Manny Pacquiao To Meet Miguel Cotto in November Showdown
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Stoker Mac
Stoker Mac
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View ProfileSend a MessageSenior Writer Written on June 15, 2009
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Manny Pacquiao and Top Rank boss Bob Arum were in attendance on Saturday night for Miguel Cotto's welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey.
Pacquiao, who is currently the pound-for-pound king of boxing, may have been there to do a scouting report on his next opponent; because according to www.box-rec.com, Cotto and Pacquiao are now set to square off this November in Las Vegas.
The Puerto Rican pugilist Cotto, bloodied and bruised, fought his way to a split decision over Joshua Clottey on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden with Pacquiao seated just a stone's throw away at ringside.
Cotto and Pac are both promoted by Bob Arum's top rank promotions.
Arum was also at ringside seated with Pacquiao and seemed to have more than just a passing interest in the bloody battle taking place in the ring. Cotto, for his part, seemed evasive when asked by reporters about a future date with the tough little Filipino, Pacquiao.
"The people have to wait until I rest a little bit," Cotto said after the fight, a deep gash over his left eye heavily bandaged."I'm on vacation."
The promoter Arum, however, made it perfectly clear as to his intentions going forward.
"This fight showed me that Cotto and Pacquiao is a dead-even fight," Arum told a group of reporters seated ringside.
"I think it's a very competitive fight. Cotto-Pacquiao is the fight I want to make. It's the fight I really want to make."
Cotto has fought mainly on the East Coast at New York's Madison Square Gardens where, due to the large Puerto Rican population, he is an extremely popular fighter and a sellout at recent outings.
Pacquiao has the complete support of almost the entire country of the Philippines, but has made Sin City his home-away-from-home.
He has waged his last five wars there, including his destruction of Oscar De La Hoya and brutal second round knockout of Ricky Hatton.
Cotto, who is a strong welterweight and hasn't fought below 140 pounds since 2006, would have a decent size advantage over Pacquiao and—due to Pacman now campaigning at Jr. welter—Cotto would most likely be asked by Arum to cut down in order to meet Pac at a catch weight.
"People think this would be like leading the lamb to the slaughter," said Arum, who confided that they might agree to fight between 142 and 145 pounds.
"I don't see that."
Arum also used his air-time to take a pot shot at recently returned former pound for pound welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.
When asked about a future fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather, Arum stated: "Mayweather won't fight anybody who can beat him."
Arum, while also quickly dismissing the idea of a potential Mayweather /Cotto matchup added, "Psychologically, he [Mayweather] cannot take a defeat; Cotto would beat him."
Cotto is a tough an durable left-hook body puncher who only has one blemish on his record, a controversial loss to exiled Mexican fighter Antonio Margarito.
Margo-cheato, as he is now called, was found and convicted of loading his gloves with a plaster type substance in his dressing room before a subsequent loss to Shane Mosley earlier this year.
"After a questionable loss, I never said anything about it," Cotto said.
"Everybody wants to think he used illegal things with me. That's all right. I have to think he fought me the correct way."
Arum referred to a potential rematch featuring Cotto-Margarito—whom he also promotes—as, "a huge fight."
"The Margarito fight is a possibility when he comes back after his suspension. I will take him on," Cotto said.
"Like always, I want to fight the best, so whoever is out there and willing, I am here."
So, unless Box-rec.com has made an error, the fight is now a scheduled possibility with the date being Nov 14.
That will certainly make this remembrance day, on the 11th, a date to remember for more than just the obvious reasons.
