Fight at 147 lbs if Pacquiao wants title

By NICK GIONGCO

July 30, 2009, 8:04pm

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: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/213609/fight-147-lbs-if-pacquiao-wants-title (July 30, 2009)