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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Many people think that Manny Pacquiao is completely at a disadvantage against Miguel Cotto, since the Puerto Rican champion is a natural welterweight. He has greater size and power over Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is a natural junior lightweight or lightweight, which places him way below Cotto.

Cotto seemed to have had a hard time against Joshua Clottey, only because the latter is actually a very strong fighter. Joshua Clottey is a really tough boxer, and it is not surprising why Cotto had a rough time against him.

Ultimately, Pacquiao will be in big trouble if he faces a fighter like Cotto (at 147lbs), who was able to beat Clottey.

However, Pacquiao can take advantage of Miguel Cotto’s weaknesses. The Puerto Rican boxer, Miguel Cotto, has a weakness in defense, especially on his middle section. Cotto’s defense has his gloves so wide leaving a space between for a punch to enter straight through.

If Manny Pacquiao can be able to throw a punch right between Cotto’s gloves, the Filipino boxing star has a chance of winning the bout. Pacquiao will have to put his timing, instincts, stamina, balance and speed to the test. He has to establish his rhythm and solid defense to get an even chance of winning against Cotto.

But it is not fair also give Manny Pacquiao the clear edge over Cotto on their November 14 fight. If Manny Pacquiao underestimates Cotto he will have a big problem, and vice versa.

With regards to the ‘title fight issue’: I think, in order to make you an official welterweight champion you have to fight for it at the natural weight. But if it is just an ordinary fight, and not a title fight, then it is just fine to have the bout at a catch weight.

However, if Cotto refuses to put the welterweight title on the line (at 145lbs) it will surely reflect on the kind of fighter that he is. If the WBO insists on a title fight (at 145lbs) it will reflect on Pacquiao as the kind of fighter that he is. In the end they are in a deadlock.

Cotto can always walk away, he is still in the position to freely decide his fate.

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The verbal war between Pacquiao’s and Cotto’s camps continue. After Cotto said to Roach, that he is unlike Pacquiao’s recent victims and that Pacquiao was in for a war, Roach shot right back by saying that Pacquiao will expose Cotto. Freddie Roach implied that Cotto is no longer the same fighter as before and is still suffering the effects of his loss to Antonio Margarito.

Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach told fighthype.com, “We are not going to stand in front of this guy and trade with him. Manny is a much smarter fighter. Now he is boxing very smartly and we are going to expose Cotto. His skills are not quite where they used to be and we are going to expose him.”

Another issue was whether or not to make the Pacquiao-Cotto bout a title fight. Cotto publicly announced to defend the title only when Pacquiao would agree to move up to 147lbs (full welterweight limit). He refuses to defend the title because it is currently being contested at 145lbs. But WBO has been pressuring Cotto to defend the title, and they will let Cotto pay a huge sanctioning fee if he does not comply. Regardless of what Cotto may say, Roach thinks that the title will be on the line.

If even before their fight, it is already this intense, I can only imagine the level of intensity between Pacquiao and Cotto during the fight. This battle will definitely go down in the history of boxing.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Pacquiao might be training outside the United States, probably in Mexico for most of the time. This is to avoid the 183-day rule of the US Internal Revenue Service. Manny Pacquiao will have to cut down the number of days he spends in the US.

If Arum is already talking about where Pacquiao is going to train, does this mean that the Pacquiao-Cotto fight is really final?

Bob Arum explained, “In 2007, 1/6th of the days spent in the US, 2008 is 1/3rd of the days spent which will be added to 100 percent of the days spent in the US in 2009, and if the total of those three numbers equals or exceeds 183 days then you are taxed on all your revenues from worldwide income.”

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