Unpredictable

Recently, we have heard and read several news about the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight. Unfortunately, after we heard the news that both parties have agreed on a catch weight of 145 pounds which we thought was the only thing that was preventing the fight to happen after the Pacquiao camp initially demanded Cotto to go down to 143 pounds. We know the fight contract isn't signed yet.

Why? Not because of the purse. Cotto knows Pacquiao has to get the lion's share. Despite getting 30-35 percent of the share, he is about to get his biggest payday in his entire career.

But, what is really hindering the Pacman from signing the contract?

The WBO belt to be on the line.

Yes, this is what every member of the Pacquiao camp, wants reason why they are pushing for a Cotto fight. The fact that Cotto holds a world title (WBO) gives Manny a big chance to make history, to be the only boxer ever to win world titles in 7 weight division.

Why Cotto does not want to put his belt at stake?

I don't agree with Bob Arum that Cotto doesn't want to pay $150,000 sanction fee to the WBO. Cotto's camp are taking this situation to their advantage trying to steal the wheels from Manny Pacquiao and wish to dictate terms. I was not surprised when I heard Cotto's camp demanding Manny to fight Cotto at 147 pounds if he really wants the title.

What would be Manny's reaction to this. Although he has heard it, I am sure he would consider a lot of things before he decides whether to counter or bite.

If he counters, what would be his option? Best option, I meant.

For me, Manny should let Cotto know who the face of boxing is. Time to consider Shane Mosley's offer to fight Manny at 144 with the former's belt on the line.

With all these dramas and twisting stories from both Pacquiao's and Cotto's camp, the fight is not yet sure to happen. Until the contract is signed, everything can happen. It is very unpredictable.

Is Pacquiao-Cotto Going to Be Called Off?

There's been an "official" announcement of the Manny Pacquiao/Miguel Cotto fight (tentatively scheduled for Nov. 14 in Las Vegas) from Bob Arum, but as yet there's been no press conference to announce the fight. What's more, it seems like the negotiation for the fight is still playing out in the media between the two camps, begging the question, "Is this fight a done deal or not?"

The latest issue to hit the headlines concerns the question of Miguel Cotto's WBO welterweight title and whether it would be up for grabs in a fight with Pacquiao. Reason would tell you that it wouldn't be, because the Pacquiao fight has been set at a catch-weight of 145 pounds, two pounds shy of the welterweight limit. After Arum brushed off concerns about the title question last week, Cotto stated his case earlier this week, saying, "If Pacquiao wants the fight to be for the title, it will have to be at 147 pounds... My decision is final and firm."

But Pacquiao's camp is equally insistent that the fight remain at 145 with the title at stake. "We don't need the fight if the title is not on the line," Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, told The Manila Bulletin. "I want Manny to do this for a reason. I want Manny to win seven world titles. Titles are overrated but I would like to see Manny do this."

Of course, if Pacquiao and company are so adamant that the title be at stake in this fight, why didn't they raise the issue before the fight was "officially" announced to the media by the promoter of both fighters?

Well, according to Pacquiao's lawyer, Franklin Gacal, you'll have to ask the promoter about that. "I don't know why Bob made the announcement when in fact we haven't seen the contract," Gacal said.

Dah... what? They haven't seen the contract? Then what the hell is going on here exactly? How could this fight be a done deal when one fighter's camp claims not to have even seen the deal?

There are three possible answers to that question, all of which seem plausible to me:

1. They have seen the deal but are acting like they haven't to get what they want.

2. They have seen the deal but for whatever reason have decided that they don't want the Cotto fight and therefore are using this issue as the excuse to back out.

3. They haven't seen the deal – Arum's announcement was premature, a tactic to try and bully the Pacquiao camp into a fight that he desperately wants them to take.

Or it could be some combination of points one and three, although I confess that I'm really wondering about point number two. The reason I'm wondering about that is this: Who the hell cares about a WBO belt? I understand that Freddie Roach is starting to think about Pacquiao's place in history and everything, and an unprecedented seven world titles would be nice on that count, but still, I just don't believe that they care about it that much. Not to mention the fact that, hey, the fight's at 145 pounds. Cotto's right – that's not a welterweight fight and it shouldn't be sanctioned as such. It's true that the belts mean less than the fake gold they're made out of at this point, but nevertheless, if we start completely throwing the weight divisions out the window in this sport, we're looking at utter chaos.

And I suspect Freddie Roach knows that. I can only imagine the venom that would pour forth from him if he were on the other side of the argument. Cotto is well within his rights to stand his ground on the title question, and based on his comments yesterday, Roach is willing to scotch the fight if he does. Could that possibly be just for the honor of competing for the WBO welterweight crown?

I can't see it, myself. Maybe Pacquiao's team is just beating its chest a little to get this concession out of Cotto, but something tells me that he's not going to back down. Cotto is an old school guy, and though Roach is quick to point out that Pacquiao doesn't need Cotto, I don't think Cotto feels a tremendous need for Pacquiao either. Cotto sells out the Garden when he fights a no-name like Josh Clottey. He's not making Pacquiao money, but he's doing just fine for himself, and there are other big fights out there for him.

Which leads me to believe that if Pac Man Incorporated is going to hold the line on this issue, then the fight is off. And if that happens, never in a million years would anyone be able to convince me that the reason for that was the precious WBO title.

Source: SportingNews.com

Cotto now dictating terms on Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines - It seems that Miguel Cotto is the one dictating on Manny Pacquiao when it should be the other way around.

First, he got the Filipino pound-for-pound champion to agree to the catchweight of 145 lb, and now, the Puerto Rican champion is saying he’d only stake his WBO welterweight crown if Pacquiao climbs to 147.

Pacquiao, through his lawyer Franklin Gacal, said weeks ago that the fight is off if Cotto insists on 145 lb, and said he wants the younger, bigger but not necessarily stronger champion to go down to 143.

But somewhere along the way Pacquiao agreed at 145 lb, and the other day, upon realizing that there’s a chance for him to win an unprecedented seventh world crown in different weight classes, he said he wants Cotto’s title.

“We should be the one dictating the terms. We are the main attraction,” said Gacal, adding that if Cotto insists at 145 lb then they might consider Shane Mosley, the WBA weltweight champion, who would have been easier to deal with.

Mosley first said he’s willing to fight Pacquiao at 144 lb and stake his WBO crown, and days after he dangled another offer for him to fight Pacquiao at 140 lb for the Filipino’s IBO light-welterweight title he won over Ricky Hatton last May.

While they have agreed verbally on the fight to take place on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas, Pacquiao and Cotto have yet to sign the fight contract, and may take them a little more time to decide whether or not a title will be at stake.

Arum told The STAR Cotto doesn’t want to pay the WBO sanction fee of $150,000.

Source: Philstar.com

Pacquiao’s camp blames Arum for ‘no-title’ fiasco

The insistence of Miguel Cotto not to put his world title at stake when he fights Manny Pacquiao is being blamed on Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal said on Friday that Arum's hasty decision to come out with an announcement about the Pacquiao-Cotto fight scheduled Nov. 14 in Las Vegas early last week could be one of the reasons behind the insistence of Cotto to stand firm on his decision not to stake the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.

"I don't know why Bob made the announcement when in fact we haven't seen the (official) contract," said Gacal when asked about the other pertinent details of the contract.

Arum has both Pacquiao and Cotto under the promotional banner of Top Rank.

Cotto's decision not to risk the WBO 147-lb crown stems from the fact that the fight is going to be at a catch weight of 145 lbs and that during the negotiations, Team Pacquiao did not bother to raise the issue.

Cotto said he will only risk the WBO title if Pacquiao agrees to face him at 147 lbs.

"(My decision is) final and firm," Cotto told El Nuevo Dia in a story that appeared on the paper's July 31 issue. "The belt is not going to be on the line in the fight."

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach, already panicky about the prospects of bringing Pacquiao somewhere else other than the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, was bothered when told about the development.

"The WBO should make it a title fight. We don’t need the fight if the title is not on the line," Roach told The Bulletin. "I want Manny to do this for a reason. I want Manny to win seven world titles. Titles are overrated but I would like to see Manny do this."

There's been no seven-division world champion in boxing and Roach is dead-sure Pacquiao will become the very first when he faces Cotto.

Pacquiao has won legitimate world titles at flyweight (112 lbs), super-bantam (122), super-feather (130) and lightweight (135), but was widely recognized as well when he beat Marco Antonio Barrera for the Ring magazine featherweight (126) crown and Ricky Hatton last May even if the Englishman, considered as the best in the division, held the fringe International Boxing Organization junior-welter (140) diadem.

Source: MB.com.ph

Face me at 147 for WBO title, Cotto tells Pacquiao

MANILA -- Miguel Cotto said that he would only agree to stake his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Manny Pacquiao if they agree to fight at 147 pounds.

In a report by MB.com.ph (Manila Bulletin), Cotto said that Pacquiao would have to fight as a true welterweight if he wants the 147-pound title.

“If Pacquiao wants that the fight be for the title, (it) will have to be in 147 pounds. I won the title in that, the welterweight (division) and that is 147 pounds,” the Puerto Rican champion said in the report.

Should the WBO insist on making the Pacquiao-Cotto match a title match at 145 pounds, the Puerto Rican said he will not hesitate to surrender the title.

“The OMB (WBO) has the legal authority to dismiss me as champion and gladly I deliver them the title. (WBO president) PacoValccel, better than nobody, knows that the 145 pounds is not a division,” said Cotto.

Pacquiao is pushing to make his November 14 date with Cotto a title fight in his bid to become a seven-division champion.

“Sa pamamagitan ng pag-sanction ng WBO sa laban namin, mangyayaring magkaroon ako ng tsansa na maging isang seven-division champion, na hindi pa nangyayari sa kasaysayan ng boxing,” the Filipino boxing icon said in his column “Kumbinasyon” posted on Philboxing.com.

Pacquiao, the reigning IBO junior welterweight champion, is a former WBC lightweight champion, WBC Super Featherweight champion, IBF Super Bantamweight champion and WBC Flyweight champion.

He also won lineal championships in four weight classes, one of which was counted as a title he won over Marco Antonio Barrera.

Source: ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

Cotto wants fight with Pacquiao at 147lbs

Miguel Cotto is willing to stake his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Manny Pacquiao.

With one major condition of course, that the fight has to be at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.

“If Pacquiao wants a title for the fight, it will have to be at 147," Cotto declared from his hometown in Puerto Rico.

His offer is the latest plot twist in his scheduled November 14 showdown against the reigning pound-for-pound king and the six-division title holder Pacquiao.

The 12-round Pacquiao-Cotto match, which will be held in Las Vegas, is considered by many as the biggest bout in the final half of 2009.

Originally set at a catch weight of 145 pounds, Cotto was forced to set his own condition this time after Pacquiao insisted that the Puerto Rican’s WBO crown be put on the table.

Pacquiao’s suggestion was even backed by no less than WBO president Francisco Valcarcel, who was more than willing to sanction the match.

But Cotto, in an interview with Puerto Rican newspaper Primerahora, stressed the catch weight of 145 pounds doesn’t fall under any category in boxing. “The weight of 145 pounds is not a category."

He said since he won the title at 147 pounds, then Pacquiao should agree going up in weight if he wants the WBO title at stake.

Cotto acknowledged, however, that as the sanctioning boxing body, the WBO can strip him of his title if he refused to defend it.

“The WBO has the legal authority to dismiss me as champion. I have no problem with that," said the world champion, who is busy promoting his new line of clothing in Puerto Rico.

This developed as Cotto revealed he’s planning to go back to the gym next week and start to do some light work out.

Source: GMANews.TV

Pacquiao doesn't need Cotto or his belt

Truth be told Manny Pacquiao does not need Miguel Cotto, nor his belt. Just based on both fighters' recent history, it should be Cotto crawling on all fours wanting to fight Pacquiao to revive his slumping career.

I don't know whether Cotto is posturing or is simply stubborn when he said he wouldn't put up his WBO welterweight belt against Pacquiao even if he had to vacate it. Fighting words from the gallant Puerto Rican, but why would Pacquiao care?

If that's the case then Cotto isn't really interested in the biggest payday and break of his career after all. If I was a Team Pacquiao adviser, I'd simply tell Manny to walk and explore his many other options.

Mosley is willing and waiting in the wings and would even go down to 140 and take 40% of the pot just to dance with Manny. Of course there's still the option of paying Marquez step-aside money as Floyd Mayweather Jr. himself suggested and get right down to business with "Money May". Or he can stay in his division and fight the winner of Timothy Bradley and Nate Campbell next week at the Agua Caliente Casino in Palm Springs. Call me T.I. because fact of the matter is Manny, "you can have whatever you like". Such are the rewards of being the best and most popular boxer in the planet. When Cotto actually locates his heart after Antonio Margarito beat the crap out of him and fighting the last four rounds of his controversial win against Joshua Clottey on skates, then he can start acting like a diva.

Really? He will vacate his title just so Pacquiao wouldn't be able to get a shot at it? That's simply disrespectful in my book. You wouldn't even give a much smaller person a shot at a belt he very well deserves if he beats you just because of two almost meaningless pounds? Even when it means you are to get the biggest payday of your career? Really?

Pacquiao did not invent title fights at a catch weight, in fact great boxers like Sugar Ray Leonard have done it before him in the past. The welterweight limit is from 141-147 pounds, the 147 is just the maximum weight they can come in at the weigh-ins. Realistically, Pacquiao is really that small compared to Cotto so the two pounds only makes it sensible. Just a year ago, even Bob Arum himself said imagining Pacquiao in the ring with Cotto was ludicrous and he simply could not see it happening. That was then, this is now. And now all of a sudden it's ridiculous for Pacquiao to ask for a title-fight for asking Cotto to come down 2 pounds?

Let's put things in proper perspective. Pacquiao does not need Cotto right now. Actually, Cotto is fortunate that he is getting all this attention and publicity after his ho-hum victories and devastating loss to Margarito. A lot of people even consider him damaged goods and actually lost to Clottey. That's not to say I agree with that, I personally feel Cotto is still one of the toughest fights for Pacquiao out there but it doesn't mean it's the best fight for him necessarily especially if it would be a beltless fight and if Cotto would go out of his way just to not make it a title-fight. Pacquiao can fight Mosley who is a better sell for American veiwers and Pay-Per-View buyers anyway. You also finally get to see Pacquiao fight an African-American boxer, one of the best at that, as some people have been clamoring for. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record but Pacquiao got options... Pacquiao got options....Pac-paca-pac-pa-pac-pac got chiki-chiki op-tions... Pacquiao got op-o-o-options. Broken record, scratch, scribble, dice and transform it, whatever it takes to send the message. Got it? Good. (By the way shout out to my boy DJ QBert, one of the best skratch DJs to have ever lived)

Perhaps somebody whispered something behind Cotto's ear for him to be confident of whatever happens at the moment. It's almost as if he is willing to just finish up his contract with Top Rank against whoever and jump ship to Golden Boy where promised greener pastures await. It makes sense. De la Hoya could have very well guaranteed Cotto a shot at Mayweather or a rematch with Mosley with some serious dough in tow. Nobody really believes that all Cotto and De la Hoya did was a round of golf a couple of weeks ago.

That's besides the point however. Last time I checked, Pacquiao hasn't signed any papers to fight Cotto yet. Cotto is a good opponent but there are better options for Pacquiao out there if Cotto insists on playing hard-to-get. He can go for Mosley's belts at 143 if he wants to rather than negotiate with a fighter people consider as "damaged goods".

Source: dSource of Examiner.com

Fight at 147 lbs if Pacquiao wants title

If Manny Pacquiao wants their November 14 fight to be a title fight, Miguel Cotto said the Filipino has to agree to meet him at the welterweight limit of 147 lbs.

In the event that the fight would get into trouble with the World Boxing Organization (WBO), the Puerto Rican reiterated that he is willing to vacate the throne.

“If Pacquiao wants that the fight be for the title, (it) will have to be in 147 pounds. I won the title in that, the welterweight (division) and that is 147 pounds,” Cotto told the Primera Hora newspaper yesterday during the launch of his clothing line.

Cotto, the reigning WBO welter champion, stressed that the issue of the title was not raised during the negotiations with the Pacquiao camp.

Top Rank head Bob Arum echoed Cotto’s statement.

“No,” said Arum, when asked if Pacquio’s people raised the matter of Cotto’s WBO title during the negotiations.

“The weight of 145 pounds is not a category. If the OMB (WBO) is having a problem with my decision (not to stake it), I will gladly hand over the title. I do not have problems with that,” said Cotto, who was represented during the negotiations by Gabriel Penagaricano, one of boxing’s premiere lawyers.

“The OMB (WBO) has the legal authority to dismiss me as champion and gladly I deliver them the title. (WBO president) PacoValccel, better than nobody, knows that the 145 pounds is not a division,” added Cotto, who beat Joshua Clottey in his last outing last June.

Source: mb.com.ph

Manny Pacquiao needs to clean his own house right now

I don’t need HBO’s unofficial judge Harold Lederman to tell me who is ahead in the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto preflight fight.

I give the first round to the Boricua Bomber and his legal adviser, Gabriel Penagaricano Jr., by a 10-8 margin due to knockdowns.

Seriously, while all the controversy has pumped up Pacquiao-Cotto big time even before tickets go on sale, it has been strictly “Amateur Night in Dixie” for Team Pacquiao.

For a millisecond, let’s put aside the endless brouhaha about whether Cotto will risk his WBO welterweight crown against Megamanny and talk about other issues.

They are:

1. NO SIGNED CONTRACT: Meaning that the so called verbal agreements about a 145 pound weight limitation and anything else are not worth the paper they are not printed on. Let’s make it clear that Cotto is in the driver’s seat as the Pacman camp has poorly played its strong hand. You cannot blame Penagaricano from squeezing both promoter Bob Arum and Team Pacquiao like a lemon. No signed contract means no signed contract meaning that only spoken words have been exchanged here.

2.PACMAN MUST DROP HIS TWO POUND CRUTCH: This may have been Cotto’s two-pronged ploy from the get go, milking Arum for more dough in the bout contract and a new promotional contract or extension of same and also getting around the 145 pound limit insisted upon by Coach Freddie Roach and the other members of Pacman’s team.

3. PUTTING WBO PRESIDENT VALCARCEL’S HEAD IN A VISE: He lives in and practices law in San Juan. Do you think Paco wants to be the villain who strips an extremely popular Boricua of his title for not fighting top contender Pacman especially when he knows neither Cotto nor Manny have any particular loyalty to his Alphabet Group? (Kudos to Boxeomundial.com's Jose Martino for gleaning the fact that the WBO is insisting that Cotto pay a sanction fee ($150,000 cap) even if his bout with Pacman is a non title affair.

4. ARUM SHOULD HAVE PUT THIS BOUT TO BED BEFORE HIS HOLIDAY ROMP IN ITALY: I can understand a 77 year old rich guy taking a nice vacation with but couldn’t Todd duBoef, his stepson and Top Rank president, have tied up the loose ends here? I mean, was he just too busy with Latin Fury or inking heavyweight ne’er do well Samuel Peter? or maybe duBoef, an able fellow, was too swamped carving out a new or extended contract with Cotto.

5. DID MICHAEL KONCZ GET LOST IN AN AIRPORT: Is he Pac’s Man or Arum’s Main Main? They say no man can serve two masters. What is he doing messing around with undercard fighters when Manny’s business has not been properly handled? He may be from Canada but the Cotto camp has skated rings around him and MP lawyer Jeng “Jackal” Gacal.

Suddenly, having Sugar Shane Mosley “sitting in the on deck circle” (Arum’s exact words) does not seem so ludicrous or farfetched, does it?

And he not only willing but eager to take the short end of the financial stick and agree to a weight limit, or so he said, of 140 pounds.

Maybe it’s time for Pacquiao to clear out of the welterweight division entirely. And that includes the inevitable Floyd Mayweather Jr. megabout.

I know one true thing and that is Team Pacquiao needs a housecleaning and needs it now.

Otherwise, it will continue to be Amateur Night in Pacland.

Time to banish some of these Slumdog Millionaires, Manny.

Source: Michael Marley of Examiner.com

Roach advises Floyd: Don’t take Pacquiao fight

Famed trainer Freddie Roach has dispensed Floyd Mayweather Jr. a piece of “advice” on a possible fight with Manny Pacquiao, one that the former pound-for-pound king certainly won’t like.

“Don’t take this fight! Even though this is the fight that all boxing fans want to see, it would not surprise me to see Mayweather fight Mosley instead of Manny,” he told Roach told David Tyler of DoghouseBoxing.com. “Why fight a guy you can’t possibly beat?”

The possible Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown is one fight most boxing fanatics would like to see as it will pit two of the most popular boxers today.

Roach said Mayweather won’t pose any problem against his prized ward.

“He presents no problem for Manny. He is too small and fragile for Manny. He doesn’t have the skills to hurt my fighter,” said the American trainer.

Mayweather is currently preparing for his comeback fight against Juan Manuel Marquez on September 20 while Pacquiao is arranging a match with Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao’s trainer explained, “He is elusive but he can’t move his body. He is very quick with head movement. You break his body down, he has bad hands, bad ribs, bad knee and he’s had rotator cuff surgery.”

“Manny will be applying pressure from the beginning and never let up,” he said of what he thinks will happen in a Pacquiao-Mayweather clash.

“That’s exactly why Mayweather will be an easier opponent than Cotto or (Shane) Mosley or even Marquez. He will use both hands and he is certainly the faster fighter.”

How to beat Cotto
Roach revealed that in two week’s time, he will be laying out to Pacquiao his game plan in beating Cotto.

“In a couple of weeks I will be able to tell Manny how to beat Cotto and he will work on this strategy in the gym,” he said.

The awarded trainer is certain that Pacquiao will prevail in his next fight. But he needs to study more videos of Cotto “to see the fights where he was at his best.”

“This is the only way that I can study his strengths as well as his weaknesses,” reasoned Roach.

Cotto, who hails from Puerto Rico, is the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion. The bout’s catch weight, however, is 145 pounds. This is two pounds less than the welterweight limit of 147.

Pacquiao earlier said he is pushing for a title fight with Cotto, who refused to put his belt at stake because of the sanction fee involved.

Roach said that at present, Pacquiao “has lots of confidence and by that I mean he is not afraid to stand ‘toe to toe’ without backing out of an exchange.”

“Hard to believe but he now hits just as hard with the right hand as he does with his left hand,” he added. With a report from The Philippine Star.

Source: ABS-CBNNews.com

Pacquiao eager to be a seven-division champion

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao is eager to gun for another world title in an unprecedented seventh division against World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico in their Nov. 14 duel in Las Vegas.

The Pacman, the current International Boxing Organization and Ring Magazine light-welterweight champion, had previously owned titles at flyweight (World Boxing Council), super-bantamweight (International Boxing Federation), featherweight (Ring Magazine), super-featherweight (WBC), and lightweight (WBC) and another one would further cement his status among the sport’s elite.

The Pacquiao-Cotto fight is penciled at a catchweight of 145-lbs (two pounds below the welterweight class) but no less than WBO president Francisco Valcarcel himself said it could still be a WBO-sanctioned welterweight title fight, citing a similar precedent, the Oscar De La Hoya-Bernard Hopkins duel for the middleweight (160-lb) crown which was fought at 158-lbs.

“Let Manny fight for the title and if he wins, he will get the title as WBO Welterweight Champion of the World," Valcarcel said a recent interview by PhilBoxing.com.

So upon knowing the WBO’s position, Pacquiao has insisted on having Cotto stake his WBO 147-lb belt as he guns for more glory in possibly his last fight.

“Sa pamamagitan ng pagsanction ng WBO sa laban namin, mangyayaring magkaroon ako ng tsansa na maging isang seven-division champion, na hindi pa nangyayari kasaysayan ng boxing," Pacquiao wrote in his Kumbinasyon column for Abante and PhilBoxing.com.

Currently he shares the rare distinction of being a six-division champ with retired legend Oscar De La Hoya, whom Pacquiao disposed of in a non-title duel at 147-lbs last December. The "Golden Boy" held world titles in the super-featherweight, lightweight, light-welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight, and middleweight wars.

“Magkakaroon ako ng tsansa na malampasan ang ganitong record (De La Hoya’s feat in six divisions)," said the Filipino ring icon.

Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, had earlier dismissed a title fight, reportedly saying “No one cares about a belt."

But Pacquiao has now instructed his lawyer, Jeng Gacal, to coordinate with Valcarcel and Arum to make the necessary arrangements, including payment of the $150,000 sanction fee, to make the Cotto gig a showdown for the latter’s welterweight strap.

“Binibigyang papuri ko ang WBO sa kanilang pagbigay ng espesyal na kunsiderasyon na ang labang ito ay para sa korona ni Cotto, ang pinakamagaling na welterweight sa mundo sa kasalukuyan," Pacquiao said.

As always, the 30-year-old dynamo is prepared to kill himself at the gym as he takes on Cotto’s tough challenge.

“Alam kong matinding pagsubok na naman ang nasa aking harapan at matinding ensayo na naman ang aking gagawin," he said, adding he’s inspired to plunge into serious training by September.

Source: GMANews.TV

Manny Pacquiao: Greatest Hits (HBO)

Miguel Cotto: Greatest Hits (HBO)

Pacquiao may train in Canada

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is luring Manny Pacquiao to the Bahamas for the first half of his training camp for the November 14 duel with Miguel Cotto but the Filipino fighter might end up going to Canada, Mexico — or even the Philippines.

Owing to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulation called the Substantial Presence Test, defined as a calculation that determines the resident or nonresident status of a foreign national for tax purposes in the US, Arum said Pacquiao has to spend the first four weeks of training outside US territory and the Bahamas, which is 45 minutes by air from Florida, turned out to be perfect choice.

“Manny’s going to love it there,” Arum said on Wednesday, stressing that a high-ranking executive of the high-end Atlantis Resort in the capital city of Nassau, is more than willing to host Pacquiao and his training team.

“The weather is similar to that of the Philippines and everything there will be first-class,” said Arum, who turned a bit annoyed when told about the possibility of Pacquiao opting to stay in the Philippines.

Arum said he can also train in Mexico but the language barrier might turn Pacquiao off.

“Manny has to be near the US because we will maximize the pay-per-view,” said Arum, noting that “it will all be up to Manny” to decide where to train.

Even chief trainer Freddie Roach is not leaning towards a training camp in the country “because of too many distractions.”

Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal said Vancouver in Canada appears to be a good choice, not only because it is also near the US but because of the large number of Filipinos residing there as well.

Roach wants an eight-week training camp for the Cotto fight and regardless of where Pacquiao spends the first four weeks, they would resume training at the Wild Card in Hollywood a month before the bout.

Source: mb.com.ph

Who Really Has The Edge?

Even before the fight was formalized and the contract was signed, boxing experts and ordinary fans have Manny Pacquiao as the betting favorite with a 2-1 advantage over Cotto in their scheduled fight on November 14, 2009 at MGM Grand in las Vegas. Despite Cotto being a natural welterweight and obviously the bigger man, many think that the superior boxing skills of Pacquiao highlighted by his blinding speed is enough to beat and even knock out Cotto.
Pacquiao's Head Coach Freddie Roach even predicted a knockout for Pacquiao. We all know how Roach fared with his previous fight predictions, particularly the last three fights of the Pacman. Also, this early, Roach has already outlined the strategies needed to work on during Pacquiao's training period that could possibly last from eight to tem weeks.
Expected to get the lion's share is Pacquiao who reportedly will get the better of a 65-35 live gate revenue share and 70-30 ppv share.
For boxing fans and those who care about Manny's legacy, the revenue share does not matter much than the honor it would give Pacman, an honor that would possibly make him the Greatest Fighter of All Time. Also, if the WBO belt being held by Cotto will be at stake, a won by Pacquiao would make him the only fighter to win world titles in seven (7) weight division.

WBO Title At Stake or Not?

The recent issue surrounding the upcoming fight between No.1 Pound for Pound King Manny Pacquiao and WBO Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto is whether the latter would stake his title or not. Pacquiao obviously wants the title to be on the line to chase history possibly to become the only boxer to win titles in 7 weight divisions. Currently, he is tied with Oscar dela Hoya as 6-division champions.
Filipinos want the title on the line. In a recent announcement made by Bob Arum, he said "nobody in the US cares whether the WBO title is on the line or not", which drew a lot of comments from the boxing world especially the Pacquiao fans.
Of course a lot of people care. Check out some articles regarding this issue.

Pacquiao's Army on the march for historic title bout - by Michael Marley of Examiner.com

WBO: Cotto can be forced to stake his belt - by Roy Luarca of Philippine Daily Inquirer

Cotto/Pacquiao: Many questions, no answers, no title....no fight? - by Vivek Wallace of Examiner.com

Pacman pushes for Cotto title fight

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao wants Miguel Cotto’s belt.

“Let’s make it a title fight,” Pacquiao said yesterday during his visit to The STAR, referring to his Nov. 14 match with Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Questions about the fight being a non-title fight came up when Bob Arum announced last wek that Cotto doesn’t want to put his WBO welterweight crown at stake because he didn’t want to pay the sanction fee.

Pacquiao himself said a few days ago that the title was not part of the agreement made when the fight was sealed two weeks ago. No contract has been signed but Arum said very soon he’ll get things done.

But WBO president Francisco Valcarcel had been insisting that it should be a title fight even if the fight is to be held at a catch weight of 145 lb, two pounds short of the welterweight limit.

The WBO chief said the sanction fee could amount to more than $300,000, including those for the boxers and the promoter as well.

Pacquiao fans insist that the fight be for the title so the Filipino ring icon can go for a historic seventh world crown and add up to his flyweight, super-bantam, featherweight, super-featherweight, lightweight and light-welterweight.

“The people want this fight. And they want it to be a title fight. So, let’s make it a title fight,” said Pacquiao.

“I’m willing to pay the sanction fee. But I don’t know with Cotto. It seems that he doesn’t want to pay,” added the pound-for-pound champion.

His lawyer, Franklin Gacal, said he has informed Arum, the Top Rank president who has both Pacquiao and Cotto under his wings, of the plan to make it a title fight.

“To remove the cloud in the minds of some, and for the satisfaction of the greater majority of the boxing fans, Manny Pacquiao wants his November bout against Cotto to be a title bout,” said Gacal.

“I have already talked to Bob Arum about Pacman’s decision. I also relayed through a telephone conversation to the WBO president that the fight be sanctioned as a championship bout at a catch weight of 145 lb,” he added.

Gacal said if Cotto still refuses to stake his crown, it only means one thing.

“He’s afraid he’ll lose it,” said the lawyer.

Source: Philstar.com

Pacquiao vs. Cotto Updates

Check out for more updates on the much anticipated match up and biggest fight in 2009, Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines vs. Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico on November 14, 2009 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

I will be posting some recent news and updates from different sources on here regarding the fight.

It's finally ON! This is definitely happening on November 14th. The only question now is whether Cotto's WBO belt is on the line.