PACMAN VS. COTTO UPDATES
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.
