Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto

Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto is one fight I am not willing to miss. On November 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on HBO Pay Per View, the two Top Rank fighters will square off against one another in what is certain to be nothing short of an exciting fight.

One of my favorite fighters on the planet happens to be Miguel Cotto, but then the same must be said for Manny Pacquiao. Both fighters have always given me my money worth and I have never walked away from a PPV that these men were involved in thinking that the action and thrilling science behind the punches was lacking.

Aside from their skills, they are also two men who make the sport look good on the outside as well as the inside. Boxing can use more men such as these who are Gentlemen in the public and sophisticated animals inside the ring.

Ok, so my point is its hard for me to pick against any of these fighter. But this is Boxing and I believe only one man should win... and my choice is Pacquiao by mid round knock out anywhere between the 5th to 8th round.

I think we are going to see some great action in the first few rounds, but it will be Pacquiao's speed and ability to avoid solid hits that will make the difference. I see a flash knock down or two early on at the expense of Cotto... but Cotto will get up and shrug it off. Cotto hits and lands hard, but he will get frustrated when he sees that Pacquiao can eat his best shots and keep on ticking. I strongly believe both fighters have tremendous power, but think Cotto has yet to taste the kind of power shots that Pacquiao is known for administrating. Pacquiao is known for getting better each round as the fight progresses. Cotto with his "never say die" fighting style will eventually be worn down and become easy pickings for Pacquiao. Each and every time I have seen Pacquiao fight, I have only seen improvements. Pacquiao is Freddie Roach's star pupil, and the two make a Trainer and Boxer combo that never cease to amaze me.

I do not think this fight will go the distance, and I can't see Cotto making it out of Round 8 (If he can even make it that far.) Don't get me wrong, Cotto is one tough and skillful fighter, but Pacquiao is the total package in this fight.
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Cotto stop Pacquiao

By Nick Giongco
Miguel Cotto exuded confidence when asked about his chances against Filipino fireball Manny Pacquiao in a recent ‘interview’ made possible by the Puerto Rican’s legal adviser, topnotch lawyer Gabriel Penagaricano. Less than three months before he collides with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Cotto told Fightnews and Manila Bulletin that Pacquiao is beatable and he has Pacquiao all figured out. “His weaknesses are obvious to me,” said Cotto.
While Cotto acknowledges that Pacquiao is one hell of a customer in the ring, the 28-year-old bomber is not awed.
“(Pacquiao) lost to (Erik) Morales in their first fight, had a draw against (Juan Manuel) Marquez and then a razor-thin victory in the rematch. Pacquiao faced a very tired and aged (Oscar) De La Hoya. Then Ricky Hatton, an overrated fighter,” said Cotto.
“Against me the story will be different. It will be a war,” said Cotto, who is already in his fourth week of training in Puerto Rico under the watchful eyes of chief trainer Joe Santiago and South African conditioning coach Phil Landman, who has arrived from Los Angeles.
Landman was amazed at the condition of Cotto when he first reported for work on Monday, stressing that the fighter followed the advice that he gave him following the June 13 victory over Joshua Clottey.
Cotto will continue to train in Puerto Rico in the coming weeks and will try to keep in shape even while on a four-city press tour with Pacquiao beginning Sept. 10 in New York. Other stops of the Top Rank traveling circus would be Caguas in Puerto Rico, San Francisco and finally, Los Angeles.
Cotto will transfer his training camp to Tampa, Florida, on Sept. 19.
Told about the key to victory against Pacquiao, Cotto was direct to the point.
“Hard training as always has been the key to my victories.”
And his message to Pacquiao and the Filipino people?
“I will only say that in November 14th I will step into the ring as always in excellent condition, and will win the fight for the glory of Puerto Rico,” concluded Cotto

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Mayweather Sr. picks Pacquiao over Cotto

In a surprise move, Floyd Mayweather Sr. has taken the side of boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, the pupil of his nemesis Freddie Roach, when he goes up against World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas.

But the father of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao’s rival for the pound-for-pound king title, has not really soften up on the Filipino champ, attributing his victory to the heavy thrashing Cotto has sustained from his previous opponents.

“He [Cotto] will lose that fight because he took a beating from Margarito and Clottey,” said Mayweather Sr., referring to welterweights Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey, who both engaged Cotto in bloody fights.

“Look for Pacquiao to open up that bad cut he [Cotto] got from Clottey. Cotto just moves straight ahead and that’s the only type of fighter that Pacquiao will fight,” he said to doghouseboxing.com.

Mayweather Sr. ranked his son and Juan Manuel Marquez as the top two fighters to contend for the P4P title and underestimated Pacquiao, the current holder of the mythical crown, placing him just “somewhere in the middle of the list.”

“He can’t fight someone with boxing skills. [Erik] Morales showed you how to beat him in their first fight; the right hand did the trick,” he said. “Marquez also showed this in their two encounters.”

Pacquiao, on the other hand, has proven the older Mayweather wrong when he destroyed Briton Ricky Hatton in just two rounds last May.

But Mayweather Sr, Hatton’s trainer for that megafight, refused to take the blame for the loss, saying Hatton did not follow his game plan to neutralize Pacquiao’s speed advantage.

“Speed is nothing if you can’t find something to hit. You counter that speed with constant movement, make him come to you and then turn him so he is always lunging when he throws the left,” he said.

“Ricky lost the fight because he went out in the second round and stood right in front of a fighter who had more speed not necessarily more power. He didn’t move and jab and have Pacquiao chase him around the ring.”

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Pacquiao-Cotto scorching hot 'Firepower' tickets almost gone

After a monstrous opening sale, less than 1,000 tickets remain at the 16,200-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena for Top Rank’s ‘FirePower’ Pay Per View featuring Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto. All of the 9,000 seats at $150, $350 and $500 are completely sold out. The available seats are at the $1,000 and $750 price categories. Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, was elated with the huge response. “We are looking forward to making Pacquiao vs Cotto as one of the greatest box office and Pay Per View successes of all-time,” he said. Pacquiao vs. Cotto is scheduled November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Cotto ‘FirePower’ will be available on HBO Pay Per View.

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Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and the WBC's ridiculous belt

In case you missed it, the WBC recently manufactured a title and a belt for catch-weight mega-fights, or for mega-fights in general, or some such total nonsense, and they called it the WBC Diamond Championship.
Hardcore boxing fans were almost universal in their dismissal, with I'd wager about 70% of us wondering if this was a joke that had gotten out of hand. The Diamond title! And it was unanimously voted on by cardboard cutouts representing the WBC's "board of governors."
But it's real, and it's happening. When WBO welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao square off on November 14, the title will be "at stake." Ronnie Nathanielsz reports that both fighters are excited, according to Bob Arum, who says they're "crazy" about all the diamonds, and that the belt "is something new and adds to the excitement."
Now...hang on.
First of all, I highly doubt that Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao are "crazy" about the title. I just don't see Cotto or Pacquiao getting all giddy about an ugly belt with a bunch of diamonds on it. This sounds like grandpa at Christmas time. "Didja see Billy openin' up that surfboard (note: it was a skateboard) I got 'im? He was crazy about it!" Billy, for the record, is fairly indifferent.
Second, it adds nothing. It IS something new, and it's so ridiculously unnecessary that words can't properly describe it. I could even use some words I generally keep off the front page here, and they still wouldn't be enough. In short, it's a f***ing stupid waste of f***ing time, another f***ing belt in a sport with too f***ing many of them for anyone sane to keep track of in the first f***ing place.
See? Not good enough. Not descriptive enough. Doesn't quite get across just how much I hate the WBC diamond title, which I may simply choose to ignore, making one of those internet political statements the kids are so fond of in our current era. This belt means nothing. It gives the WBC money for fights it has no f***ing business sticking its f***ing nose into. That's it and that's all. It is a money-grubbing, fake, fabricated piece of jewelry that has nothing to do with the sport of boxing. If Cotto and Pacquiao pay sanctioning fees for that hunk of nothing, then they deserve to have given the money away.
And if anyone wants to pay me for the kids' WWE championship belt that is currently serving as the Wii Sports bowling title in my living room, I'll put some new tape and notebook paper on that and you guys can fight for that, too. Hey, at least that belt has history.
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Cotto-Pacquiao: Only High Priced Tickets Remaining – News

By M. Perez: There are only 1000 tickets left for the November 14th clash between Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KO’s) and WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KO’s) at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 9000 lower priced seats in the arena, which sell for $150 to $500, have sold out already, leaving only the high priced ones for $750 to $1000. Those, too, will likely sell out soon due to the popularity of this fight.
Pacquiao, 30, the smaller fighter, was only two years ago fighting at 130 in the super featherweight division. On November 14th, Pacquiao will be fighting the champion Cotto at a 145 catch weight and will be attempting to win a seventh world title in seven divisions.

Pacquiao will have his work cut out for him because Cotto, 28, is probably a lot better than Pacquiao’s recent opponents Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton as far as still being in his prime. Pacquiao’s wins over Hatton and De La Hoya likely won’t have given the Filipino much preparation for what he’ll be facing against Cotto.

Indeed, the wins may in fact lull Pacquiao – and his trainer Freddie Roach – into a false sense of invincibility and could cause Pacquiao to have problems if Cotto doesn’t fold as easily as De La Hoya and Hatton did. Those fights were one-sided from the beginning and stayed that way until the end. That likely won’t be the case for the Cotto fight, because he’s used to being hit by much stronger fighters than Pacquiao.

The real question is what will Pacquiao do if Cotto doesn’t fold up like De La Hoya and Hatton did? Pacquiao had major problems against Juan Manuel Marquez in March 2008, whom he also tried to blitz early on in the fight with a strong attack. Pacquiao had problems when Marquez stayed on his feet and began to use his superior boxing skills and counter punches to get the better of Pacquiao in the fight.

As the rounds wore on, it seemed pretty clear that Pacquiao was in deep trouble and on the verge of losing the bout. The judges’, however, bailed Pacquiao out in the end, giving him a 12 round split decision despite the fact that many sports writers, as well as boxing fans in the United States and elsewhere, felt that Marquez should have won the fight.

The same thing may happen in the Cotto bout, although I’m counting on the judges getting it right this time and scoring it fairly. Cotto won’t go away easily and I can see Pacquiao having some serious problems when he sees that he has a real fight in front of him.

At that point, Roach is going to have to dig deep to try and find some of his pearls of wisdom to try and save Pacquiao from suffering a loss. As we saw last weekend, Roach’s expertise came up empty when his fighter Bernabe Conception was dominated and then ultimately disqualified in a fight against Steven Luevano.

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Goldfather Steward: Pacquiao is not God or Superman

There are those wingnuts out there who believe that Miguel Cotto against Manny Pacquiao is a donkey against a thoroughbred racehorse.
Mark them down: uneducated fools from uneducated schools, I guess.
No less an authority than Kronk Gym Goldfather Manny Steward told me Tuesday too much is made out of Megamanny’s last two bouts, against opponents who offered too little.
At the same time, Steward said (and I concur) that too much is made out of the Boricua Bomber’s crunching TKO loss to Antonio Margarito and his troubles while surviving a nasty cut to outpoint Joshua Clottey.
In fact, Steward said, if he had been calling the shots in the Cotto camp, the popular Puerto Rican fighter would still be unbeaten and would have dodged the difficult Clottey.
“If I was Miguel’s manager, I would have steered clear of Margarito like everyone else was. And I would have never put him in with Clottey. I’d have never had Miguel fight either of those two guys.”
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Pacquiao ready for Cotto

World boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is looking forward to his November 15 (Phil. Time) fight against Miguel Cotto with his corner, headed by master trainer Freddie Roach, designing another game plan that will send down to canvas the WBA welterweight champion.
Pacquiao, who met recently with Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia in Manila, said he was happy that the original Oct. 17 date of the fight was moved to a later schedule since October is MassKara time in Bacolod.
Leonardia said he had told Pacquiao that if his bout against Cotto will be held in October, he will not be able to join the Team Pacquiao in America as he has to be in the city during the MassKara celebration.
On the request of Pacquiao, Leonardia has been the one holding the championship belt of the boxing icon in all his latest fights in the United States.
Meanwhile, reports from the wires said Roach is confident that Cotto will join the list of Pacquiao’s victims after their fight.
While Cotto was able to dodge Shane Mosley’s punches in their encounter last year, Roach said the WBA champ will not be able to avoid Pacquiao’s power jabs and speedy combinations.
Although he is not ruling out Cotto’s power, the owner of Wild Card Gym, who helped Pacquiao attain his present boxing glory, said he is training the Filipino boxer not to get hit.
He also said that the contrast between the styles of both players gives Pacman an advantage over Cotto.*NAB
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What does Mayweather WWE appearance mean for boxing and Manny Pacquiao?

Now that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is scheduled to appear on the 8/24 edition of WWE RAW, what does this appearance mean for boxing and boxing’s biggest star Manny Pacquiao?

In my previous article, WWE officially announces Mayweather’s appearance to guest host RAW, I received a lot of feedback from boxing fans. More specifically, I received a lot of feedback from Manny Pacquiao fans.

 

Before I go any further, I’d like to take a second and give a shout out to all the Pacquiao fans at Pacland. There isn’t a group of fans on God’s green earth that’s more passionate, dedicated, and supporting than the Pacquiao fans. They’ve taken me from someone who only just appreciated Manny’s talents, to becoming a big fan who thinks he’s the greatest boxer in the sport today.

 

In some of the feedback I received, there were a few comments that really got these wheels turning in my head. They made me start thinking why Mayweather Jr. really needs to make this appearance on WWE RAW.

 

• Mayweather Jr. needs this appearance on WWE RAW to really hype up his fight.
• In fact, I can’t remember any recent Mayweather JR. fight that has received such little mainstream hype and coverage.
• Mayweather Jr. is arguably boxing’s second biggest name (behind Pacquiao of course) and the boxing chatter is surprisingly quiet.
• Mayweather Jr is all about the money and he needs to make this appearance on television to get a paycheck, since the PPV buy-rates and ticket sales are expected be low.

 

 

After realizing some of the key reasons why Mayweather Jr. needs to make this appearance, I started to ask myself how his appearance will affect boxing and the sport’s biggest star Manny Pacquiao.

 

• If the sport’s 2^nd biggest star falls short of PPV expectations and ticket sales, then this will have a big impact on boxing.
  • It will mean that boxing really only has one real box-office and PPV draw; and that’s Mann Pacquiao.
  • It will also mean that boxing is in bigger trouble then originally thought; because boxing has already been suffering due to the huge success of MMA specifically the UFC.
• With less than thrilling numbers expected for the Mayweather Jr. fight, will boxing look at Pacquiao to be the savior and carry the sport into promising times?
  • If so, will Pacquiao be around long enough to save the sport since he has recently talked about retirement, politics, and participated in other entertainment endeavors?
• If the PPV and ticket numbers, for Floyd’s upcoming fight, are thrilling because of his appearance on WWE, will this mean that more boxers should appear on WWE television to hype their fights?
  • Could one of those boxer’s be Manny Pacquao? (read further)
• I have been waging a one-man campaign for Pacquiao to appear in the WWE.
  • With Floyd making another appearance, and Lebron James being rumored to appear down the road, it only reinforces my reasoning why Pacquiao should appear on WWE RAW.
  • Click here to read my recent article on why WWE should bring in Pacquiao.

 

Ultimately, Floyd’s WWE appearance will be under scrutiny until the PPV and ticket numbers are released for his upcoming fight on September 19^th. But it’s clear, boxing needs Floyd to be successful, increase the hype, and draw big numbers; Floyd needs the hype, big numbers, and money; and this all will affect the sport’s greatest star Manny Pacquiao.

........................................................................................
This article is the first part of a 2 part series detailing how Mayweather Jr's WWE RAW appearance will affect boxing, Pacquiao, and the WWE
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Manny Pacquiao: The True Cash King of Boxing

In just two days, tickets for the anticipated welterweight championship battle between the current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao and the Boricua Bomber Miguel Angel Cotto, billed as Fire Power, almost sold out; this is not so surprising because Cotto and Pacquiao are two of the best pugilists of the sports today.
Now there is another welterweight fight brewing prior to the Pacquiao-Cotto clash: the Number One/Numero Uno, which features the former pound for pound king Floyd "Money" Mayweather against the current WBA/WBO Lightweight champion Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez. This scrimmage was originally scheduled on July 18, but it was almost scrapped due to Mayweather's unforeseen rib injury suffered during training. Despite the brief delay, the bout will now push through and it is now scheduled to air on HBO pay-per-view on Sep. 19, in conjunction with the independence day of Mexico. Still... the ticket sales are meager and slow.

Meanwhile the Fire Power match-up of Cotto and Pacquiao does not rely on undercards to sell. It is already perceived and recognized as an important and momentous saga in the history of boxing by most sports pundits even without the supporting bouts. This vintage skirmish is no doubt a best-seller: a novel so engaging that sports fans and HBO subscribers will never miss it even if it costs a fortune.

Floyd Mayweather constantly claims that he is the money-maker: the cash king of the Sweet Science, but figures and results do not lie--both facets point to the real cash king, the true money-maker, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao. With his historic battle against Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao aims to solidify his legacy even further by capturing his seventh title in seven different divisions; a feat that has not been achieved by any pugilist: not the great Muhammad Ali, not the flashy Sugar Ray Leonard, not the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson, and definitely not the overhyped Money Mayweather.

So who is the certified cash King of boxing? It's none other than the pound for pound best and the new Golden Boy Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao.




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Mayweather Sr. says Pacquiao will beat Cotto

It’s one of the rare instances when outspoken trainer Floyd Mayweather, Sr. takes the side of Manny Pacquiao, rival of his son Floyd Jr. for the mythical pound-for-pound title and pupil of his nemesis Freddie Roach.

In an interview with Doghouseboxing.com, Mayweather Sr. said WBO welterweight champion Cotto will be destroyed by the Filipino superstar when they duke it out on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.

“He (Cotto) will lose that fight because he took a beating from Margarito and Clottey," Mayweather Sr. told Doghouseboxing.com’s David Tyler.

He was referring to tough welterweights Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey, who both engaged Cotto in previous bloody fights.

Margarito bloodied Cotto’s nose during their 2008 title showdown in Las Vegas with the Puerto Rican’s corner forced to throw in the towel in the 11th round. Clottey also fought Cotto fiercely, opening a severe laceration over his left eye after an accidental head clash in their June 2009 bout.

“Look for Pacquiao to open up that bad cut he (Cotto) got from Clottey. Cotto just moves straight ahead and that’s the only type fighter that Pacquiao will fight," Mayweather Sr. said.

---

He (Cotto) will lose that fight (against Pacquiao) because
he took a beating
from (previous opponents) Margarito and Clottey.

– Floyd Mayweather Sr.

---

But of course, Floyd Sr. is still not totally sold on the prowess of Pacquiao, whom he continued to dismiss as best P4P in the world. He said the Filipino superstar could not handle foes with exceptional boxing skills, as exemplified by his first outing with Erik Morales which ended up with a victory for “El Terible."

“He (Pacquiao) can’t fight someone with boxing skills. Morales showed you how to beat him in their first fight; the right hand did the trick," he said, adding Juan Manuel Marquez also showed this in their two encounters.

Last May, Mayweather Sr. got his shot at Pacquiao when he trained Ricky Hatton but the 30-year-old pride of General Santos City knocked his ward out inside two rounds. He maintained it was a matter of Hatton deviating from their fight plan which was meant to neutralize Pacquiao’s speed advantage.

“Speed is nothing if you can’t find something to hit. You counter that speed with constant movement, make him come to you, turn him so he is always lunging when he throws the left. That’s how to beat Pacquiao and that’s exactly what I told Ricky Hatton during training camp. We worked on that a lot but Ricky didn’t follow my advice," he said.

“Ricky lost the fight because he went out in the second round and stood right in front of a fighter who had more speed not necessarily more power. He didn’t move and jab and have Pacquiao chase him around the ring. That’s what I told him to do but can I help it if he chooses different? No way was any of that my fault," he added. - GMANews.TV

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TicketLiquidator's Ticket of the Week: Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto Boxing Match in Las Vegas

VERNON, CT, Aug 17, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) ----TicketLiquidator, the leading provider of the world's most extensive ticket inventory for hard-to-find, low-priced tickets, announced today that tickets for the Pacquiao vs. Cotto welterweight boxing match are available for purchase at affordable prices on TicketLiquidator.com.
On Saturday, November 14, 2009 Manny Pacquiao, boxing's top pound-for-pound fighter, will battle for the fourth division world title against WBO welterweight champ Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This high-stakes boxing event will be held a few pounds shy of the max weight of 147 pounds.
Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) is the first Filipino boxer to have won five world titles in different weight divisions in flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight and his most recent addition, a junior welterweight title against Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao has beaten major boxing champions including Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barerra.
Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) of Puerto Rico currently holds the WBO belt and comes from a long legacy of boxers. He has earned the title of AMB Welter Champion six times consecutively -- his only loss to Antonio Margarito in 2008, has been under scrutiny due to illegal hand wraps worn by the Mexican boxer.
"Both fighters have garnered numerous belt titles and that's what's so appealing about the Pacquiao vs. Cotto matchup," stated Alexandra Owens, Managing Editor. "The WBO Diamond belt is at stake, as is the opportunity for Pacquiao or Cotto to garner the spotlight in the boxing world."
Cotto is known for having a large fan base -- something Pacquiao claims attracted him to the match. Pacquiao gave Top Rank chairman Bob Arum the go ahead and book the event last June. According to Arum, "He (Pacquiao) was impressed by Cotto's fan support and told me it reminded him of how the British fans stand with Ricky Hatton." As one of the most anticipated boxing matches since Mayweather vs. Marquez, Pacquiao vs. Cotto tickets are TicketLiquidator's Ticket of the Week.
Links:
TicketLiquidator
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Juan Manuel Marquez Tickets
Marco Antonio Barrera Tickets
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Miguel Cotto tickets
About TicketLiquidator
TicketLiquidator is the 2nd most visited secondary ticket market website (source: comScore). TicketLiquidator sells sought after tickets to concert, sporting, and theater events through North America. TicketLiquidator's inventory includes more than 4 million tickets for over 83,000 events. The company is a subsidiary of TicketNetwork.com and is headquartered in Vernon, Connecticut.

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"Higher Calling": Chronicling the past 10 years of Boxing's best (part 13)

A lot of people are willing to give God credit, but so few ever give Him cash." ~Robert E. Harris
The significance of the quote to this chapter of my Manny Pacquiao chronicles pertains to how Pacquiao has always put his faith before anything else and his generosity. Pacquiao constantly gives to charity, church and the sick, sharing his time, money and efforts to try and share his blessings. We are all human and have our flaws, but what we do for others are what we will be remembered for in this Earth. Some people say the right things, take credit without truly earning it. If you can talk the talk, walk the walk. It is perhaps one reason why Pacquiao fights without fear. Win or lose, to him he is merely doing God's work and accept whatever the outcome is as long as he does his best.
"Higher Calling"
After his razor-thin close split-decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao set forth on moving up to the lightweight division. Pacquiao admitted he was having a hard time making the super featherweight limit at 130 pounds and after capturing the Ring and WBC super featherweight belts, Pacquiao decided it was time to move up.
David Diaz who held the WBC lightweight belt was the chosen dance partner by Pacquiao's team and promotional outfit Top Rank Promotions. Diaz was a big lightweight and fights with reckless abandon.
Another incentive for the fight was Pacquiao’s elusive quest to become Boxing's best Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world. Floyd Mayweather Jr. had recently announced his retirement from the sport and his fight against Diaz would be Pacquiao’s audition to take over the top spot.
Top Rank conducted a press tour which included a visit to Chicago wherein I was able to participate. Diaz is a Chicago native and the tour stop was intended to get his local fans to rally behind him. Diaz also got to throw the ceremonial opening pitch at a Cubs game as part of the fight publicity. Surprisingly though, during the pep-rally in downtown Chicago, Pacquiao’s fans outnumbered Diaz’s hometown crowd 6-1 by my estimation. Attributing to his skyrocketing popularity, fans were cheering “Manny! Manny! Manny!” at the first glance of the Pacman walking to the podium set-up in one of the Chicago’s busier streets. Notably, Diaz played gracious host and welcomed Pacquiao to his hometown vowing to give Manny his all when they meet each other in the ring. Pacquiao in his part was very generous of his time towards his fans, signing autographs, posing for pictures and even conversing with his supporters. It was a reflection of why he is so beloved by his fans. Pacquiao embodied what it was to be a hero of the masses with his humility, generosity despite the status he has reached and lived up to his billing as “The People’s Champion”.
During the press tour, Pacquiao and Diaz displayed genuine respect towards the other. Usually Pacquiao's fights especially against fighters of Mexican descent are surrounded by some form of animosity rooting from Pacquiao’s dominance of Mexican fighters on his way to the top that spawned a Philippines vs. Mexico rivalry. Surprisingly those sentiments were absent and replaced by what Bob Arum himself described as “two gentlemen outside the ring”.
Both fighters even had chances to joke with each other throughout their promotional tour. In a column by reviewjournal.com, While both Diaz and Pacquiao were at the LA leg of their Press tour, Top Rank’s creative PR team brought out a goat to hype up the fight (Diaz is a self-professed fan of a the Chicago Cubs team in Major League Baseball which has not been to the World Championships since 1945 and blame it on the “Curse of the Billy Goat”) Diaz said, "Man, that billy goat scared me, dude. Can you imagine if the Cubs start messing up, and that gets around? I'm not having that on my ticket." Pacquiao tried to appease Diaz’s fears and jokingly suggested “We should eat it”.
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"Higher Calling": Pacquiao's past 10 years chronicles (part 13, page 2)

"The strong move quiet. The weak start riots."
The two respectful warriors were finally set to show their true ferocity inside the ring. The media tour for the fight did not provide a lot of fireworks, on the contrary, Pacquiao and Diaz became good friends during the tour.
The bout was held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on June 28, 2008. The arena was packed with Filipino and Mexican fans as has been the case in previous Pacquiao fights but this time however, he enjoyed a significant advantage in crowd support. The events center at the Mandalay Bay was buzzing in anticipation as Pacquiao aimed to conquer a higher weight class which offered a lot of unknowns. 
Will Pacquiao take his power with him at 135?
Will his punches hurt bigger fighters the way they did in the lower weight classes?
Can Pacquiao take a punch from a bigger opponent and a legitimate lightweight champion at that?
Among the thousands in attendance to witness Pacquiao answer those questions were the then recently crowned NBA champions Boston Celtics led by their Finals MVP Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. It was an indicating of Pacquiao’s rising international popularity. He was beginning to crossover in the US and embraced by not only his Filipino-American fans but American fight fans in general. A sensational victory over Diaz would only help his case and catapult his popularity and further his case as the sport’s new Pound-for-Pound king.

 Fans inside the Mandalay Bay for Pacquiao Diaz (AP Photo)
The fight started off as advertised. Pacquiao's relentless punching and speed combined with Diaz's come-forward fighting style truly made for a lethal combination. Pacquiao threw jabs and hooks with his right and displayed his speed advantage right off the bat. In the final minute of the first round, Pacquiao was already in a groove and looked as if he was connecting at will. Diaz would keep coming in though and deflected some of Pacquiao's shots. After getting tagged by a flurry, Diaz yells at Pacquiao "Come on!" as if taunting Pacquiao and saying he could not hurt him. Pacquiao obliges, and finishes the round with a good combination. Both fighters touch gloves at the sound of the bell.
In the second round, Pacquiao continued to circle around Diaz while throwing his combinations from different angles. As his trainer Freddie Roach mentioned before the fight, PAcquiao's speed was definitely dictating the pace of the fight. Diaz could not see where Pacquiao's punches were coming from and was reduced to covering up and bowing his head down. He couldn't get his punches off as well because of the volume of punches Pacquiao was throwing at him. And when he did get an opportunity to throw a punch, Pacquiao was no longer within his range. Toward the end of the round, Pacquiao opens a cut on Diaz's nose.
The ensuing rounds were no different. The doctor was in and David Diaz was simply a patient in Manny Pacquiao's clinic. And like a surgeon with a scalpel, Pacquiao was slicing Diaz's face up and what was more impressive was the fact that he was doing it with both hands.
HBO's ringside scorecard analyst Harold Lederman commented at the start of the fourth round saying,

"I can't remember a southpaw who can throw four, five right hands before he pulls his right hand back. Incredible! He throws a hook, a jab, an uppercut right before he pulls his hand back. It's amazing. Roy Jones used to do it with a left hand but this kid is amazing with that right hand."

I was clearly a one-sided affair. The pro-Pacquiao crowd were having the time of their lives. The chants of "Manny! Manny! Manny!"  went on all night long. Even Pacquiao had his opportunities to admire his own work frequently watching replays on the big screen while on his stool in-between rounds. 
In the last minute of the seventh round while paying tribute to Diaz's toughness, HBO commentator JimLampley said,

“David Diaz keeps plugging away.
He wasn’t as fast as as Zab Judah in 1996 either, but he somehow got that done.
He wasn’t as fast as Armando Sta. Cruz two summers ago in Chicago, but he somehow got that done.
His career will never be compared to that of the great Erik Morales, but he somehow got that done.
So don’t tell David Diaz he doesn’t have a chance. He doesn’t believe you.”

Perhaps he should’ve.
As the rounds added on, every round was looking like a copy of a copy of copy of the previous round. Manny Pacquiao was simply too fast, too talented and clearly outclassed the tough and gallant Diaz who simply would not quit nor go down. 
The fight mercifully came to an end in ninth the round after a lot of vicious clear shots from Pacquiao. Diaz fell, face first on the canvas after eating one of Pacquiao’s signature left cross with 40 seconds remaining in the round. In an admirable act of sportsmanship, Pacquiao quickly went to the aid of his fallen adversary prior to even celebrating his victory. He tried lift Diaz up by the hand and check the well-being on his opponent but was broken up by the referee so that the medical staff can follow their standard procedures and do their job.
Diaz would get back up on his feet and appeared to be alright a few minutes after the medical staff checked on him. He and even gave HBO one of it's more colorful post-fight interviews in recent memory. Here's a clip of Pacquiao and Diaz's post-fight interviews.

Pacquiao had answered the aforementioned questions on his climb to lightweight with an emphatic “yes”. On his first fight as a lightweight, Pacquiao instantly laid his claim as not only the division's best, but also made a strong case on being considered as the Pound-for-Pound best fighter in the world.
What's next for Pacquiao? Juan Manuel Marquez was still riding his coattails and continued to stalk him for a third fight as the Mexican warrior vowed to move-up to the lightweight division in hopes to get another shot at the Pac-man. The lightweight division was stacked with talent too. Or will a call from one of the sport's biggest legends be the next step for Pacquiao? Stay tuned for the next chapter of this series as I chronicle the past 10 years of Boxing's best.

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Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao are bigger than the WBO

All of the drama surrounding the WBO's intervention into the Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao contract negotiation was pathetic and pure madness. I appreciate that many of you want to see Manny try for a record seventh world title. I do too, but the title issue, which I understand has been resolved, was an afterthought. Money and catch weight drove this thing initially--period.
The World Boxing Organization wanted it to be a title shot because it technically is a fight that will occur within the welterweight limit and the entity stands to make a good chunk of change. Fine. What if the two fighters had contracted to meet at 141 instead of 145? The WBO template still exists since it is above the junior welterweight limit. Mandatory title fight? The better question may be what if Cotto weighs-in at 147 instead of 145? Most certainly such would breach the Pacquiao contract; however, he would absolutely be in compliance with WBO rules regarding maximum weight for welterweights.
The reality is that the World Boxing Organization turned on its champion and the most blatant example is making Manny Pacquiao the number one challenger in order to force Miguel's hand. The WBC doesn't have Manny ranked at welterweight. There is no Pacquiao listed at 147lbs on the IBF ratings board. How about the WBA? Negative. The Ring? Nope. The WBO didn't even have Manny on its radar screen at welterweight until this month. I could be wrong, but I believe the WBO did the same thing when David Haye-Wladimir Klitschko was still an option.
The Cotto-Pacquiao bout in November is going to be an all time classic and it was going to be that way whether or not the WBO played a role. The fact that the title is on the line now though means that it may have historical significance. It is highly unlikely that Manny will defend the title if he is able to secure it, well at least not at the full 147lb weight limit and certainly not against whoever the number one challenger may be (Joshua Clottey is currently ranked number 2). My guess is that if Floyd Mayweather, Jr. can get past Juan Manuel Marquez next month, he will come out of nowhere to be the WBO's number 1 welterweight contender (Mayweather is not currently ranked by the WBO).
Manny Pacquiao beat Oscar De La Hoya into retirement and has most likely done the same to Ricky Hatton. He won't accomplish that against Miguel Cotto. Win, lose, or draw and Miguel will still be a force within the welterweight division. He doesn't need a title to justify anything, let alone the WBO title. Neither does Manny. Both men are bigger than any championship strap.
If Manny wins in November, my hope is that he will raise the belt and then hand it to the WBO president, Francisco Valcarcel. If Miguel wins, then my hope is that he gives it to Bob Arum for picking up the sanctioning fees required by the WBO. The belt will make a touching parting gift between Cotto and Arum. Cotto can then go get his old WBA belt back from Shane Mosley.
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Cautionary tale for Philippines boxers

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines — Ageing brawler Rolando Navarrete attacks the heavy bag swinging above the dirt floor of his crumbling home, each crunching blow evoking the old times when he was the boxing-mad Philippines' most famous son.
Stuck on the unpainted wall is a calendar given to him by six-time world champion Manny Pacquiao, the other, much younger local icon who now holds the prized tag as the planet's "best pound-for-pound" fighter.
"Manny has become a much better fighter than I was. He has discipline," said Navarrete in a heavily slurred voice.
In his time he was at least as big as Pacquiao, as shown by fading framed pictures on the wall of the older champ in all his former glory. But those days are long gone and Navarrete now sells fish that he says earns him 800 pesos (about 16 dollars) a day.
A three-year stint in a US prison for rape, a series of failed relationships with women who bore him a total of seven children, various police complaints for wife battery and drugs, and an assortment of ugly scars from scraps outside the ring are all he has left to show after a dizzying fall from grace.
The sculpted, V-shaped torso and bulging biceps with the distinct blue-rose tattoos are all admirably intact and the 52-year-old's left fist, though it has perhaps lost some speed, still packs the same destructive power as the best in Pacquiao's arsenal.
In a country that has produced a remarkable crop of more than two dozen world champions, Navarrete rode his explosive fists to fight his way out of poverty and soon after he turned 18, he was the bantamweight champion of the Philippines.
He knocked out Uganda-born Cornelius Boza-Edwards in five rounds in Viareggio, Italy to win the World Boxing Council junior lightweight crown in 1981 and later starred in one of two local films made about his life.
But a rock star-lifestyle in Hawaii, where he lived it up and partied once he reached the top of his sport saw him crash and burn out.
Navarrete kept the world title for exactly nine months, successfully defending it in Manila against South Korean challenger Choi Chung-Il before losing it to the Mexican Rafael "Bazooka" Limon in Las Vegas.
Boxing experts consider all three world title bouts he fought as among the best contests ever seen in the 130-pound (59-kilogram) class.
He later spent three years in US jail for a rape he would not discuss, and he lost his last three bouts before calling it a day in 1991, his win-loss-draw record standing at 54-15-3 with 30 knockouts in a memorable prizefighting career spanning 18 years.
The beautiful house, the sportscar, the trophy girlfriends, and his money are now distant memories.
These days it is Pacquiao, the former street urchin who lives in a palatial home in this southern city, who is the star.
His finger it seems is in every pie, the tens of millions of dollars in prize money helping fuel a construction boom in shopping malls, cockfighting arenas, boxing gyms, and even a planned 400-hectare (988-acre) Manny Pacquiao Economic Zone.
Meanwhile his flawed, older role model, aptly dubbed the "Bad Boy of Dadiangas", after the old name of this southern port city, lives alone in a grimy, dimly-lit, unfinished shell of a two-storey building in a tough neighbourhood. A "House for Sale" sign is painted above the rotting bamboo door.
His dirty laundry soaks in a bucket of murky water on the floor, where a dog nurses her scrawny puppies and empty bottles of gin litter a corner.
Two pre-teen nephews cook his food on a basic stove propped beside his bare bed of wooden planks, and get boxing lessons from the old champ in return.
"We still hear a lot of heavy hitting here," said a neighbour, Joe Tantiado, who says the ex-champ works the heavy bag at least three times a day.
"He is lonely and complains he no longer has friends," said Joy Soria, another neighbour.
"He says people look down on him, because he is back to being poor."
Her teenage daughter Therese Soria adds: "He says Pacquiao is his idol. He regrets having thrown it all away."
In a final indignity, the championship belt was stolen from his home several months ago.
Navarrete insists he does not dwell too much on his current circumstances. "If I stopped to think about it too often I would go crazy for sure," he told AFP.
Neighbours say he does not get many visitors, though Navarrete says Pacquiao occasionally helps him pay the bills.
"Manny is a really good person. He does not withhold help to the needy. He knows how to treat people well," Navarrete said.
"But I don't begrudge him his fortune. That is life, it's like riding a wheel," he said.
Hope springs eternal, even in the depths of Navarrete's personal hell. Two of his seven children, not yet out of their teens, have taken up boxing.
Navarrete alleges his many ex-girlfriends, as well as the various camp followers that typically surround boxing celebrities in the Philippines, are to blame for his fate.
If given the chance to do it all over again, he said he would "change everything" while getting himself a financial adviser.
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I STILL CAN'T WATCH THIS

RICKY HATTON admits he has still not been able to bring himself to watch the video nasty of himself being KO’d in two rounds by Manny Pacquiao.

The Hitman, 30, who has won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, is undecided about his future after suffering his second professional defeat when stopped by Filipino Pacquiao in May.

But the Manchester hero is still  involved in the boxing business as he has launched his fi ght company  Hatton
Promotions.

Before Hatton considers stepping back in the ring again, he knows he will have to relive the worst moment of his career.

He said: “I haven’ t watched the Pacquiao fight yet, not to this day.

“If I do decide to make a come- back I can’ t make that decision without watching it.

“The way I am feeling at the minute, if I just got back in there next week, I wouldn’t come back with the same oomph.

“I’m going to have a complete rest from boxing. For the time being I’ve had enough of it.

 “I’m hoping that after I’ve had a rest I might get the itch to do it again but at the moment I’m just concentrating on my promoting.”

Hatton has signed the likes of  Birmingham’s British middleweight king Matthew Macklin, who disputes the vacant

European title with Finland’s Amin Asikainen at the Manchester Velodrome on September 25.

Macklin fancies a fi ght against Ireland’s Andy Lee if he gets past Asikainen and said: “Andy’s a good fighter and a  decent lad but business is business at the end of the day and if

I’m European champion then I think it’s a fi ght that makes real sense.”

But Hatton’s next show is this Friday  when fellow Mancunian Michael Brodie, 35, makes a comeback after four years in retirement. Knuckle Hatton insists Brodie – a world title challenger at featherweight and super- bantamweight – is serious about his comeback against Londoner Mark

 Alexander in Manchester.  And he told the Daily Star Sunday:  “I see many similarities in what hashappened with Michael and myself.

“Sometimes you just need to  recharge your batteries and you come back with the fire burning again.

“Mike has had a few years’ rest and now he feels like he wants to come back and really knuckle down to it."
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Pacman vs Cotto Nov. 14th

Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), the welterweight titleholder, had agreed to cut weight for the bout and drop below the welterweight limit for the fight to meet Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), the junior welterweight champion at the agreed 145-pound maximum weight limit. Both fighters are coming off of victories as Cotto won a split decision in bloody battle with welterweight contender Joshua Clottey. Pacquiao is coming off the destruction and sensational knockout of Ricky Hatton to win the junior welterweight title, giving him a world championship belt in a record-tying sixth weight division.

Both fighters are looking to add to their legendary careers with a victory and make sure you are there to watch history unfold. Purchase your tickets for this extraordinary event with us at All Tickets Cheap and use discount code word pinch to save 5% off your total purchase price.
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Four Kings – Mayweather, Marquez, Pacquiao & Hatton – The New Generation

By Tom Stokes: During the 1980s the boxing world was treated to some of the most exciting matchups in the ring, courtesy of four very different but very talented fighters, I’m of course talking about Tommy Hearns, Marvellous Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.
During the 1980s these four fighters mixed it with each other in the ring in several very brutal and punishing matches, with Hearns brutally knocking out Duran in two rounds, Duran taking Ray Leonard the distance and beating him, Ray Leonard’s TKO of Hearns, and Hagler finishing Hearns in a thrilling 3 round battle.
These were some of the most exciting boxing matches in the 1980’s, now almost 30 years on from the four kings glory days there are four fighter who I believe when they retire will be considered as great in the sport of boxing as Hearns, Hagler, Duran and Ray Leonard.
Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton, these four fighters are undoubtedly the most exciting fighters in boxing at the moment. Marquez and Pacquiao have both fought each other twice, in two very close fights the first ending in a draw and the second going to Pacquiao on a split decision, although many dispute this decision and saw Marquez winning.
Ricky Hatton is the weakest out the four in my opinion, but he’s shown a lot of courage and heart to get in the ring with both Floyd and Pacquiao and although being knocked out and outclassed by the them he says he wants a fight with Marquez, if he beats Mayweather, and although Hatton probably hasn’t got the skills to beat Marquez I admire him for putting his career and record on the line against the p4p champs, that’s why he deserves to be added in this list, if more fighters had his mentality we would be seeing a lot more exciting matches and boxing probably wouldn’t be losing fans to MMA.
Marquez and Mayweather are going to meet in the ring on the 19th of September this year, and assuming Pacquiao gets through Miguel Cotto (which he undoubtedly will) we could be in for either Mayweather/Pacquiao or Marquez/Pacquiao 3 either would be a win win situation for boxing fans.
However down the line these fighters will meet each other in the ring without a doubt, there’s to much money to be made for these fights not to happen, Mayweather has always been a PPV attraction and a fight with Pacquiao would be mouth watering, and Marquez/Hatton would also be a fight a lot of boxing fans would want to see, and eventually Pacquiao and Marquez will have to meet for a 3rd bout to settle to score once and for all.
Just watching these fighters battling each other in the ring reminds me of the four kings, each with their own unique style Mayweather the defensive expert, Marquez the counter puncher Hatton the aggressive come forward fighter and Pacquiao with his explosive southpaw style, colliding together, weight fluctuating to fight each other, boxing is very lucky to have these four fighters. It’s like a second coming of the four kings, and once these guys have retired and we look back on their fights with one another there’s no doubt that Mayweather, Marquez, Pacquiao and Hatton are the four kings of this generation.
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Chain Blue Lighting - Interview with Floyd Mayweather Sr: Pacquiao, Cotto, Mayweather Jr, Mosley, De La Hoya, Marquez and much More!

Let’s interview another of boxing’s famous trainers, Floyd Mayweather Sr. Boxing fans know him as the father of a certain brash young fighter who claims to be the best in the world. Floyd Mayweather himself has claimed to be the best trainer in the world. He has trained Floyd Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Chad Dawson, and Ricky Hatton who all won championship belts under his tutelage. Let’s get started. The following phone conversation took place at the Mayweather Gym, in Las Vegas.

David Tyler – Mr. Mayweather I called to talk about boxing.

Floyd Mayweather – Man it’s tough for me to talk about boxing because it’s in such terrible shape. There are not enough good fighters out there right now to get interest back in the sport.

DT – That’s too bad because during the course of the interview I was going to ask who you would place in a top ten pound for pound list.

FM - My P4P list wouldn’t have ten fighters on it because there ain’t ten good fighters out there. Just look at the different divisions in boxing and combined you would not have more than a handful of good boxers.

DT – Sir, are you one of the assistant trainer’s in your son’s camp?

FM – No, I am here on my accord representing myself and of course offering advice to my son and brother if necessary.

DT – Mr. Mayweather, there are rumors that your son returned to boxing because of debt owed to the Internal Revenue Service.

FM – Hold on, I just don’t want to comment on that stuff. I would like to tell young fighters and other athletes that all that money can bring lots of trouble. You start having friends and spending money and develop a lifestyle that you must stay active to support. It’s hard to explain this to kids.

DT – How about this, would you place your son at the top of the P4P list?

FM – Of course I would, ain’t nobody beat him. He didn’t give up that title and now that he is back it’s his until somebody takes it from him. My son is the best boxer in the sport because I taught him everything when he was a kid. Name me one boxer’s son that did better than his father. Only my boy and that’s because I didn’t spoil him when he was little. He worked hard and I taught him to always stay in shape.

DT - What about Juan Manuel Marquez, is he on the list of great fighters?

FM - Yeah I would put him on the list. He is the second best fighter in boxing and that’s why my boy picked him for his comeback.

DT – Does Marquez has any chance of beating your son?

FM – No. I’ve been watching a lot of Marquez fights and he has good boxing skills just not good enough to beat my boy.

DT – Why?

FM – Because when you dissect him you see a fighter that’s only effective counterpunching. If you don’t throwing punches in bunches there ain’t nothing to counter. My son will hit and move and roll his punches the way I taught him.

DT – Does the Marquez hand speed worry you?

FM – He has good speed but he’s not as fast as my son.

DT – How about Manny Pacquiao, does he make your list?

FM – Mr. Chain Blue Lighting himself, yes probably somewhere in the middle of the list. I watched him fight Marquez and they have about the same speed. I believe and many others believe that Marquez won both fights against Pacquiao. In the first fight Marquez started out like a bull in a china shop and got knocked down three or four times. Between rounds he made the necessary adjustments and had Pacquiao coming to him. The boy showed a lot of intelligence and heart. Tell me which round Pacquiao won after the first round?

DT –What about the second fight?

FM – Clearly Marquez won the second fight. Pacquiao won two rounds, that’s all, and Marquez should have been the winner on points.

DT – Mr. Mayweather, if your son fights Pacquiao aren’t you just a little worried about Pacquiao’s speed and power.

FM – No. Listen to what I tell you. Speed is nothing if you can’t find something to hit. You counter that speed with constant movement, make him come to you, turn him so he is always lunging when he throws the left, that’s how to beat Pacquiao and that’s exactly what I told Ricky Hatton during training camp. We worked on that a lot but Ricky didn’t follow my advice. Look again at what Marquez did after getting knocked down in the first round. He made the adjustments and countered Pacquiao beautifully. That’s why he should have won the fight. If Ricky had done the same thing, he wins the fight.

DT – Sir, you were subjected to a lot of negative press after the Hatton fight. How did you feel about the negative remarks?

FM – I wasn’t the bad guy, the bad guy was Lee Beard who the English guys brought in at night to train Ricky without my knowledge. Then they wanted me to pay Lee Beard 50 thousand. Hell, that’s plum crazy stuff. I ain’t paying anybody that I didn’t hire. Later I heard Ricky’s Daddy tell everyone that Ricky was over trained, why didn’t they say that when I trained Ricky to win the Championship against Paul Malignaggi? Ricky lost the fight because he went out in the second round and stood right in front of a fighter who had more speed not necessarily more power. He didn’t move and jab and have Pacquiao chase him around the ring. That’s what I told him to do but can I help it if he chooses different? No way was any of that my fault.

DT – You trained Oscar De La Hoya for many years. Did you give him advice about fighting Pacquiao?

FM – Yes, I told him not to take that fight because he would have to move too far down in weight. He would be dehydrated and worry about losing weight the entire camp. That’s why we had a falling out. Everyone was saying he would win but I knew he would lose.

DT – Why?

FM – Pacquiao walks around at about 147lbs. He didn’t have to lose weight; Oscar had to lose lots of weight and work extra hard to take off those extra pounds. He weighed 142lbs. the night of the fight. Hell, the boy hadn’t been that low in 12 years. Yeah, he looked okay in the beginning of the fight but just did not have the energy to throw a punch in the middle rounds. Oscar flat out whored himself for money to take that fight. My son quit boxing so Oscar looked to Pacquiao as the next big money maker. Oscar is the cheapest SOB in the business he nickels and dimes you to death, makes promises and doesn’t keep them. Ask anyone that’s been associated with him and they will tell you the same thing. You say you’re from Los Angeles, have you ever spoke with Fred Roach?

DT – Uhhhh……On Occasion.

FM – The next time you see him ask him if Oscar didn’t screw him with promises and money.

DT – How about Miguel Cotto, on your list?

FM –Sure, but not after the Pacquiao fight. He will lose that fight because he took a beating from Margarito and Clottley. In my book Clottey beat Cotto and if I had been in Clottey’s corner he would have knocked out Cotto. Look for Pacquiao to open up that bad cut he got from Clottey. Cotto just moves straight ahead and that’s the only type fighter that Pacquiao will fight. He can’t fight someone with boxing skills. Morales showed you how to beat him in their first fight; the right hand did the trick.

DT – How do you feel about Shane Mosley?

FM – Yeah on my list but at the bottom. Shane is getting old and my boy or Pacquiao would take him out. Shane is talking up a storm just because he beat Margarito. He won because Margarito didn’t have the bricks in his gloves. Margarito just stupidly stood there and took all that punishment. Shane has some speed left but I still have some bad thoughts about him.

DT – Why is that?

MT – Listen, I got another message for the kids out there….Don’t use performance enhancing drugs. Those damn things will kill you and Shane should have been suspended for using them. Anyone gets caught using steroids should be given a one year suspension, at minimum.

DT – Sir, Mosley claims it was his trainer at fault.

FM – Listen son, if the fighter says the trainer did it, then the fighter most certainly did use those drugs. All the athletes who get caught using drugs blame someone else. They know damn well what goes in their bodies.

DT – How do you feel about the current Super Middleweight Tournament?

FM – Not a one of them impresses me. None of them would go in my list of good fighters out there now.

DT – Not even King Arthur Abraham?

FM – He throws hard and can take a punch but he will eventually lose in that tournament, know why?

DT – Why?

FM – Because he will run into a fighter with some good boxing skills. That’s the way to beat him, box and move, don’t let him land those big shots cleanly.

DT – They just announced the Paul Williams/ Kelly Pavlik fight for October. What are your thoughts about that bout?

FM- Pavlik is on my list and so is Paul Williams. I was impressed by the way Pavlick beat Taylor twice. He got up off the mat and made adjustments that lead to him knocking out Taylor. That’s what a boxer is all about.

DT – And Williams?

FM – Tall, lanky, good speed but I kind of doubt his power. He shouldn’t be fighting at 147 lbs. with his height advantage he will win those fights at the lower weight. Williams is a middleweight and that’s where he will go if he wants to make any money. I’m not sure who will win the fight but Pavlik will land some big blows and we will find out if Williams can hurt or be hurt in that division.

DT – Mr. Mayweather it’s been an interesting interview…..

FM - Yeah, another thing, I have done some wrong things in my life and paid the price, but I’m not a bad guy or desperado. Kids should learn from the mistakes others make and do right with their lives.

DT - I agree with you completely. I also wish you the best of luck in the upcoming fight against Marquez and with your future endeavors in boxing. Can we talk again after this interview runs on the website? Our readers may have some questions for you.

FM – No Problem, you have my number. God Bless.

DT – Same to you Mr. Mayweather and take care of yourself.
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Roach Training Pacquiao Not To Get Hit?!!

Last week Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, was quoted in a website/newspaper based in Manila discussing his fighter's upcoming bout with Miguel Cotto. Roach said he was concentrating on how well Cotto did neutralizing Mosley's speed when they fought. This in itself is crazy, being that Cotto lessened Mosley's effectiveness by moving away and fighting as the counter-puncher, thus forcing Mosley to fight as the attacker. That wasn’t Mosley fighting at his best since he often times goes right hand crazy when forced to fight as the aggressor, looking for the sensational knockout and usually doesn't try to set anything up in the process. Saying Cotto nullified Mosley's hand speed is a myth.

Roach also said, "Of course Cotto’s power is a major concern for me but I really think that we will have no problems, I’m training Manny not to get hit.” So much for picking a winner. If Cotto can't hit Pacquiao, there's no shot for him to win. Then again Roach knows he'll never have to worry about training Manny not to get hit because of the style contrast between his fighter and Cotto it's not the least bit plausible.

Freddie Roach can say anything he wants in trying to build up and hype his fighters. The sad part is many fans and writers buy some of the nonsense and cookbook logic spewed by certain trainers and fighters. Most likely this is because it fits their perfect world as to how they want to see or believe various things in which their favorite fighter/trainer can be perceived as being unbeatable or the best.

After Roach's remarks got out I was contacted by a Sports Radio talk show host from 950 ESPN radio in Philly. The host has had me on in the past to discuss boxing and asked about Roach's comments, being that Pacquiao-Cotto had been mentioned during a recent show. Addressing what Roach said was simple. There's nothing to it and the thought that Roach or any other trainer could teach any fighter not to get hit is ridiculous. Freddie was just throwing something out there being fully aware that somebody might buy it and create a little pre-mature banter about the fight. Trainers often try to sell themselves in a subtle way when talking to the media, despite professing they never do that and how it's always just about the fighter. The reality is most trainers don't think much of the media's boxing acumen, and thrive on the belief that most aren't confident enough in what they know to really challenge and push them on something that doesn't sound quite right, fearing that challenging the trainer could lead to him making them look foolish.

If Roach was attempting to do anything it was to possibly plant the seed in Cotto's mind that if Miguel fights Pacquiao in the same manner he fought Mosley, it'll bother and trouble Manny like it did Shane. And if by chance Cotto or his corner's brain-trust bought into that, Cotto would not only be throwing away his only asset which he brings to the ring, his supposed advantage in physical strength and punching power, he'd lose practically every round if he didn't get stopped. If Cotto fights as the counter-puncher Roach (not that it's even feasible that he could) won't have to train Pacquiao any differently.

That said, Cotto was forced to move away from Mosley, Margarito and Clottey because he had no choice due to them being physically stronger than him. The reason he had better success doing that versus Mosley is because Shane looks exclusively for the one punch knockout when he's forced to lead instead of looking to impose himself more physically. Margarito and Clottey were much more in their element bringing the fight to Cotto.

Cotto can't wait on the smaller and quicker Pacquiao. If he doesn't impose his one known advantage, his strength/power, he has no way to win. It's imperative that Cotto's left hook is a big part of the fight or Miguel won't beat Pacquiao. There's no way around it, Cotto can't put any hurt on Pacquiao throwing his left hook or right hand as he's moving away or while he's planted with his back against the ropes. He either has to bring the fight to Pacquiao and bang him low with it so he hits something or land it during an exchange.

There's only one way Cotto can fight Pacquiao if he's to win. That is he has to employ constant pressure from the opening bell and move forward and force the fight. Sort of in the manner he fought Carlo Quintana and Zab Judah when he totally wore and broke them down. Granted, Judah doesn't have the toughness and guts like Pacquiao, but he showed up at Madison Square Garden that night to win, though he eventually wilted under Cotto's pressure. If Cotto doesn't have to think about being outmuscled, he'll fight without trepidation and continue to push the fight.

When all is said and done Pacquiao-Cotto comes down to a few things that'll determine the outcome of the fight, and it doesn't take a real sophisticated boxing observer to deduce them. Does Manny punch hard enough to hurt Cotto and impede him from coming after him? And will Cotto's face bust up and swell to the point where his vision becomes more impaired as the fight progresses, something that has happened in two of Miguel's last three bouts. Pacquiao is not going to outbox Cotto for twelve rounds if he's not strong enough to hold his own. If Manny can't get his attention and can't cut him up, he is going to be worked over pretty good in the fight.

Lastly, if Cotto's big left hook doesn't hurt Pacquiao enough to the point where he has to hold and break off the exchanges, and Manny isn't forced to fight from bell-to-bell and can pick his spots, Cotto won't go the distance.
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While Pacman frolics, Cotto is all business

Told about his adversary’s seemingly happy-go-lucky ways, Miguel Cotto said Saturday he doesn’t care about Manny Pacquiao’s decision to continue filming a movie as the Puerto Rican prepares to enter the second week of training for their Nov. 14 clash in Las Vegas.
“What Manny does and doesn’t want to do is his problem and not my responsibility,” Cotto told the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia after another day at a local gym.
Cotto had actually started training almost two weeks ago as he prepares for the arrival of conditioning coach Phil Landman from Los Angeles. Landman is set to hook up with Cotto later this month.
“I feel very good now,” Cotto told Primera Hora, another major Puerto Rican paper. “My light training is helping me regain my form just in time for the arrival of Phil so that we also don’t start from zero.”
“I have been the type of athlete who likes to train hard,” added Cotto, who has been banging the heavy bag, skipping rope and hitting the punch mitts as he revs up for the tough grind ahead.
Cotto said he now weighs 162 lbs, 17 lbs off the agreed catch weight of 145 lbs for his battle with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand and is very confident that the time he will spend in the gym in the coming weeks will help him get rid of excess baggage that he gained during vacation.
Despite his inactivity, Pacquiao makes sure his weight remains in check.
Encircling the fingers on his right hand on his left wrist, Pacquiao said he currently weighs 152 or 153 lbs.
Regardless of the uncanny way to know his weight, Pacquiao insisted he is right on the money.
“I have been doing this to check on my weight ever since I started boxing. I have never been wrong,” said Pacquiao, who only plans to start training after the four-city press tour in mid-September.
Pacquiao plans to proceed to Baguio for the eight-week training camp when he returns from the press tour of New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Puerto Rico.
In the meantime, Pacquiao will continue to fulfill all his commitments so that when he begins working with Freddie Roach, there’ll be no more distractions.
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Cotto's training goes full blast

he arrival of a conditioning coach and a nutritionist signal the start of Miguel Cotto’s full-blast training for his November 14 clash with Manny Pacquiao.
The past two weeks, Cotto has been showing up in a local gym in Puerto Rico every other day for light workouts under the supervision of chief trainer Joe Santiago, something that his team believes will help them prepare for the toughest training camp the 28-year-old Cotto will head into in the coming weeks.
Cotto said Los Angeles-based Phil Landman, a South African native, is due in Puerto Rico on August 22. Two days later, Landman will be running alongside Cotto in the morning and attend the afternoon workout as well as they try to come up with a battle plan for Pacquiao.
Their main concern about Pacquiao is the Filipino’s blinding speed and this is the reason why Cotto is even thinking of tapping the services of a Lilliputian fighter Ivan Calderon, also of Puerto Rico, to help him get use to the Filipino’s lightning-quick reflexes.
Calderon is a mere 108-pounder but his quickness, Team Cotto, says, will enable Cotto to experience what would it be like to be on the same ring with Pacquiao.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, remains in the thick of his showbiz commitments, filming a movie that is due for release during the December film festival.
But chief trainer Freddie Roach has already done his homework, having signed up four sparring partners, including young junior-welterweight prospect Raymond Serrano and lightweight Urbano Antillon.
Pacquiao is not going to begin training until he gets back to the Philippines from a four-city press tour that kicks off on September 10 in New York. From the Big Apple, Pacquiao will travel to Puerto Rico, then to San Francisco, and finally to Los Angeles.
Pacquiao plans to train for one or two weeks in Baguio before camping out possibly in Mexico.
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Should Hatton face the loser of Cotto vs. Pacquiao?

By Liam Santiago: As a boxing expert, I am happy. Ricky Hatton has announced he will fight again and he will be aiming for the pound for pound title. The big question every boxing fan is asking is who is he going to fight? Of course, he is coming of a lethal knock out defeat, which was mainly down to his preparation and a certain Poet. Why not go after the loser of Pacquiao vs Cotto? Both will be coming of a defeat and both will be big money spinners
Of course, if Cotto beats Pacquiao and Hatton does manage to get his rematch, there will be an uproar. The critics will surface. Hatton is ’shot’ they will say. Hatton is not in Pac-Man’s league. Well, critics, that is where you are wrong. The demon’s from Hatton’s defeat to Pacquiao will not be as great as people assume. He knows why he lost. He knows he did not lose because of talent of quality. He lost simply because, he was past his peak and his trainer had mentally shook him up prior to the fight. He would have a completely different approach next time round.

If a miracle happens at the Cotto vs Pacquiao fight and Cotto somehow loses, he would also make for a great opponent for the big punching, major ticket selling, knock out artist, Ricky Hatton. What a clash of styles that would be. Like Hatton, Cotto is a major ticket seller, so the fight would also make financial sense. This would be an opponent for Hatton that I could not predict a victory for either fighter. Both are simply class. However, watching Cotto beat Clottey, I saw a lot of flaws and opportunity’s that Hatton would not have let go by the way side.

Would Pacquiao have the guts to face Hatton again? I would give him full credit if he does. When Ricky is at his peak, I really can not see the Filipino beating him. The circumstances prior to the Pacquiao fight had an impact on Hatton’s punch resistance. If the loser of the Cotto vs Pacquiao fight does fight Hatton, I am sure we will be looking at a Hatton/Pacquiao rematch. Adios.

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Pacquiao/Cotto: Three on Three

Another week has gone by and still no firm indication relative to what's gonna happen with Miguel Cotto's WBO belt. This close to supremacy, no one should be able to deny Pacquiao the right for his shot at such a historical feat, but the initiation of a created WBC Diamond Belt isn't quite the way to go.
Rather than harp on what isn't, today we revisit what is by looking at the top 3 things in favor of both men going into the fight:
MANNY PACQUIAO
1. Speed - For Manny Pacquiao, the one common denominator coming into this fight is his speed. And to take it a step further, not only his speed, but the way in which he uses it. The herky-jerky, off-beat cadence he fights at has kept more men guessing than the California State Attorney Bar Exam. His ability to mix up his assault and box in shades, then going into rapid-fire mode has left few men standing.
2. Big Fight Experience - Of the many things we hear about Pacquiao, the one stat that few ever discuss is the fact that he has more than 50 fights in his 14 year career. Of those 50+ fights, a great number have been high stakes wars. Morales (3x), Barrera (2x), Marquez (2x), and the list goes on. What is even more notable about that stat is that he he won nearly all of those, with the only question mark coming againt Marquez. That experience will undoubtedly serve him well in the heat of this battle.
3. Heart - Few in todays fight game landscape have displayed the heart of Manny Pacquiao. Not only able to walk through the fire, but typically known for starting it, his passion, Filipino pride, and humble God-fearing nature helps him to stand in a place that darkness can't touch. That heart will be on display once again as it faces perhaps the biggest test yet, against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto. This big asset could very well become his biggest liability, as this challenge that awaits him will test him to the brink.
MIGUEL COTTO:
1. Power - Miguel Cotto is arguably, and perhaps easily the most powerful welterweight in todays welterweight division. Joshua Clottey - the only man who has faced Cotto and Margarito, who many view as the divisions most powerful punchers - said in an interview that I conducted that there's "no question" who the stronger is. Easily giving that nod to Cotto. His body punching has left far bigger men speechless and unable to move. That reality shines light on perhaps the make-or-break (no pun intended) issue in this fight.
2. Heart - This is a quality that both men share, and also one that will help decide this battle in the end. Cotto is arguably the only  welterweight in todays sport that has literally taken on all comers. Mosley, Margarito, Judah, Clottey; All major players have been played by this master instrumentalist, and the unfortunate thing for some is that theirs a lot more music for him to read.
3. Chin - This is a choice that many question at first glance, but I don't think you can take this attribute away from a man who stood toe to toe with a possibly glove-loaded Antonio Margarito for a full 11 plus rounds. When he was younger and lighter, he was shaken up quite frequently, but as he evolved and his body developed, those worries became a thing of the past. We saw Mosley destroy Margarito in 9 rounds. When you consider that Cotto went toe to toe with him and Margarito, it's a bit hard to fathom a fighter (even of Pacquiao's magnitude) coming in and stopping him within the distance.
There are many other things to consider between these two, but these strengths will be on full display. The key of the fight that will neutralize both men is the ability to hold their ground. Both men are most effective coming forward.
The man who refuses to fight backwards will win the fight. The man who can't avoid going backwards will lose it. Footwoork is one thing, but cutting the ring off and trapping an opponent is another.
3 months is a long time away, but at least we know the end (of the wait) is near.
Stay tuned.
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