Manny Pacquiao Versus Cotto on November

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,” winning world titles at 130 and 135 pounds with victories over Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz, respectively, and knocking out and retiring Oscar De La Hoya at 147 pounds to finish the trifecta. This year, he picked up where he left off last year – winning another world title in a new weight division -- dealing defending junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton a one-punch second-round knockout on May 2.

BOB ARUM, CEO of Top Rank, announced today that the mega-fight between boxing’s No. 1 pound-for-pound king and the reigning Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) Fighter of the Year, MANNY “PacMan” PACQUIAO, and the pride of Puerto Rico and three-time world champion MIGUEL COTTO is official. “Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto have reached an agreement to fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 14,” said Arum. The fight will be seen live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Top Rank is working on a major media tour to start right after Labor Day. Further details will be announced as we get closer to kicking off the tour..”

Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has sold more tickets at Madison Square Garden in this millennium than any other fighter. He 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, successfully defending 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 in February this year, knocking out Michael Jennings in the fifth round at Madison Square Garden to become the WBO welterweight champion. Notable scalps on Cotto’s belt include Sugar Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Pauli Malinaggi, and Demarcus Corley.

Ricky Hatton Is Not Thinking A Fight With Amir Khan

Now out of hospital (Hatton was hospitalised due to a reported stomach bug), Ricky has been speaking to his local newspaper, The Manchester Evening News. And guess what, he's not in the slightest bit interested in a fight with Khan, nor has he even thought about fighting again at all.

After Amir Khan's sensational and impressive points win over Andreas Kotelenik at the weekend there was much talk at the post-fight press conference about the new WBA 140-pound champion making a defence down the road against fellow Brit, Ricky Hatton. Khan himself was somewhat interested in the fight, as was his trainer Freddie Roach. Promoter Frank Warren was dead against it, claiming the fight would be nothing more than a risk to Hatton's health. But what does the man himself think about the prospective UK super-fight?

"I'm not thinking about boxing at the moment," Ricky told the paper. "Maybe I'll wake up one day and think 'let's give it another go,' but I might not. I'm not missing it. Fighting is the furthest thing from my mind.

"I'm delighted for Amir. I can't praise him enough. He's gone back to the drawing board and answered any questions there might have been about him. But the fact that he's won a world title has not made me any closer to a comeback. It hasn't entered my head. I don't think I have to beat Amir Khan to prove anything."

So there it is, Hatton, now over two months on from his brutal KO loss to Manny Pacquiao, has yet to decide if he'll ever fight again, against anyone, let alone Khan.

Indeed, what Hatton said next to the newspaper gave the strongest indication yet that he might well be content with what he's achieved in the ring and be ready to walk away.

"When I look back at my career nobody expected me to do what I've done," the 30-year-old said. "I won five titles at two different weights. I've only lost to the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world. If I don't fight again I can hold me head high.

Ricky is right when he says he can hold his head up high if he fights again or not. He is also correct when he says he does not have to prove anything by beating Khan. The only thing, to my mind, that could tempt him to fight again is the desire to go out a winner, as opposed to going out the way he did against Pacquiao.

Amir Khan will have to make the first defence his WBA crown against someone else, something that will please his promoter at least.

However, of all the interviews Hatton has given since May 2nd, this latest one most makes it sound as though "The Hitman" has done all the fighting he's going to do. Inevitably, though, rumours will continue to pop up regarding one comeback fight or another.

"Maybe somewhere down the line I might think about giving it another go and if he's still world champion then obviously he would be a possibility."

Floyd Mayweather: Is Manny Pacquiao Really Ducking Cotto?

Let's start off by looking at what has actually happened in Mayweather's career. He started out at 130 pounds at age 19. Two years later, he became champion by dominating and knocking out Genaro Hernandez in eight rounds. He successfully defended his title eight times. Three of those eight victims would later go on to win world titles.

The lack of objectivity concerning Floyd Mayweather first reared its head following the first Castillo fight, with many believing that the way to beat Floyd was to apply relentless pressure, and conveniently forget that he was injured and had no such problems in the return match when he was healthy.

Everybody in boxing, from the writers, commentators, "experts", and fans, has an opinion, usually a very strong one, on Floyd Mayweather. If you want to get an intense debate going in boxing circles, just mention his name, and you are sure to find sentiments ranging from him being the best boxer alive, to him being an over-rated loud mouth who hand picks opponents and refuses to fight anyone worthy..

Floyd then moved up to challenge Jose Luis Castillo for the 135-pound title. What we know, mostly because we have heard it over and over, is that it was his toughest fight, and he might even have been given a gift. What is not trumpeted so often or as loudly, is that he fought with a bad shoulder. Or the fact that he gave Castillio an immediate rematch, which he won convincingly.

It was that very instance that lead to Ricky Hatton getting knocked out silly, including getting his head bounced off the turnbuckle five years later. In light of Mayweather being in a WWE Wrestlemania match, the irony does not fail to escape or humor me.

Continuing to move up in weight, he moved to the 140-pound limit, with a solid win over DeMarcus Corley. Two fights later and it was on to his first pay-per-view fight and division title against Arturo Gatti. We all know what happened. It was a masterclass clinic. It was the worst beating I have even seen taken by a man who entered the ring as a world champion.

I've seen guys knocked out in the first, but this fight was six rounds, six rounds in which the champion did absolutely nothing that conveyed a sense of being the world champion. However, for Mayweather, it was his first fight on the big stage and he delivered.

At that time, Ricky Hatton had just beaten Kosta Tszyu, and was rightly seen as the true 140-pound champ. He beat the man who beat the man. There was talk of a Mayweather-Hatton fight, and with Cotto in the mix, the junior-welterweight division had three young, dominating, marquee fighters. Fans were salivating at the possibilities.

Those dream matchups were not to be, or so it seemed, when Mayweather moved up again in weight to 147, his second weight-division climb in two years. There were people saying he was ducking both Hatton and Cotto, and was not interested in a real challenge.

His first fight at the weight was against Sharmba Mitchell, and in some circles, he was heavily criticized for "taking an easy fight". Those who leveled those claims didn't seem to have a problem with Kosta Tszyu fighting Mitchell twice, or take into account it was Mayweather's first fight at 147, and third weight class in two years.

He then began negotiations to fight "Super" Zab Judah for all the 147 pound marbles. Judah was fresh off a knock-out win over Cory Spinks, and was the linear champ. No one had ever questioned Zab's skill, it was his mental game that has always been suspect. After the Spinks win, it seemed as if he had finally put it all together, and had become the fighter most had long felt he had the potential to be.

So Floyd and Zab agreed to fight. Zab would have a routine tune-up and they would get it on. But even the best laid plans can go awry, and an unfocused Zab lost his belt and linear-champion status to Carlos Baldomir. Bet you didn't see that coming.

Funny thing, this sport of boxing though. Seems like Carlos couldn't pay a sanctioning fee, so he never got the belt he fought for and seemingly won. Where does that leave Floyd Mayweather?
Since the Judah fight was already planned, he went through with it and that decision lead to all kinds of criticism of him and the organizations that refused to give Baldomir the title. Let's stay focused on what actually happened.

Floyd fought a focused Zab Judah, who gave an excellent account of himself for about four or five rounds. Then Floyd picked him apart and was on his way to what I believe was a stoppage victory, and then Judah fouled him with a low blow, and all hell broke loose. Everyone in both corners lost it, except for one man, Floyd Mayweather.

When the smoke cleared, Floyd's trainer, uncle Roger Mayweather, was ejected, and eventually Roger, Zab, and Zab's father and trainer Yoel, would end up with suspended licenses. After that fight, Floyd fought and virtually shutout Carlos Baldomir to become the linear 147-pound champ. His trainer happened to be in jail at the time, and oh yeah, Baldomir weighed 163 on fight night.

Meanwhile, Miguel Cotto continued to impress at his new weight, knocking out good fighter after good fighter, showing some vulnerablity a la the Ricardo Torres fight, but improving, and most importantly, winning.

In my opinion it is impossible to be a boxing fan and not be a Miguel Cotto fan. He is that good, and embodies everything we love about fighters. Not to mention he now has great skills to match his toughness and grit.

Ricky Hatton had a different experience. He fought Luis Callazo, and squeaked out a decision many felt he did not deserve. It seems like the guy who relies on strength and pressure was not strong enough to handle the pressure at 147, at a time when Mayweather and Cotto were shining. He quickly went down to a weight were he would be able to bully smaller men, but not before making the most revealing statement ever made about the world of talent that divided him from Floyd Mayweather.

Right after the Collazo fight Hatton said, quote, "I am not ready for the likes of a Mayweather".

Unfortunately for his pride (and noggin), but fortunately for his wallet, he lost that objectivity, objectivity that came in the form of a 147-pound reality check. Little did he know then, objectivity would be partialy restored 19 months later.

As Cotto kept moving forward and Hatton moved back down, Mayweather got himself the biggest fight in history, a fight no boxer would turn down. Oscar De La Hoya, the "Golden Boy", and most lucrative opponent and future hall of famer. In all of the drama building up to the fight, what often gets left out, perhaps deliberately or just over shadowed by the other headlines, is that that fight might never had happened.

De La Hoya, who had built a reputation as a fighter who would fight anybody, didn't display that same attitude in the negotiations. He demanded that the fight take place at 154 pounds, seven pounds over Mayweather's weight, and 19 pounds heavier then Mayweather was just three years ago.

He demanded that they use gloves that would accentuate Floyd's brittle hands, logically in the hopes Mayweather would injure them. Another demand was that the fight take place in a smaller ring. All of these worked against Floyd, and De La Hoya refused to fight him if any of these demands were not met. Naturally, Floyd agreed to every one of them.

I've seen this fight several times, and what I see is a clinic. Let's not forget that Mayweather weighed 150 at the weigh-in and 148 on fight night. We don't know what Oscar weighed on fight night. I don't think many people would think it a stretch to say he probably weighed close to 160, but that's just speculation. He weighed-in at 154 pounds.

The scoring was close, but the CompuBox numbers seemed to back up a decisive Mayweather victory. He landed the cleaner shots, staggered De La Hoya, and showed superior defense, among other things. Again, this fight became a beacon for a lack of objectivity concerning Floyd Mayweather.
While not many people felt that Oscar had won, those who sought to detract from the win took it as some kind of "moral victory", even going so far as to say De La Hoya gave the fight away by not jabbing, and that the fight was really close.

What actually happened?

We saw a fighter step up to a weight he couldn't even make against a man who will go to the hall of fame, that had fought Bernard Hopkins at 160, and who had just beat a 154-pound champion. Other than Joe Calzaghe, most boxing people have not articulated the merits of that accomplishment. I’ve always felt that the greats do things that would seem unreasonable to ask the rest of the pack.
I will illustrate my point with this.

Kelly Pavlik has the middleweight title and we all seem to like him; he is a good, consistent, young fighter. But would you ask him to eventually step up to heavyweight and challenge for a title, let alone win one? That would seem ridiculous to even ask him to do that, yet that is exactly what Roy Jones did. And like Floyd, people do not want to acknowledge their accomplishments.

How many fighters could realistically do what Mayweather did to De La Hoya? Factor in the weight increases and the time period of those weight gains. Name to yourself how many guys, right now, could start at 130, jump to 135, and in three years win the 154-pound title. Keep in mind beating linear champs and Ring Magazine titles.

Going back to the good old days when Mayweather, Cotto, and Hatton were all at 140 pounds, and Mayweather supposedly ducked them by moving up, he now has fought Hatton and knocked him out. Hatton lost beacuse he became a victim of lost objectivity, and started to believe the hype.

He bought into arguments of Mayweather "losing" to Castillio, without looking at what really happened. He bought into the argument that Floyd "ducked" him by moving up to a weight class Hatton couldn't hang in. He bought into the argument that the Mayweather-De La Hoya fight was close. Now, he blames it all on the ref.

Let's look at the Cotto angle. Cotto has proven himself, no questions asked. But what are his biggest wins? Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. The same Zab Judah who Mayweather had already beat. Some will say that De La Hoya is old, so he shouldn't be considered a viable opponent. With that logic, neither is Mosley, as he is even older than Oscar.

We all know their history together. Do you really think that Cotto would turn down a De La Hoya or a Hatton fight? Maybe when he starts fighting for free, but as long as he is collecting purses, I feel it's safe to assume he would jump at those lucrative pay-days.

So based on what has actually happened, Floyd Mayweather has proven his
pound-for-pound status, from his 130-pound strap right up to junior middleweight. You can't knock a man for getting the most out of what his profession has to offer. He certainly didn't duck Hatton, and using that logic in light of what has actually happened, a tenable case of Mayweather ducking Cotto cannot be made.

If so, when? When he made eight figures fighting Oscar? Or Ricky? Or becoming the linear 147-pound champ? I won't even mention the other fighters he was accused of avoiding. They won't be going to the hall of fame, and have in the last year both lost to fighters who also won't be going to the hall of fame.

As long as Cotto keeps winning and Mayweather keeps fighting, it's safe to say that they will fight just as Floyd fought Ricky. If you bet on Hatton before, you already know the pain lack of objectivity brings.

So why is Mayweather fighting Marquez? To achieve the same effect on the public that Pacquiao has by beating De la Hoya and Hatton. Both of Pacquiao’s fights with Marquez could have went either way, so if Mayweather dominates Marquez the demand for a fight with The Pac Man is that much more hyped up, especially is Manny beats Cotto and it looks as if they are going to fight. If Pacquiao is the best fighter on earth Marquez is right with him. And if Pac Man is a worthy challenger for Mayweather, and I’ve heard some even say that Mayweather is ducking him then so is Marquez. Which is why Mayweather will fight him.

As for Mosley well he may have missed his chance, since Floyd wanted to fight him years ago and was put off. But the fighter we should be talking about is Paul Williams. Nobody mentions him probably because he is not promoted by Golden Boy, Bob Arum or Don King, but in my opinion he is the hardest fight out there and I can’t see Cotto, or Pacquiao beating him which is why they don’t mention him. But based on who he has beat and the lack of attention you know people are running from him because he is truly willing to fight not only anyone, but anyone near his weight.
The best welterweight since Mayweather's retirement is Paul Williams.

He beat Margarito and gave him more money then he ever made to do so. It was close and he still offered Margarito an immediate rematch, which was rejected.

Couldn’t have been over money because Margarito took less money to face Kermit Cintron, a man he had already beaten.

He actually had the grown man crying in the ring in five rounds. Now I know that Cintron had a belt and Margarito wanted one (he lost his to Williams), but for all of this most feared man in boxing crap I have to call him out.

Yeah, Cintron had a belt but why not take back the one you lost from Williams if you’re so tough?

He gave you the most money too. I don’t care how much you improve you don’t go from having a man make you cry tears on TV in five rounds to actually beating him.

Can you imagine what they would have said about Floyd if he had rematched Arturo Gatti. He’d never hear the end of it.

Williams went on to lose a shocker but he made it right in a hurry by taking out Carlos Quintana in round one.

After Margarito beat Cotto guess who he called out?

Think he wanted to avenge his loss? Hell no!

He went after Oscar de la Hoya.

When Mayweather fought de la Hoya, Margarito called him every name in the book, and said de la Hoya was not a real challenge.

Probably why he wanted him after Cotto.

Oscar didn’t fight him so he took on another fighter that everyone in the world except Roger Mayweather thought would be easy, Shane Mosley.

But Williams still wanted to fight him and offered him more money then Shane did.
And I will note that Williams stepped up to 160 to dominate Winky Wright who took out Mosley twice.

But I’m going to assume because of Margarito’s actions he would rather an easy fight that better money.

But you gotta love boxing (isn’t that why were here?) because it truly is the theatre of the unexpected.

Shane Mosley knocked out the so-called most feared man in the sport.

We even got two for one in the unexpected drama department, as Margarito got caught juicing his wraps with plaster of Paris. He has since been suspended. He was known for his power. Oh well.
Margarito beat Cotto, which I knew would happen, and in a nutshell here why it happened.

Cotto is good but he gets hurt a lot. Corley hurt him. Torres hurt him, Judah hurt him, and Mosley hurt him. Problem he faced with Margarito was that he couldn’t hurt him and we all knew Margarito could hurt Cotto.

And Margarito is not the kind of fighter to get him hurt and let him off the hook. With this hand-wrapping farce, I wonder how much Margarito can really hurt fighters on his own.

Manny Pacquiao on Nike Ads

Boxing’s No. 1 attraction and basketball’s hardcourt hero will shoot a print ad somewhere in Los Angeles on Wednesday (Thursday in the Philippines). Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Los Angeles Laker main man Kobe Bryant will appear in a photo shoot as part of their contractual obligations with leading sports apparel manufacturer Nike. Barring a last-minute change in schedule, Pacquiao will fly to LA on Tuesday night (early Tuesday morning US West Coast time) together with lawyer Franklin Gacal, business manager Eric Pineda and an official from Nike Philippines. “It’s going to be a one-day shoot in Los Angeles and Manny and I are returning (to Manila) the next day,” Gacal told Fightnews and Manila Bulletin. Pacquiao had done a few print ads for Nike Philippines but this latest project will be the second time the Filipino fighter is embarking on a deal for a much wider audience release. Pacquiao had appeared in a commercial last year featuring Bryant and other top Nike endorses like Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova of tennis, Cristiano Ronaldo of soccer and Liu Xiang of track and field. Pacquiao will likely return to the ring on Nov. 14 against Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico. The venue is the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Beating Floyd Money Mayweather

Beating Mayweather up to this point has been something that no fighter has been able to achieve. Not even the Big Show from WWE fame was able to KO the slick tactician of the sweet science. Here is a formula and game plan that I believe if executed properly, could hand Mayweather his first defeat.

I would like to start off with saying that even though I don’t care a great deal for Floyd, I recognize and greatly respect his natural ability and god given talents that he’s been blessed with. He is easily the quickest and most dominant fighter that I have seen in the sport since Roy Jones Jr. in his prime. Both had the incredible talent to easily embarrass and out point they’re opponent while going virtually untouched through out the fight. My point being only a top tier opponent would be able to execute this game plan that I am about to put forth. This will only work for fighters like Marquez or Pacquiao who are phenomenal in they’re own right, but are considered by most to be less talented in comparison to a Mayweather, and therefore less likely to pull off a victory against him. B level opponents need not apply! Sorry Victor Ortiz.

This strategy even makes more sense now than it did a couple of months ago when the Mayweather vs. Marquez fight was first scheduled, and more than likely wont come as that big of a shock to any real followers of the sport. Supposedly the original fight date was postponed to the September 19th date due to a rib injury that Mayweather suffered early in training camp. Three words folks, “WORK THE BODY”! Kill the body and the head will follow as the say, and with Mayweather I feel that this would hold especially true.

Marquez would be an absolute fool not to try and test how well Mayweather’s rib has healed by launching a constant assault to the body. Even if there was no rib injury what so ever Marquez would be well served to focus the bulk of his efforts to the body of Mayweather. In fact for the at least the first six rounds of the fight Marquez should throw almost nothing but punches to the body, other than a jab upstairs.

Now this was supposed to be the strategy for Mayweather’s fights with De La Hoya as well as Ricky Hatton, but once in the ring with Mayweather both had trouble sticking to and executing that game plan. Maybe it was because they both disliked Floyd so much that they found it irresistible to try and damage Floyd’s pretty face. What ever the reason it didn’t happen and Floyd’s slick style and boxing skills prevailed.

I realize that Floyd’s incredible defense and great lateral movement is just one of the elements that make him so remarkably hard to beat, but that can be neutralized. Marquez must cut the ring off to combat Floyd’s constant movement rather than chasing him moving forward. He also needs to make it a rough physical fight when getting in close with Mayweather pressuring him into hopefully making a mistake.

After the sixth round or so Marquez could start going upstairs a bit more with his punches at a ratio of about 5/20. That’s five head shots for every 20 body shots thrown. Now nobody really knows how good Mayweather’s chin is since its never really been tested due to his defensive greatness but maybe just maybe Marquez could find out using the strategy I’m proposing?

At the very least using this formula he would be able to grind out a decision victory handing Floyd his first loss. The body is a larger and more stationary target than the head so it makes much sense to attack it with consistency while being aware of the counter punching Mayweather. Lets see how healed that rib is? This is truly the only path to victory for Marquez.

On September 19th Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1 37 KO’s) collides with the former pound 4 pound king and undefeated super star Floyd Money Mayweather (39-0 25KO’S). True boxing fans are routing for this to be a great fight that will answer two questions. One, does Mayweather still have what it takes to the reclaim his crown as the pound 4 pound king of boxing? Two, or does Marquez possess the skills & ability to pull off a major upset, and further his right to be regarded as the new pound 4 pound king?

Manny Pacquiao Getting in Over His Head Against Cotto

I have a feeling that we all will bare witness to one of the biggest upsets in boxing history Nov. 14th. Let me explain & compare both fighters objectively.

You have his last fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in which many observers feel & agree that Manny had lost. Juan Manuel Marquez for this reason has been dodged repeatedly by Manny Since there last fight. Next you have David Diaz folks, who was a cherry picked champion that had absolutely no skill what so ever to counter what Manny brought to the table & Manny knew this. After this fight it was time for Manny to move onto bigger & better things, so we thought. That brings us to Oscar De La Hoya, whom Manny Pacquiao knew, if the offer was lucrative enough, he could get Oscar & his giant ego down to a weight he had not fought in over TEN years. This Obviously played right into the hands of Manny who had the upper hand due to the fact Oscar was a shot fighter going into that fight. Oscar also was drained to the point that Freddie Roach even admitted noticing I.V marks on Oscars arms during the prefight introductions, which meant he was severely dehydrated. Now this brings me to Ricky Hatton, who we all know was a little better than a club fighter. Hatton got lucky in getting the fight to begin with & did not beat anyone of significant name or stature in my opinion. If you count Paulie Mallanaggi or Kaz ta zu you have to do better! Paulie is a very ordinary boxer with no power & Kaz Ta zu was way past his prime.

So who has Manny Pacquiao fought? True boxing fans have to strip down his SO CALLED coming out fights & realize that POSSIBLY the reason Manny has looked so great, has been because of the quality of opponents he has faced. Juan Manuel Marquez is the exception & the only boxer of late who has given Pacquiao his share of fits & Manny looked human at best when they have fought. Is that a coincidence? I believe it’s because Manny was Matched up against a Great fighter, not a washed up, club fighter, or a dehydrated boxer. This brings me to Miguel Cotto, who like Marquez is a great fighter & in my opinion an even greater one.

Lets start off with Zab “super’ Judah. Lets face it Zab Judah was at one point a high caliber boxer before the Mayweather fight & then was just not the same afterward, but needless to say had the power advantage & speed advantage over Miguel Cotto( which all boxing analyst stated) & we all know how devastating of a beating Miguel Cotto inflicted on Judah. Then we have Shane Mosley. This was a great boxing match in which, once again Cotto was the underdog & everyone had Mosley & his superior skills beating the young Cotto. This was a fantastic fight that went back & forth & ultimately one that Cotto won due to his amazing ability to box & adapt to one of the best boxers in the world. Mosley afterward in the ring acknowledged Cottos boxing skills & Called Cotto ” a Great young warrior”. That brings us to Antonio Margarito. Cotto showed his skill level for the first half of the fight & showed his ability to take a beating ( which is now under scrutiny due to Plastergate). Cotto has been accused of having a glass chin, but never was knocked out during that fight & would have kept on fighting if his corner did not stop the fight. Even with a majority of boxing analyst believing that he was being hit with plaster during the fight. Next Michael Jennings, who I admit was cherry picked to build Cotto’s confidence back up if it was hurt by the Margirito Fight. Cotto did what he was supposed to do, he destroyed jennings. Last & not least his recent fight with Joshua Clottey. In some eyes Cotto looked sub-par, In my eyes Cotto showed his natural ability to use his boxing skills against Clottey during this fight. Cotto fought with one eye from round 3 on & did not throw in the towel when he knew they where up. Cotto did the exact opposite, he fought through adversity, did just enough to keep Clottey at bay , win the fight ( I had it 7-5 Cotto) & showed his heart & how much of a warrior he is in the process.

What does all of this mean about Cotto vs Pacquiao? Its means Pacquaio is biting off more than he can chew. If Pacquiao or any of the Cotto doubters believe Cotto is going to be blown out of the ring when they meet in the proposed Nov. 14th showdown, I think you should brace yourself for a big surprise. I believe Pacquiao is letting Cotto’s recent performance against Clottey get to his head without looking at Cotto’s Body of work since he entered the welterweight division. Cotto fought one of the STRONGEST opponents he has faced & one that is stronger than any fighter Manny has ever fought in Clottey, he also did it with one eye. Cotto has never been knocked out against some of the stiffest & biggest welterweights in the world. We also Know Pacquiao is not as big as the true welterweights that have tried to knock Cotto out. So why would the doubters believe Manny is going to do it to Cotto? I know the doubters are going to say that Manny’s speed and power will destroy Cotto, I say to those doubters if it hasn’t been done with TRUE WELTERWEIGHTS then good luck to Pacquiao because he is going to need it against Cotto.

Mayweather VS Marquez Fight Continues

Floyd Mayweather Jr. insists it's not all about the money.

Not totally, anyway.

"I guess I just missed boxing," Mayweather said Saturday. "Somebody's got to keep the sport up and running. Why not me?"

That was the question Mayweather asked himself as he took a break from the sport that has consumed his life from the time he learned to walk. He wasn't gone long, but his 11-month retirement was enough to make him realize that he wanted to fight -- and fight a lot more.

"I'm still the biggest draw in boxing," Mayweather said. "Everybody wants to fight me because they know I'm the cash cow."

Mayweather, 32, will return to the ring July 18 in a fight against lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, who will move up two weight classes to get his share of the riches a Mayweather fight can produce. It will be his first fight since he stopped Ricky Hatton in the 10th round of their December 2007 bout.

"I left on top, and I came back on top," Mayweather said. "I'm here to fight and reclaim what's mine."

Indeed, when Mayweather announced his retirement last June he was generally regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, an honor now mainly given Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather's decision to retire instead of fighting a rematch against Oscar De La Hoya led to Pacquiao getting the shot that he capitalized on.

Mayweather announced his comeback plans in a theater at the MGM Grand hotel, just hours before Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton were to meet in a 140-pound fight in the hotel's arena.

Mayweather, should he beat Marquez, could get the winner of Saturday's fight in the fall, but he wasn't planning to stick around and watch it.

"I'm taking my daughter bowling tonight," he said.

Mayweather, who is unbeaten in 39 fights, brushed off questions about the state of his finances, saying he made $8 million last year without having a fight and that the rumors he was in financial difficulty were just that. But the lure of many more millions was in the back of his mind as he began sparring once again in recent weeks, the itch to fight returning.

Mayweather was always well known in boxing, but it was the HBO reality series "24/7" featuring his dysfunctional family before his fight with De La Hoya that really cemented his fame. He took advantage of it to appear as a contestant on "Dancing With The Stars," made an appearance as a wrestler in Wrestlemania and currently appears in an AT&T television commercial.

"I bring the most controversy to the sport," he said. "The others are too nice. This is a brutal sport."

Mayweather and his advisers were coy about the contract weight for the Marquez fight, saying it would be a welterweight bout. But De La Hoya, who will be promoting the fight, said it calls for a 143-pound limit instead of the 147-pound welterweight limit.

That was a concession to Marquez, who just last year weighed 129 pounds for a fight against Pacquiao and has only fought twice as a lightweight. Though moving up in weight, Marquez is still considered a dangerous opponent, and many thought he won both his fights against Pacquiao.

Ranks 6th, Highest Paid Athlete : Forbes

After being named Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America, our very own Manny Pacquiao is now among Forbes’ highest-paid athletes.

Pacquiao debuted in the Forbes list at no. 6 for earning $40 million in the past 12 months. He is the highest ranked newcomer joining sports icons like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and David Beckham.

Pacman is tied with 2009 NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James and golfer Phil Mickelson who also raked in $40 million last year.

The People’s Champ also debuted in the recent “Forbes Celebrity 100” list topped by Angelina Jolie. The list named the 100 most powerful celebrities in the world.

In addition, Pacquiao also debuted in Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” this year after receiving more than 20 million online votes. He was ranked 22nd in the list even though he received the most number of votes.

Maintaining the title of World’s highest-paid athlete is Tiger Woods with $110 million in the last 12 months.

Sharing the list’s second spot are Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Kimi Raikkonen with $45 million.

Placing 5th is superstar David Beckham with $42 million while at no. 9 is motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi with $35 million. Completing the Top 10 with $34 million is Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Mayweather-Marquez Fight Postponed

The highly anticipated July 18 fight between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez has been postponed due to a rib injury sustained by Mayweather while training. The mega-fight was scheduled to take place at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View. "I am extremely disappointed that this fight has to be postponed," said Mayweather. "I was training very hard and looking forward to getting back in the ring on July 18th.."

"I was very disappointed to hear the news about the fight being postponed," said Marquez from his training camp in Mexico. "I will remain focused, in shape and ready to fight whenever the fight is rescheduled for." Information about rescheduling the fight will be made available as soon as possible.

Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto - November 14, Vegas

Promoter Bob Arum had Miguel Cotto firmly on his list of potential next opponents for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao - even before Cotto's win over Joshua Clottey this past Saturday night. Now that Cotto has won and is still the holder of a world title, it seems as though Arum is keen to get the fight made a done deal. There was reportedly a short list of possible opponents for Pacquiao's next fight (originally thought to be set for October) and it sure looks like Cotto is at the top of that list now.

Pacquiao doesn't seem keen on taking on "Sugar" Shane Mosley, at least not yet. Floyd Mayweather has just pulled out of his July fight with Juan Manuel Marquez with an injured rib, meaning those two greats will have to wait a while - possibly until September - before finally getting it on.. This leaves just Edwin Valero and Cotto from the list we heard about pre-June 13th. Box-Rec already have the Pacquiao-Cotto fight up on their site as happening at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 14th, and moments after his Top Rank fighter won via a somewhat debatable split decision on Saturday, Arum spoke to some members of the press about a possible fight between the two huge names.

"Cotto-Pacquiao is the fight I want to make," said Arum. "It's the fight I really want to make."

Cotto, understandably, needs and is going to take a vacation. But if the fight takes place on November 14th, some five months away as it is, Cotto could surely be ready for "Pac-Man" by then. There will be the not too small matter of the bout's weight to be agreed on, and from what Arum reportedly said post-fight on Saturday, a catch-weight affair at somewhere around the 142 to 145-pound mark is what he'll shoot for.

If it does happen, at a weight both guys are happy with (143 sounds as fair as can be) what can we expect?

Fans are still arguing as to whether or not Cotto deserved the win he was awarded over the dangerous Clottey. Hit plenty in the 12-rounder and content to back-pedal his way to the final bell over the bout's last four-rounds, Cotto impressed some and disappointed others. Some fans have even gone as far as to suggest the Puerto Rican star may be finished. Although that's going way too far, it does certainly seem as though Pacquiao will be the fresher man in the ring on November 14th (if they meet).

"Pac-Man," too, has been in his share of tough fights, but his last two wins have been pretty easily acquired ones - De La Hoya offering next to nothing over 8 one-sided rounds, and Hatton making things easy for Manny by discarding all defence on his way to being starched in the 2nd round. Ready for another fight that will test his greatness, Pacquiao definitely has plenty in the tank for a prospective fight with Cotto.

Then again, would even a 143-pound (on the scales) Cotto be too big for the Filipino sensation? By fight time it's possible Cotto would hold something like a ten pound weight advantage over the southpaw. When it comes to speed, both guys are very fast punchers. Power? The edge has to go to Pacquiao.

Aside from Pacquiao-Mayweather and "Pac-Man"- Mosley, Cotto-Pacquiao is the most attractive fight involving the superstar from Manila that can be made right now.

Let's see if Arum - who calls the fight "Dead-Even" - gets to see the fight he is seemingly desperate to make happen.