Ticket Alert: Pacquiao-Cotto
"FirePower" On Sale Aug. 17
The date is set for the mega-fight between boxing’s No. 1 pound-for-pound king Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao and three-time world champion Miguel Cotto. Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto, “FirePower” will take place Saturday, Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. PST/6 p.m. PST. Tickets priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150 go on sale Monday, Aug. 17 at 10 a.m. Ticket are limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $150 are limited to two (2) per person, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
“Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto have reached an agreement to fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 14,” said Top Rank Chief Executive Officer Bob Arum. Top Rank is currently working on a major media tour to commence immediately following Labor Day weekend. Details will be announced in the near future.
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, has won six world titles in as many different weight divisions ranging from 112 to 140 pounds. His performance in 2008 was described as “Henry Armstrongesque” as he won world titles at 130 and 135 pounds with victories over Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz, respectively, and knocked out Oscar De La Hoya at 147 pounds to complete the trifecta. The winning streak continued in 2009 when he won another world title in a new weight division, dealing defending junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton a second-round knockout in May at MGM Grand.
Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has held a world title every year since 2004. Puerto Rico’s most exciting fighter, Cotto held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight crown from 2004-2006. He successfully defended it six times before vacating it to capture the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title at the end of 2006, a title he held for nearly as long. He won his second welterweight title earlier this year as he knocked out Michael Jennings in the fifth round at Madison Square Garden to become the WBO Welterweight Champion. Notable victories on Cotto’s belt include Sugar Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Pauli Malinaggi and Demarcus Corley.
The Pacquiao vs. Cotto pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST, has a suggested retail price of $49.95.
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Showing posts with label pacquiao-cotto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pacquiao-cotto. Show all posts
Tough Pacquiao-Cotto Fight
ONE of boxing’s legendary trainers sees a tough fight between pound-for-pound king Manny ‘PacMan’ Pacquiao and World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.
In an interview with eastsideboxing.com, Emmanuel “Manny” Steward said it’s unfair to give the Filipino boxing icon a clear edge over Cotto when they square off on November 14 in Las Vegas.
While Cotto was not impressive in his last fight against challenger Joshua Clottey, Steward said the latter is actually a tough fighter who could have given welterweight legends Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard a rough time in the ring.
“Based on Miguel having such a tough fight there [against Clottey] and Manny looking like a million dollars knocking out Ricky Hatton and Oscar [dela Hoya], that’s why the odds are totally going out of proportion and I don’t think that’s a fair assessment. I see it [Pacquiao-Cotto] as almost a toss-up fight, myself,” Stewards was quoted as saying.
The legendary trainer said a lot of people are actually underestimating Cotto’s size advantage over the Filipino, explaining that the champion from Puerto Rico is a natural welterweight.
Steward also said Pacquiao is a natural junior lightweight or lightweight, which puts the Filipino boxing icon at a disadvantage over Cotto. The Puerto Rican has been listed at 5’7” while Pacquiao is 5’6”.
However, Pacquiao has won the admiration of Steward, who has trained legendary champions like junior welterweight Aaron Pryor and heavyweights Evander Holyfied and Lennox Lewis, and multi-weight titleholders Hearns and De La Hoya. He presently trains heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
“He [Pacquiao] has the instincts of a fighter, the balance, the timing, the stamina—everything—and it’s just natural. He’s a fighter! If anyone was ever born to be a fighter, it would be a guy like him or [Roberto] Duran, but he’s better because he has great rhythm, and his defense and timing are a lot better than people think,” he said.
COTTO WEAKNESSES
Steward also said that Cotto has weaknesses in defense, which can cause trouble for the Puerto Rican.
“His defense right up the middle—he has absolutely no defense for that, because his gloves are so wide, and fighters can punch right between his gloves,” the legendary trainer said.
He said that if Pacquiao is able to penetrate Cotto’s defense and hit the Puerto Rican at will, the Filipino has a chance to win their showdown.
“I think he [Cotto] should not fight with his defense being the way it has been before,” Steward said.
The Pacquiao-Cotto fight has been pegged at a catch weight of 145 pounds, or two below the welterweight limit. Freddie Roach, the Filipino’s trainer, would not allow his fighter to battle Cotto at 147 pounds because the Puerto Rican would have a big weight and size advantage on fight night.
“Freddie knows that Manny is really not a true welterweight, and that’s why he’s [Freddie] trying to at least get some kind of equilibrium in those fights by making the opponents come down in weight as close to Manny as they can for balance,” Steward said.
-- Conrad Carino
***
Can't wait to see this big fight.
Pacman VS Cotto
In an interview with eastsideboxing.com, Emmanuel “Manny” Steward said it’s unfair to give the Filipino boxing icon a clear edge over Cotto when they square off on November 14 in Las Vegas.
While Cotto was not impressive in his last fight against challenger Joshua Clottey, Steward said the latter is actually a tough fighter who could have given welterweight legends Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard a rough time in the ring.
“Based on Miguel having such a tough fight there [against Clottey] and Manny looking like a million dollars knocking out Ricky Hatton and Oscar [dela Hoya], that’s why the odds are totally going out of proportion and I don’t think that’s a fair assessment. I see it [Pacquiao-Cotto] as almost a toss-up fight, myself,” Stewards was quoted as saying.
The legendary trainer said a lot of people are actually underestimating Cotto’s size advantage over the Filipino, explaining that the champion from Puerto Rico is a natural welterweight.
Steward also said Pacquiao is a natural junior lightweight or lightweight, which puts the Filipino boxing icon at a disadvantage over Cotto. The Puerto Rican has been listed at 5’7” while Pacquiao is 5’6”.
However, Pacquiao has won the admiration of Steward, who has trained legendary champions like junior welterweight Aaron Pryor and heavyweights Evander Holyfied and Lennox Lewis, and multi-weight titleholders Hearns and De La Hoya. He presently trains heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
“He [Pacquiao] has the instincts of a fighter, the balance, the timing, the stamina—everything—and it’s just natural. He’s a fighter! If anyone was ever born to be a fighter, it would be a guy like him or [Roberto] Duran, but he’s better because he has great rhythm, and his defense and timing are a lot better than people think,” he said.
COTTO WEAKNESSES
Steward also said that Cotto has weaknesses in defense, which can cause trouble for the Puerto Rican.
“His defense right up the middle—he has absolutely no defense for that, because his gloves are so wide, and fighters can punch right between his gloves,” the legendary trainer said.
He said that if Pacquiao is able to penetrate Cotto’s defense and hit the Puerto Rican at will, the Filipino has a chance to win their showdown.
“I think he [Cotto] should not fight with his defense being the way it has been before,” Steward said.
The Pacquiao-Cotto fight has been pegged at a catch weight of 145 pounds, or two below the welterweight limit. Freddie Roach, the Filipino’s trainer, would not allow his fighter to battle Cotto at 147 pounds because the Puerto Rican would have a big weight and size advantage on fight night.
“Freddie knows that Manny is really not a true welterweight, and that’s why he’s [Freddie] trying to at least get some kind of equilibrium in those fights by making the opponents come down in weight as close to Manny as they can for balance,” Steward said.
-- Conrad Carino
***
Can't wait to see this big fight.
Pacman VS Cotto
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