By Trevor Weis: During the undercards on Saturday night, Miguel Cotto sat ringside with his family, preparing for the inevitable battle that awaited. Hardening himself, the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion probably didn’t anticipate confessing to the world, “Manny is one of the best fighters of all time.”

The fight correctly dubbed “Firepower” became a firing squad for Pacquiao and an utter cease-fire for the former champion Cotto. Pacquiao connected 49% of power shots, landing largely as he pleased throughout the fight. Cotto made it through the first round brilliantly, boxing and counter-punching effectively, keeping Pacquiao at a surprised distance with his solid jab. However, Pacquiao planted Cotto on the canvas in round three, distracting Cotto with a right hand feint, landing a straight left to the body, followed by a blinding right hook to Cotto’s temple, finished with a left uppercut on the way down, just for good measure.

Against Freddie Roach’s advice, Pacquiao languished on the ropes a bit, testing Cotto’s punching power. And that question seems to be answered: Manny Pacquiao can take the best punches from a full-fledged welterweight—he walked through the “stronger man’s” best shots for twelve rounds. In the fourth round, Pacquiao landed a brilliantly placed left uppercut, penetrating Cotto’s guard, his eyes rolling back as he stumbled to the canvas for the second time.

Cotto won round five with effective jabs and a measured attack, Pacquiao taking a rest after two consecutive 10-8 rounds. However, from round six on, Pacquiao controlled the fight, thrashing Cotto with blistering combinations from all angles. Pacquiao boxed on his toes beautifully early on and hunted flat-footed relentlessly to close the show. Pacquiao seemed to debilitate Cotto, the infamous body puncher, with every blow downstairs. In full retreat, the fight could have been justifiably called in the ninth round, Cotto back-pedaling from corner to corner, unable to adjust to the fight Manny dictated; Cotto’s wife and son left the arena before the bell ended the round.

Chief second Joe Santiago gave no technical advice to his fighter between rounds. Instead, a sense of mayhem and desperation ensued; Miguel even kissed his father between rounds, as if to say ‘I will weather this…’ But the Pacquiao-storm continued. Pacquiao grinned when hit flush by Cotto, beat his gloves together as he methodically stalked the defending champion, and often stopped in frustration, as if to say ‘I thought this was a fight…’ Even so, Cotto showed his true courage and warrior’s heart as he stayed on his feet until Kenny Bayless waived the fight in the last round. Out-classed and aware of the outcome that loomed ahead, Miguel Cotto demanded to go out on his own terms.

In the aftermath of the most-anticipated fight of the year, a new welterweight champion has emerged. All questions regarding Pacquiao’s previous victories over De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton should be laid to rest. All doubts regarding Manny’s abilities against a legitimate welterweight champion have been undeniably removed. And the case for Pacquiao’s pound for pound supremacy continues to solidify, a debate that Freddie Roach wants resolved in 2010.

Manny Pacquiao continues to exceed all expectations, winning a record-breaking and historical seven championship belts in seven different weight classes, outselling the one million PPV buys recorded for Floyd Mayweather’s comeback fight in September, continually dominating bigger opponents in scintillating fashion. The popular question seems to be “Is Manny Pacquiao good enough to beat Floyd Mayweather?” But after making yet another career-defining emphatic statement in the middle of the ring, Pacquiao clearly states, “Is Floyd Mayweather good enough to beat me?” Fans of the Sweet Science eagerly wait with baited breath for the answer they deserve.