Top Rank Promoter, Bob Arum, has recently stated that he is working on a match up between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. The terms are not yet agreed upon, but its possible that the fight can happen as early as Nov. 14th. Assuming the fight is made, here are 5 reasons why Pacquiao would be victorious over Cotto.
Speed – Its an old boxing adage that “speed kills” and right now no one has more speed than Manny Pacquiao. Its not just that Manny is fast with his hands, but as seen in his match with Oscar De La Hoya, he also has fast feet. Cotto was able to keep up with Shane Mosley’s hands, but doesn’t have the quickest pair of feet in town. He is often caught against the ropes and that would play right into Pacquiao’s speedy hands.
Wear and Tear – Cotto took a brutal beating against Antonio Margarito and even though he got by Joshua Clottey, he still showed signs of weariness in the later rounds. That would be a sure fire way to lose against a top conditioned athlete like Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao would apply relentless pressure that Clottey was unable to do to finish the job. Cotto also backed away in the later rounds against Shane Mosley, if he does this against Pac-man its lights out!
Chin – Cotto was knocked down several times at 140 pounds and one of the main reasons he moved up was that it gave him more strength to take a punch. If he comes back down to 143 pounds to face Pacquiao, some of that weakness may resurface. Meanwhile Pacquiao hasn’t been stopped in over ten years and has a proven ability to take a punch.
Skills – Since Manny’s loss to Eric Morales several years ago, he has improved significantly. He has learned to knock opponents down with either hand whereas before he relied heavily on the straight left hand. Cotto has great skills but has shown vulnerability when faced against a pressure fighter. This lack of ability could be a major factor in the fight.
Trainer – many casual boxing fans don’t seem to realize the importance of a good trainer. However it’s the trainer that sets up the game plan and studies the opponent’s flaws for months before the fight takes place. Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, earned his second Trainer Of the Year award for the two perfect game plans against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. On the other hand, Miguel Cotto has had much turmoil in his camp and split ways with his long time trainer just before the fight with Joshua Clottey. Will Cotto’s camp be able to put together a strategy like Freddie Roach? The answer is most likely a resounding No.
Source: http://www.liverpuncher.com/articles/5-reasons-why-manny-pacquiao-would-beat-miguel-cotto.html (June 16, 2009)
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