND IMMATURE MR.PEREZ.THIS WILL BE A GREAT FIGHT NO DOUBT BOUT IT,IF THERE IS A KNOCKOUT I BELIEVE IT MIGHT COME IN THE 10TH,11TH,OR 12TH ROUNDS.WHOEVER HAS THE BEST STRATEGY WILL WIN BUT IM GONNA HAVE TO GIVE THE EDGE TO MANNY BECAUSE OF HIS INSANE SPEED AND STAMINA AND COTTO IS VERY HITTABLE AS WE SEEN IN HIS FIGHTS AND PREVIOUS FIGHT WIT CLOTTEY WHOSE SPEED IS NOTIN COMPARED TO THE PACMAN’S.SO IM GONNA HAVE TO GIVE THE EDGE TO PACQUAIO.
Great article and you’ve got it too a tee minus the hype. Cotto’s timing will come from his confidence and that’s the big “if”. Cottey didn’t strike me as that powerful a puncher – correct but didn’t seem to have knockout power. Manny’s a different kettle of fish and Cotto knows it. Will be interesting to see how he approaches the fight. If he’s back on form it’ll live up to every expectation.
LET’S GO PACMAN !!!
Cotto is a machine and will prove to the world again why he is a world champion ….I think the winner of this fight is who is better prepared…and cotto is. And is determined to prove the world wrong.manny will begin to break I promise you manny face will be bruised and batterd maybe even cut from cotto’s stone jabs
Nice artical.
Whoever executes their gameplan the best will be victorious.
Gooooooooooood article!
Thank you for a well written, unbiased article. This is why I started to read this site in the first place.
My personal prediction is a late KO, round 11 or 12….wouldnt like to predict a winner though!
Good article, about time we had someone talking sense, it could go either way, should be a great contenst with two top fighters.
I think Pac man will edge it but close fight.