Cotto-Pacquiao: Showtime!!!

By Boxing News - 11/05/2009 - Comments

pac34By Peter Wells: This is it now we are just over a week away from Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto, everything is on the line for both fighters here, Pacquiao, his legacy, now that he takes on his biggest test of his career, and as for Cotto there’s his pride, how will he handle defeat for a second time. There is no doubt that doesn’t Manny lack power but Miguel is much cleverer than Ricky Hatton and a lot younger than Oscar De La Hoya.

Cotto likes southpaw’s a lot, as he favours his left hand but fights out of an orthodox stance he doesn’t have to lean in to land his big left to the body especially in close quarters. Pacquiao is no doubt the faster of the two and looks in great shape(despite whatever Manuel Perez says). If Pacquiao can keep out of harms way he can win this no problem, but you can’t run for 12 rounds against Miguel. The Puerto Rican banger has knocked out some top class operators including Ricardo Torres (TKO 7), Carlos Quintana (W RTD 5) and Zab Judah (W TKO 11) he has also beaten Paulie Malignaggi and Shane Mosley on points. His latest victory was against Joshua Clottey a very skilled Ghanaian boxer. Cotto seemed to just nick it but there was no doubt it was another tough fight, are these battles catching up on Cotto.

Pacquiao hasn’t always had easy fights, he’s beat tough fighters including Marco Antonio Barrera(W TKO 11, W UD), plus the two classic bouts with huge rival Juan Manuel Marquez(D 12, W SD), also he’s had a great trilogy against another Mexican legend Erik Morales (L UD, W TKO 10, KO 3), David Diaz (W TKO 9) in a one sided domination for Manny, then his 8th round retirement of Oscar De La Hoya in a fight most expected Manny was in way over his head. Last but not least there’s his 2nd round knockout of British Hero Ricky Hatton. There’s no better way to put this but ‘Easy’.

So Pacman will have less battle scars than Cotto but Miguel isn’t finished just yet and has at least 1 more spectacular performance. For the first two or three rounds I can see Manny working out of range and quickly jabbing the plodding Miguel, but after about 5 rounds Cotto will start to get Pacquiao in range and will start to catch him flush. Still Manny will keep lively not leaving to many gaps, Cotto I believe will be troubled by a cut in the middle rounds, but proved against Clottey it doesn’t affect him that much anymore. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pacquiao is cut late in the fight, when the fun will start. At about round 10 both fighters will start to land the bombs and I see both fighters going down, but Pacquiao movement will take him through to the final bell, just slightly ahead in a fight some may give Cotto, but Pacman will just edge it.

If anyone has any opinions on what will happen please give your verdict, thank you for reading.



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