Pinoy Boxers Champ

Not Pacquiao’s awkward southpaw style, according to Cotto, who has beaten three major left-handed fighters in racking up a win-loss-draw record of 34-1-1 with 27 knockouts.

"It has got to be his (Pacquiao) speed," said Cotto during a round-table discussion with the staff of the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia.

Cotto reiterated that Pacquiao is not facing somebody like Ricky Hatton, who is "sobrestimado" (overrated) and that his advantage in strength and movement will be factors in winning the bout that has a catch weight of 145 lbs.

Cotto stopped lefties Zab Judah of the US and Carlos Quintana of Puerto Rico at welterweight and Demarcus Corley of the US at junior-welter, impressive wins that suggest that Cotto has never been troubled by unorthodox foes.

Cotto said his success stems from the fact that he is a natural left-hander himself.

"I know them (left-handers) well (because) I am one of them," said Cotto, stressing that his decision to convert to a right-hander is meant to maximize the hitting potential of the left hook, which is his favorite punch.

Cotto has started to conduct light training for the Pacquiao fight and he showed up in a Puerto Rican gym last week where he was warmly met by chief trainer Joe Santiago, who will be assisted during training camp by the fighter’s father Miguel Sr., cutman Joe Chavez and conditioning coach Phil Landman.

The elder Cotto believes Pacquiao won’t endure the punishment that his son will deliver come fight night.

"As soon as Miguel connects with the right punches, Pacquiao falls," said the senior Cotto.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, remains in the thick of finishing a comedy flick featuring ex-basketball star Benjie Paras, 1996 Olympics silver medalist Onyok Velasco and funnyman Long Mejia.

While everything appears to be set as far as training camp is concerned--with Freddie Roach already tapping four sparring partners--the only issue that has yet to be settled is the venue of the first five or six weeks of training.

The Bahamas, Vancouver in Canada, Nuevo Vallarta in Mexico and even the Philippines have been mentioned as possible sites but Pacquiao’s Canadian adviser Mike Koncz said Pacquiao sounded cool when told about training in seclusion in Mexico "where the climate is similar to that of the Philippines."