Emmanuel Steward: "I can help Cotto knock Pacquiao out"

The good trainer Emmanuel Steward, in a recent report, told that he thinks Cotto has what it takes to knock Pacquiao out. He said this wishing that Cotto's camp would contact him and hire him as the the WBO champ's head trainer for his upcoming fight with pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao.

We know Steward as a good trainer but as a credible source of prediction, I don't think so. He has predicted Manny to get knocked out by Oscar dela Hoya last year. He also said Hatton's strength would be too much for Pacquiao, that Manny's speed is enough to make the fight a toss up, but he believed Hatton would win by points against Pacman. All his predictions or perceptions on both fights were completely opposite to what really happened after the fight.

This made me think that whatever he says about Cotto knocking out Pacquiao, it doesn't worry me or anyone I suppose. He may be a good trainer, but he has been underestimating Pacquiao's skills.

Or was he just throwing some baits to get a job from Cotto? It has been rumored that Steward might be tapped to help Cotto in his fight against Pacquiao.

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TOP 5 ADVANTAGES: MANNY PACQUIAO [49 wins, 3 losses, 2 draws]

1. History is on the line. Motivation. He is not called "The People's Champ" for nothing. Pacquiao will be fighting for his country again, and attempt to do what no one in the history of boxing has ever done. Call him Lance Armstrong or Michael Jordan. Along with Manny, only Oscar "The Golden Boy" de la Hoya has won six titles in six different weight classes. A win over Cotto will make Pacquiao the only fighter in history to win an unprecedented seven belts in seven weight classes.

2. Faster hands. This everyone knows. Both throw combinations. Cotto's combos are heavier. Manny's combos are quicker. Additionally, I attribute Manny and Cotto to be on par in terms of footwork. The Puerto Rican is an effective footwork tactician in the ring and understands spacing and cornering.

3. Cotto's historically open defense. This makes the Puerto Rican susceptible to straight lefts. However, this may not be as important factor in the fight as Pacman fans would readily assume. Cotto will be working on tightening up his defense. Specifically, his gloves can be close together, protecting his cheeks and temples, while his elbows tend to be spread apart. That forms a triangular shape that makes Cotto vulnerable to a quick jab from the shorter Pacquiao, similar to what happened to de la Hoya last December 6. Cotto has to tighten up that opening or he'll be eating straight lefts. Worse for him, Roach might concoct a nasty "upper cut cocktail special" for Cotto to drink all night, and get drunk to.

4. Venue. Manny will have his legions in Las Vegas. Cotto enjoys a home court advantage in New York. This fight is at the MGM Grand. Chants of Manny, Manny, Manny!!! will be ringing in people's ears before and during the fight. Pacman will raise his gloves signaling the start of the war.

5. Stamina. Pacquiao should only hold a slight edge here come fight night. Cotto tends to slow down later in the rounds, a reflection of the energy he expends on his power punches during the beginning and toward the middle of a fight. Manny, on the other hand, is one of the most conditioned fighters in the sport - along with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley. Surely that is why Cotto is starting his training over three months prior to the fight. Cotto should, to an extent, negate most of this advantage.

Source: Examiner.com

TOP 5 ADVANTAGES: MIGUEL COTTO [34 wins, 1 loss]

1. Manny Pacquiao is shooting movies, tv shows, and commercials. Miguel Cotto has been in training for nearly a week, three months in advance of the November 14 showdown. (It is important to note, however, that the Puerto Rican is no longer working with his regular trainer.)

2. Cotto has fought, and beaten, bigger (as well as fast) opponents. Antonio Margarito stood at 5'11" with a 73" reach, compared to Manny's 67" reach. Granted, Cotto lost at the hands of what now appears to be suspect gloves of Margarito. Shane Mosley, Carlos Quintana, Joshua Clottey, Zab Jjudah, Ricardo Torres. These were all impressive conquests by the Puerto Rican. Cotto out-boxed the speedy and powerful Mosley, and outclassed the quick Judah.

3. Pacquiao is training outside of the U.S. for at least half of his training regimen. Due to taxation rules in the United States, it appears Manny will have to temporarily set up quarters in Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, or possibly the Philippines, in order to train against Cotto. The Filipino is superstitious and typically prefers the same routine prior to a fight. Water and air quality differs by country. The food intake can also provide a variation in diet. (For instance, mango in Mexico is vastly different from mango in the Philippines.) Weather and dietary differences can provide for bodily adjustments. The Pacific Northwest and Vancouver, Canada, for instance, is famous for its constant rain and inclement weather. Could this induce cold and flu symptoms?

4. Size. While Cotto is at best only an inch taller than Manny, the Puerto Rican will enter the ring approaching 160 lbs., a middleweight size. Thomas Hearns, the taller, lanky fighter with legendary power fought many of his battles at welterweight, but then faced Marvin Hagler who fought at a more comfortable, bigger weight. A smaller fighter with explosive tendencies can find out that the bigger opponent is used to that kind of power - as Hearns found out when Hagler adjusted well during the fight. Manny will enter the ring closer to 149 lbs. Cotto has gone face to face with the likes of Antonio Margarito, who could fight at junior middleweight or middleweight if he wanted to.

5. Ability to trap and corner his opponent. The Joshua Clottey and Zab Judah fight reveals Cotto's brilliant ability, skill, and power to constantly pressure his foe, and force his opponent into the ropes or with his opponent's back against the corner. Cotto unloads power combinations when he successfully traps his opponent, and the Puerto Rican has the footwork to effectively cut off the ring. Even when Clottey blocked Cotto's relentless barrage, he became noticeably worn down.

Source: Examiner.com