Two title belts up for Manny

LAS VEGAS – When Manny Pacquiao takes on Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena here on Nov. 14, there will be two titles on the line and if the Filipino icon wins, he’ll cement his legacy as one of the greatest fighters ever in the history of the sport.

Cotto has agreed to defend his WBO welterweight title after Top Rank chairman Bob Arum convinced him to. The other crown at stake is the newly created WBC Diamond Belt, the first time the governing body is awarding the prize.

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said yesterday the WBC belt is studded with 400 diamonds and the winner will pay $40,000 to own it.

“The WBC approved in its last convention in China to put up a Diamond Belt to recognize a championship-caliber fight at a catchweight limit,” said Koncz. “Don Jose (Sulaiman) phoned me offering the Belt to the winner of Manny’s fight against Cotto. He told me it was a big honor for the WBC to be involved with Manny and there wouldn’t be a sanction fee to pay.”

Koncz said he will scout possible training sites in Mexico before leaving for Manila on Thursday with fighter Bernabe Concepcion to meet with Pacquiao. He plans to visit Cancun and Puerta Vallarta.

“Manny’s instructions are to find a training site where there are hills for him to run up and down,” said Koncz. “That struck out the Bahamas as an option because it has no hills. I’m not sure about Cancun and that’s why I’m leaving tomorrow to meet with the Yucatan Governor and survey the place. At least, I know there are hills in Puerta Vallarta so that’s a real option.”

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said he hopes to kick off a media tour with Pacquiao and Cotto at Yankee Stadium in New York City on Sept. 10. That will lead to a Puerto Rican tour then a stop in San Francisco where a press conference is scheduled after the Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game before 50,000 fans, another press meeting in Los Angeles and finally a visit to Mexico where the travelling party will be received by the President.

Arum said right after the whirlwind tour, he expects Pacquiao to start training, possibly somewhere in Mexico. If Pacquiao plans to return to Manila, Arum said he will try to talk him out of it.

Cotto has already started training but Koncz said he’s not worried about Pacquiao.

“I know Manny wants to finish his obligations in shooting commercials and filming his TV shows and movies by the end of the month,” said Koncz. “Once Manny gets serious in training, you’ll see his determination and commitment. He’s a different man in training.”

Koncz said he expects Cotto to be more competitive than Oscar de la Hoya or Ricky Hatton.

“This could go 12 rounds,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it lasts the distance. Cotto’s a guy who can give Manny trouble. He’s big, he’s a great body puncher. He’s a fighter like Manny. What will happen after the fight? It all depends on the outcome. If it’s close, we could do a rematch. Maybe, this could even end up in a trilogy like Erik Morales. Cotto’s known as a bleeder but while he is affected when he gets cut, he doesn’t quit.”

Koncz said even as Pacquiao continues to attend to his various non-sports commitments before flying to the US, he is keeping in shape.

“He’s been jogging and playing a lot of basketball as part of his preparations,” said Koncz. “He’s cross training. I think he should be ready to fly within the first week of September.”

As for future opponents, Koncz said Sugar Shane Mosley isn’t a pay-per-view attraction and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has unreasonable money demands.

“I don’t know if Mosley will draw although in the end, it’s really Manny whom the fans want to see,” said Koncz. “As for Mayweather, unless he realizes it’s Manny who’s the attraction, not him, we won’t even talk to him.”

Koncz said his only boss is Pacquiao and sometimes, he is misunderstood because of his loyalty to the Filipino icon. For instance, Concepcion failed to attend the press conference for his fight against Steven Luevano here and Koncz was unfairly blamed for it.

“Manny didn’t want me to go to Las Vegas because I still had things to do in Los Angeles,” said Koncz. “But I reasoned to Manny that I had to be with Bernabe just as his managers were with him throughout his early years. He allowed me to go in the end as Bernabe wouldn’t go to Las Vegas without me. That meant arriving a day after the press conference.”

Koncz was also chastised for throwing in the towel in the sixth round to save Juanito Rubillar from further punishment in his WBA lightflyweight title fight against Giovanni Segura in Mexico last July.

“What fans don’t know is I spoke to Juanito in between rounds and asked him if he was okay, if he could continue the fight despite a bad beating,” said Koncz. “He didn’t answer me. I asked him during at least two timeouts. His trainer (Erbito Salavarria) wanted him to go on but I felt it was enough punishment.”

Although Rubillar took the fight on two days notice, he bankrolled close to P1 Million as a late substitute for Sonny Boy Jaro who now faces Segura in Mexico for the WBA title next month.

Source: Philstar.com

Mayweather Sr: Manny only fights Cotto-like fighters

In a recent interview by doghouseboxing.com with trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., he was asked where Manny Pacquiao is on his own pound for pound list. He said Lil Floyd is the best. Juan Manuel Marquez is the second reason why Lil Floyd chose to hight him. Hmm. The old trainer, who three to four months ago claimed that Ricky Hatton will destroy Pacquiao is still discrediting the Pacman. He was also asked if Cotto is in his list and he answered yes, until he fights Pacquiao. The good trainer admitted that he knows Pacquiao would beat Cotto, because the latter is a come-forward fighter which kind of fighter Manny would only fight. Old Floyd may be experiencing some memory loss when he uttered those words. Who has more quality and hall of famer opponents, Manny or his son Floyd Jr.? He may have fogotten the likes of Barerra, Morales, Marquez, the bigger Oscar dela Hoya among others.

To check out the whole story, go to doghouseboxing.com.

Pacquiao lethal left holds key vs Cotto

MANILA, Philippines - The punch very similar to the one that brought Ricky Hatton down for good may yet again be the key when Manny Pacquiao fights the younger, bigger but slower Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14.

This was the observation made by Pacquiao’s former business manager, Rod Nazario, who had the pound-for-pound champion as special guest yesterday at his Wild Card Gym in Parañaque.

Pacquiao, despite his very hectic schedule, visited the gym, where he also trained for some of his recent fights, for the ninth anniversary celebration of the television boxing program In This Corner.

“I’ve watched Cotto’s recent fights, and remember this, Manny,” Nazario said as the boxer he used to handle listened. “Cotto has the tendency to drop his right hand as he launches an attack.”

Nazario told Pacquiao that “a short and crisp left” could be the key.

“Like in the Hatton fight, you didn’t have to go after him. All you needed was wait before you could throw that short left,” said Nazario who, despite his medical condition, still came to see the Hatton fight in Las Vegas last May.

Nazario pulled off a big surprise when he gifted Pacquiao with a rare 1856 chess set, made in Russia, which he bought in an antique store in Orlando for $1,050. Pacquiao, a chess buff, said he’d have a special chess board of narra wood with ivory trimmings made.

“Hindi ka na mananalo sa akin (This time you can’t beat me),” Pacquiao told Nazario who, this early, had announced that next year’s In This Corner party will be held at The Manila Hotel.

Nazario is part of the original Team Pacquiao, along with Moy Lainez, Lito Mondejar and Gerry Garcia. Together, they also helped put up the Blow By Blow program that lasted six years until 2000, and then In This Corner.

Pacquiao said Cotto will stake his WBO welterweight crown when they clash at the catchweight of 145 lb.

Pacquiao arrived past noon and went straight to Nazario who was holed up in his office. He came on board his grey Porsche Cayenne and left more than an hour later on his black Hummer for Quiapo to resume shooting his new movie.

Pacquiao said he’s eager to start training for the Cotto fight set at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas but said he has to honor all his prior commitments, mostly showbiz related.

Pacquiao will be in the US for the launch of the press tour that will take him and Cotto to New York’s Yankee Stadium on Sept. 10, Cotto’s hometown in Caguas, Puerto Rico on Sept. 12, and the AT&T Park in San Francisco the following day.

Pacquiao, who will grace the Giants-Dodgers game in San Francisco, said he’d fly back to Manila after the press tour, and should immediately start his training, most likely in Baguio City.

Then after a week or two, Pacquiao will move somewhere outside of the US to resume his training, probably in Mexico or Canada, and will be in Los Angeles or Las Vegas for the final push.

Pacquiao said he stayed up so late Thursday night as he joined the officers of the USS George Washington, the world’s largest warship, which is docked off Manila Bay, just behind the SM Mall of Asia.

Pacquiao toured the 18-storey ship that carries more than 60 fighter planes and a crew of 5,000 at around 6 p.m. Then he had dinner with AFP and US military officials at Mandarin Hotel.

Source: Philstar.com