By Manuel Perez: According to GMA News, World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto’s title will be on the line for his fight against Manny Pacquiao on November 14th, whether Cotto likes it or not. Cotto, 28, has said that he doesn’t want to put his WBO belt on the line for the fight because the bout is taking place at a catch weight limit of 145 pounds instead of the normal 147 pound weight limit for the welterweight division.

The 145 pound catch weight number was insisted on by Pacquiao and his team in an effort to give Pacquiao a small handicap in the fight. Since it will probably be difficult for Cotto to take off the extra weight to make the 145 pound catch weight, something which will very likely leave him weaker for having done it, he didn’t want to put his title on the line.

Pacquiao and Roach want the title on the line so that Pacquiao can try win his 7th world title in seven different weight classes. Although you would think that having a world title fight at 145 would be bending the rules a little, the WBO apparently doesn’t care and is more than willing to have Pacquiao fight for the title regardless of whether it’s under the normal welterweight limit of 147.

Cotto, obviously, isn’t happy about it but it appears he has no choice in the matter. Cotto has been saying that he’ll vacate his WBO title if they force him to fight for the title at the lower weight of 145 instead of 147. But, even if Cotto does vacate the title, it appears that the WBO will then immediately make the number #1 challenger and thereby have the title on the line anyway.

So even if Cotto gives up his belt or is stripped of his title, the title will still be on the line for the fight despite the bout being held at a catch weight below the normal welterweight upper limit of 147. Now, it looks like Cotto will have to decide whether he wants to fight under those conditions. This was supposed to be a voluntary defense but it looks as if Cotto will end up without his title if he decides to walk away from the fight. If you ask me, this sounds pretty crummy.

It looks like Cotto has little choice but to give this handicap for Pacquiao if he wants to fight him.

Of course, Cotto doesn’t have to take the fight and can walk away. He might want to do this if this is what the situation is going to be, but he won’t have his title because the WBO will strip him unless he fights Pacquiao.

It looks like the WBO really wants Pacquiao to fight for the title for some reason. I wonder why? I hate to see how this fight will end up being scored if it goes to a decision. Unless I miss my guess, Pacquiao just as he did in his second fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in controversial fashion.

I can’t see Cotto winning the fight unless he knocks Pacquiao out. So in the end, Cotto has to take the much smaller revenue cut and then fight with his title on the line at a catch weight of 145 instead of the normal weight. If Cotto says he doesn’t want to put his title on the line, too bad.

The WBO will be putting it on the line anyway. If Cotto walks away from the fight, the WBO will strip him of his title. Wow, that sounds like a no win situation for Cotto.