Cotto is Prepared To Fight Pacquiao After Clottey

By Mark Vester

WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto has no problem with fighting Manny Pacquiao at the end of the year. First Cotto has to get past a very tough fight with Joshua Clottey on June 13 in New York's Madison Square Garden. Pacquiao plans to sit ringside.

Top Rank's Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao and Cotto, says the bout will be much easier to make than a potential fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Cotto likes the idea of the fight.

"This is a good idea, a good fight, but first we need to get past Clottey on June 13," Cotto told El Nuevo Dia.

Cotto told the paper that Pacquiao's dominating wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton do not cause him any concern.

"None [at all]. We would go in very prepared to win, like we have done for all of our fights. A boxer who moves and has a good defense, will cause him problems, like Erik Morales did in their first fight," said Cotto, as he spoke about Morales' win over Pacquiao in March of the 2005.

Source: http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=19781 (May 6, 2009)