Boxing Updates: Latest Boxing Event

On Thursday, September 10, Bob Arum, Lee Samuels, and the rest of the promotional team invited the media and the public to the new Yankee Stadium to launch the five city tour to hype one of the best matchups in a while, “FIREPOWER”, WBO World Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto, 34-1 (27 KOs), of Puerto Rico facing the pound for pound king, Manny Pacquiao, 49-3-2 (37 KOs), from the Philippines in a twelve round title fight on November 14, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It will be broadcast, live, on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Both Cotto and Pacman were presented with Yankee Pinstripe shirts. Also at stake will be the WBC Diamond Belt to be presented to the winner who will own the jewel encrusted belt outright. On hand to show off the impressive hardware was Mauricio Sulaiman, the Executive Secretary of the WBC.

“The WBC realizing how momentous and important this fight is,” announced Arum. “Has commissioned what we call a diamond belt to be given to the winner of this fight to keep forever.”

Arum took the helm and after explaining all the details of the event brought out the fighters, including New York’s, by way of Belarus, Junior-Middleweight challenger, undefeated Yuri Foreman, 27-0-0-1N/C (8 KOs), who fights veteran title holder Daniel Santos, 32-3-1 (23 KOs), for his WBA belt on the undercard.

Arum proclaimed the Cotto-Pacquiao a sure bet for fight of the year.

“We’re here in Yankee Stadium,” said the ever fired up Arum, “to kick off the first press conference for what will certainly be the fight of the year, and maybe the fight of the decade.” But the most anticipated fight of the decade would be the mega fight of Pacquiao vs Mayweather.

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A day after taking a rest from training, Pacquiao was back to his relentless ways, working on the mitts, speed ball and double-end ball, while doing shadow-boxing and abdominal crunches for three straight hours.
The four sparring mates of Pacquiao include David Rodela; Shawn Porter, an African-American who was a former member of the US Olympic team; Urbano Antillon, WBO super featherweight champion who knocked down Manny’s brother, Bobby Pacquiao in a title bout early this year, and Raymond Tito Serrano, a Puerto Rican champion who could match the moves of Cotto.

Cotto has been fighting as a welterweight for three years. The Puerto Rican last fought under 147, when he took on Paul Malignaggi in a World Boxing Organization (WBO) light-weltwerweight title bout in 2006. He won the World Boxing Association welterweight crown after that and went on to claim the WBO belt.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, is only at 151 lb a week into his eight-week training program. He fought at 130 against Marquez just two years ago before recently moving up to fight heavier foes in Mexican-American light-weltwerweight David Diaz, American superstar Oscar de la Hoya and British brawler Ricky Hatton.
For some reason, their partnership seems more pronounced than ever now as they head towards the Cotto fight. Manny Pacquaiao vs Miguel Cotto may be the most dangerous opponent Pacquiao has ever stepped into the ring with. He’s a big welterweight and a great fighter in the prime of his career. Even if he is not the same man that he was before the Margarito fight, he is still more of a threat than the old and weight-drained Oscar Manny fought in his only welterweight fight last December. If Pacquiao wins, it could be considered the greatest ring triumph of his career. He is already a legend, but without question this would confirm his greatness to those who still aren’t convinced of it.

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Pacquiao has the legendary Freddie Roach in his corner, and a recent departure with Cotto splitting from his Uncle and trainer, Evangelista (who played a significant role in Cotto’s camp)… I can’t help but to wonder if the timing for Cotto couldn’t come at a worse time in his career? Cotto and his uncle spilt back in April of this year.

Evangelista was replaced by Joe Santiago. I can’t tell you how well the two will pair (Cotto and Santiago), but I can tell you that Roach and Pacquiao are the best well oiled machine in the business.

In this day and age of boxing we seldom get to see big fights with two action fighters like Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao. The reason why this is a rare fight is because of the caliber of fighters involved and their respective styles. First you have Miguel Cotto a rugged tough Puerto Rican with a strong left hook body shot who has good fundamentals, he could be labeled as a  boxer – puncher, his biggest flaw is his face being wide open for straight punches and his questionable stamina during the later rounds.

Next you have the Filipino sensation known as the “Pacman” Manny Pacquiao, a ball of energy a non stop, quick punching, awkward southpaw with good punching power and stamina that enables him to be just as fresh in the last round as he is in the first round.

To many this fight is pretty even a pick em fight, this is how you know this is a great fight because  you can make a case for  either Cotto or Pacquiao to win, this is the opposite of  Floyd Mayweather Jr who is taking on a man 2 weight classes below him in Juan Manuel Marquez.

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