WBO champion Miguel Cotto dismisses Manny Pacquiao’s power: “If they think they have more power than Miguel Cotto, they’re wrong.”

WBO champion Miguel Cotto has dismissed claims that Manny Pacquiao will be stronger when the pair clash on November 14 in Las Vegas.

The Puerto Rican was calm and confident as he played down the threat of the Filipino superstar who is searching for his record breaking seventh world titles in seven divisions.

“He’s coming from a lower division,” said Cotto. “If they think they have more power than Miguel Cotto, they’re wrong.”

Pacquiao has demonstrated his hand speed and strength with his devastating second round knockout of Ricky Hatton in May, but Cotto maintained he is ready for whatever comes at him.

“I’m prepared for anything he can bring…I’m prepared for all that he can show me,” said Cotto whose only defeat was marred in controversy after suffering a head-butt followed by an investigation into opponent Antonio Margarito’s hand-wraps.

Cotto bounced back from the defeat, going on to outbox Britain’s Michael Jennings and win a close points decision in a hard fought battle against Joshua Clottey. As for how he will handle Pacquiao, Cotto underplayed the possibility of a KO victory.

“I never come out to knock out any fighter, but if I hit him pretty good, I’m going for it.” said the champion who has knocked out 27 of his 35 opponents.

For Cotto, success against Pac-Man would propel him to the top of the boxing pecking order and make him a household name. Despite being the underdog he remains positive he can achieve this: “I’m very confident that I’m going to come out with a victory that night.”

SOURCE: http://sport.stv.tv/boxing/135483-cotto-im-prepared-for-anything-pacquiao-can-bring/

HOLLYWOOD – Manny Pacquiao grinned from ear to ear and oozed with confidence Wednesday as he faced the media at the Wild Card Gym here.

“I can’t wait for the fight,” declared the reigning pound-for-pound champion as he limbered up, with mediamen lining up three sides of the ring
, clicking away and hoping to get the best shot for the day.

Miguel Cotto’s own media day, which took place Tuesday at the Pound4Pound Gym here in Los Angeles, paled in comparison. For one, it looked like Cotto left his smile in his training camp in Las Vegas.

Miguel hardly smiled at the gym yesterday and here he was looking so happy, Pacquiao was told.

“Ganoon ba? Pag-bigyan niyo na. Nagre-reduce yun eh (Is that so? Let him be. He’s reducing),” said the 30-year-old icon who looked so comfortable he can tip the scales anytime and make limit of 145 lb.

Cotto, on the other hand, must be draining himself going down from 160 lb two months ago. and even if he does make it during the official weigh-in, the question is if he can recover in time for the fight set Nov. 14.

Except when he did four rounds with the mitts with Freddie Roach, Pacquiao did smile most of the time, gladly fielding questions, and even putting his arms around the Tekate girls with bodies enough to warm up the gym.

Obviously, Pacquiao had no worries in mind the whole two hours he looked like he was doing a commercial shoot.

His promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, was around, and so were Hollywood names like Mickey Rourke and Mario Lopez, just adding up to the very light atmosphere, in contrast to when Cotto faced the media the other day and wouldn’t answer questions about his weight.

Arum said Pacquiao must still be feeling the effect of his rousing appearance in the Jimmy Kimmel Show the other night along Hollywood Blvd. He was a big hit that producers of the nationally-televised talk will air a replay of the episode.

“He brought the house down. And this morning, it was on Sports Center (of ESPN),” said Arum of Pacquiao’s TV appearance where he belted a song (Sometimes When We Touch) and had the crowd “up on their feet and swaying.”

For a while though, Pacquiao looked serious when he talked about the fight.

“This is a huge fight for me. This is a big fight. Because if I win I become the first boxer to capture seven titles in seven weight divisions,” he said.

“My advantage for this fight is my speed. And also I believe I have the power,” he said, adding that as he is right now he’s ready to go 12 rounds with the bigger, younger and stronger welterweight champion from Puerto Rico.

“Kahit tumagal ang fight wala ako problema (Even if the fight lasts long I won’t have a problem),” said Pacquiao, even if his chief trainer had predicted a knockout that could come in the first round or at most the 10th.

“Kanya-kanyang opinyon eh (It’s everybody’s opinion). Pero nire-respeto ko lahat yan (But I respect them all),” he added, before getting hold of the GMA-7 microphone and doing his own stand-up of the situation.

And he had fun doing it.

SOURCE: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=520826&publicationSubCategoryId=69

DEPUTY National Security Adviser Luis “Chavit” Singson left for the US yesterday, saying he would resign from government upon his return to prepare for the gubernatorial race in Ilocos Sur.

He left for the US for business meetings and a routine medical checkup. Before returning to Manila, Singson said he would swing by Las Vegas for the boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto.

Singson, a three-term governor of his home province from 1992 to 2001, said he plans to file his certificate of candidacy on Nov. 20.

“There are still so many things I can do for my province. There are many foreign companies that are planning to invest in Ilocos Sur,” the outgoing official said.

Appointed by President Gloria Arroyo as deputy national security adviser last year, Singson has stayed out of the limelight since his common-law wife Rachel Tiongson accused him of domestic violence in September.

He ran and lost during the 2007 senatorial polls under the administration ticket Team Unity.

After testifying against deposed president Joseph Estrada on a case of plunder, Singson was appointed by Mrs. Arroyo as her adviser for Northern Luzon in 2003.

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said he would be “very stringent” in granting travel authority to administration officials leaving for the US for the sole purpose of watching the Pacquiao-Cotto fight.

“I will not be very liberal in giving travel authority if these officials only want to watch the fight. As for elected officials, they will be answerable to their constituents if they still decide to push through with the trip,” Ermita said.

Still, the Palace official admitted that some Cabinet men “may have other reasons for going to the US, such as medical checkups. And those who will not be allowed, we cannot prevent them from filing for an official leave. That is due them also,” Ermita said.

Aside from administration officials, at least 20 lawmakers have left for the US, including House Speaker Prospero Nograles who is a member of Team Pacquiao

SOURCE: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNation.htm?f=2009/november/5/nation1.isx&d=/2009/november/5

Veteran boxing expert Moy Lainez has known boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao like the palm of his hands.

So when he says the “Pacman” is going to win his 12-round fight against Miguel Cotto for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title two weeks from now, there’s little room left to doubt the man.

“Ako tingin ko talaga mananalo si Manny. Kung ako ang pupusta, within rounds 1 to 5, baka diyan bumagsak si Cotto,” he said.

Pacquiao is no stranger to Lainez, who, along with the late Rod Nazario and Lito Mondejar, formed part of the original Team Pacquiao.

It was in the weekly boxing show “Blow By Blow,” produced by Nazario, Lainez and Mondejar, where the then gangling Pacquiao had his humble beginning.

It was also through them that Pacquiao won his first world title (World Boxing Council flyweight crown) in Thailand 11 years ago, and subsequently, his first foray in the rich American boxing circuit in 2001.

So familiar he is with the boxer he already considers as his son that Lainez wouldn’t dispute what trainer Freddie Roach said in passing that Pacquiao may even knock Cotto out in the first round of their November 14 showdown.

Like Hatton
“Naniniwala ako na may posibilidad pa yun. Hindi malayong maging Hatton yan,” he said.

Pacquiao’s former handler was obviously referring to the vicious second-round demolition suffered by Briton Ricky Hatton at the hands of Pacquiao when they clashed for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) light-welterweight title six months ago.

Like Hatton, Lainez said Cotto does have the size and strength factor going his way.

But as past opponents of Pacquiao would later admit, including Hatton, former world lightweight champion David Diaz and the legendary Oscar De La Hoya, it’s the speed of the current pound-for-pound king that blew them away.

Cotto would be no exception.

“Malaking factor `yung bilis ng kamay at suntok ni Pacquiao. Bibitaw yan, 1-2-3-4. Bago maka-react si Cotto, wala na agad si Manny.

“At tsaka sa welterweight, sa tingin ko mabagal si Cotto,” he said of the 28-year-old warrior from Caguas, Puerto Rico, whose World Boxing Organization (WBO) title will be at stake.

Not the same after loss to Margarito
Lainez also pointed out what other boxing expert had been saying – Cotto has never been the same fighter he once was after suffering his first career loss to Mexican Antonio Margarito last year.

Margarito stopped Cotto in the 11th round of their action-packed welterweight clash, a result that later would be held under suspicion after the Mexican was caught applying illegal hand-wraps during his fight with Sugar Shane Mosley.

“Sabihin na nating kargado si Margarito, pero si Cotto nag-deteriorate na after nung laban na yun. Parang takot ng matamaan,” Lainez said, even pointing to the outcome of Cotto’s last fight against Joshua Clottey, which the Puerto Rican won by split decision.

“Tingin ko nga panalo pa si Clottey doon. Binigay na lang kay Cotto dahil nga para maikasa itong laban kay Pacquiao,” he added.

And should Pacquiao fail to score a knockout and the fight goes the full route, the Filipino has all the more chance of winning.

“Pacquiao pa rin. Mas marami siyang sumuntok kaysa kay Cotto, eh.” said Lainez.

Only one way would Cotto be able to pull off an upset, according to the man behind the weekly boxing show “Rod Nazario’s In This Corner.”

“Sa boxing meron tayong lucky punch. Ang panalo lang ni Cotto knockout.” – GMANews.TV

SOURCE: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/176129/team-pacquiao-member-pacquiao-by-ko-inside-5