MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao came close to pulling the plug on Miguel Cotto if not for the assurance by promoter Bob Arum that the Puerto Rican will stake his World Boxing Organization welterweight title at a catchweight of 145 lb on Nov. 14. Pacquiao’s lawyer, Franklin Gacal, yesterday said they were already preparing an official statement saying they will have to start looking for another opponent after reports said Cotto was not willing to stake his 147 lb title.
The reports quoted Cotto as saying he will only stake his WBO title if the fight is held at 147 lb, the welterweight limit, and that the 28-year-old champion was not willing to pay WBO the $150,000 sanctioning fee.
“Bob Arum told us not to believe everything that’s being reported. Then he assured me that Cotto will put his WBO welterweight title on the line -- at 145 pounds,” said Gacal from Gen. Santos City yesterday.
“We have to take Mr. Arum’s word on that,” added Gacal.
The Pacquiao lawyer said with the weight issue practically settled, now comes the money issue, although he said both camps have had an agreement regarding the purse sharing.
But Gacal did not give out the details, only saying that a 65-35 sharing in favor of Pacquiao should be the “worst-case scenario” for the Filipino pound-for-pound champion and today’s main attraction in boxing.
Gacal is hoping that the fight contract for Pacquiao vs Cotto be signed as soon as possible so both boxers can start focusing on what they have to do on the ring than on the negotiating table.
Reports said Cotto is scheduled to start working out today in Puerto Rico, while Roach wants Pacquiao to start limbering up before the press tour set on the second week of September.
“We were almost ready to issue a statement that we’ll start looking for a new opponent because of all those talks that Cotto wants Pacquiao to go up to 147 before he stakes his crown,” said Gacal.
Gacal, however, did not mention the boxer they had in mind in case the Cotto fight was scratched. It could be Shane Mosley, who’s offering Pacquiao everything but the kitchen sink, or someone else.
And that could even be Floyd Mayweather Jr., whom trainer Freddie Roach described as “the easiest fight of the three.”
Mayweather, who retired almost two years ago but is slated to return to the ring in September against Juan Manuel Marquez, another fighter drooling over Pacquiao.
The fight was supposed to be held in July but a rib injury sustained by Mayweather in training, coupled by poor ticket sales, led to a cancellation, and a new date on Sept. 19.
Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=492906&publicationSubCategoryId=69 (August 4, 2009)
They always say don't eat angry. Others say don't drive angry. Never heard don't write angry. But that is exactly what I'm about to do. When the corrupt organizations try to screw over our sport , I get angry.
Do you remember a few years ago when Max Kellerman was still on ESPN's Friday Night Fights. These criminals that hide behind three letters like WBO were about to hurt our sport once again. Max said ,"I spit on these organizations". I paraphrase , but you get the gist of it. That was classic and right on the money.
Well today I spit on all of these corrupt organizations. Let me name a few of these clowns while I'm on a rant. WBA , WBC , WBO , IBF and IBO. For the uninformed , the organizations work this way. I have a fighter that stinks. I want that fighter to get a title shot. I call up Mr. WBO and say my man wants a belt. They ask if he can fight. I say hell no , but he would like to own a pretty belt. Mrs. WBO can be heard in the background saying , "tell Mr. Wilson that if he pays us a large sum of money we will rank his fighter number one".
So I write a check , or in this instance , put a large sum of nontraceable bills in a plain brown paper bag and hide it in Mr. WBO's trash can. The next day I get a phone call saying that my boxer is now top dog of the overhype division. He might have a record of 40-40 and have been knocked out ten times in a row , but we got the right connections.
I had a friend a few years ago that confirmed all of this. Doc Beavers actually testified that that was pretty much how fighters were ranked by the IBF. You needed a fighter ranked , just pay the toll.
I tune out any reference to these bogus belts. I know that Shane Mosley is the number one welterweight. Cotto is ranked number two. When a Michael Buffer or Jimmy Lennon announce that this fight is for the WB anything , that is the time I take a bathroom break. And believe me , what I leave in there is probably more valuable than that belt they're fighting for.
So I wake up this morning and read that Cotto will have to put that WBO trinket on the line against Manny Pacquiao. Cotto said if the fight isn't at 147 then my belt shouldn't be on the line. That seems more than fair.
Freddie Roach says that if the WBO ranks Pacquiao number one that they will have no problem paying the sanctioning fees. See these are fees that the crooks , I mean , the WBOs of the world charge a fighter to defend their belt. Sometimes the crooks , I mean , the WBOs charge a boxer as much as $250,000 a fight. If Cotto doesn't defend his belt then the crooks , crooks is the best word I can use for them , won't make a ton of money on the fight.
And what do you know , the WBO now list Manny Pacquiao as it's number one ranked welterweight. Of course this is after Roach said they would happily pay the fees.
The WBO must of ranked Pacquiao so high after his long list of accomplishments at welterweight. Lets see , he beat a parttime fighter in Oscar De La Hoya and then he beat? Oh yeah , that is the only welterweight he ever beat. But somehow he jumped over Mosley , Clottey , Margarito and Berto. All welterweights that fight other , you guessed it , welterweights. Can the reason that he is now ranked number one have anything to do with Roach's comments? Even Helen Keller could have read between those lines.
To see how much of a joke the WBO is , just go to their rankings. Manny Pacquiao , the man who just destroyed world junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton , is not even ranked at junior welterweight.
So Miguel Cotto agrees to fight Pacquiao in a megafight. But Pacman's people say the fight must be at 145. Cotto says fine , but that isn't the welterweight limit so I will not put my belt on the line. That means no WBO extortion fees. Now Roach calls the WBO and says we will pay it.
On November 14 Miguel Cotto will receive a royal screwing. His belt will be declared vacant. That means Pacquiao can win it , but pretty much Cotto will be in a no win situation and have to come in at 145.
I'm sure that there will be a penalty for coming in overweight for Cotto. And being the class act that he is , I'm sure he will honor his contract. But there is always that hope that Miguel has a moment of indiscretion and fights back against the crooks running the WBO.
They are trying to hand the belt to Pacquiao because he'll pay for it. So Miguel , here is my advice. Come into the weighin at 150 pounds. The night of the fight weigh about 160. If the WBO and their new partner in crime , Freddie Roach , want to steal your belt , let them have it. It is nothing but a piece of trash anyway.
Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-8557-Norfolk-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m8d2-Miguel-Cotto-being-manipulated-by-WBO--Roach (August 2, 2009)
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) removed one of Manny Pacquiao’s concerns when it announced Sunday that Miguel Cotto will defend his welterweight crown in a catch weight of 145 lbs — and not 147 lbs — against the Filipino boxing icon.
WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel told the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia that (the fight) it’s going to be for the (WBO) title” and that everything will come to a “happy ending” for both parties.
Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal said he had spoken with Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum also yesterday, assuring him that the fight will be at 145 lbs and that Cotto’s WBO throne will be on the line in the super showdown penciled at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Cotto had insisted a few days back that if Pacquiao wants to go after the WBO crown, the fight will have to be at 147 lbs.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said fighting Cotto in a non-title bout is almost without value.
Now that it appears that a major stumbling block has been cleared, next up for discussion would be the crucial choice of finding a new training camp for Pacquiao, who has been advised by the Harvard-educated lawyer to set up the first half of his training camp outside US territory owing to an IRS regulation called the Substantial Presence Test.
Arum, whose promotional outfit Top Rank is staging the megabuck fight, will embark on a huge promotional tour of four cities in September, kicking off with the lead event at Yankee Stadium in New York on Sept. 10.
The next stops will be in Cotto’s hometown of Caguas in Puerto Rico on Sept. 12, AT&T Park in San Francisco on Sept. 13 and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles on Sept. 14.
Then, the two will head to their respective training camps with Cotto going to Tampa, Florida, and Pacquiao in the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico or the Philippines.
Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/214025/cotto-s-title-line-vs-pacquiao (August 2, 2009)
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