Miguel Cotto will put Manny Pacquiao in his place

[Keithlewis]

http://www.examiner.com/x-23630-Oakland ... -his-place

Every year the sport of boxing hosts at least one super fight, and this weekend’s welterweight match featuring Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2) and Miguel Cotto (34-1-0) fits the billing. How do they match up?

In Pacquiao, fight fans will be treated to whom many consider to be the best boxer on the planet. He is incredibly fast and punches with tremendous power for his size. The native of the Philippines features an unorthodox, southpaw style that utilizes a lot of in and out movement. His straight left hand has proven to be the most lethal knockout punch among the lower weight classes, and Manny Pacquiao’s right hook has developed into a formidable weapon since bursting onto the national scene six years ago when he defeated Marco Antonio Barrera.

Since moving up from the junior lightweight division last year, Manny Pacquiao has cultivated an almost mythical stature in the ring, having stopped lightweight titlist David Diaz, mega star Oscar De La Hoya and junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton inside of twelve rounds. While extremely impressive for a man who began his career at only 106 pounds, a closer look at these three opponents paints a different picture.

David Diaz was a mere paper champion and was nowhere near being the actual best fighter in the lightweight division at the time. Diaz has always been recognized as a tough but very limited boxer in terms of style and technique. As for Oscar De La Hoya, it was evident age, eroding reflexes and weight loss caught up with him in his fight with Pacquiao, which had to be the worst performance of the Golden Boy’s career. As for Ricky Hatton, the Manchester native had not looked exceptionally sharp since before his 2007 bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

On the other hand, Miguel Cotto is in the prime of his career and already mentioned among the best boxers Puerto Rico has ever produced, such as Felix Trinidad, Wilfred Benitez and Wilfredo Gomez. Cotto is a true welterweight who began his career campaigning at a weight drained 140 pounds in the junior welterweight division where he completely crushed each of his opponents.

Since moving up to welterweight in 2006, Miguel Cotto has taken on all comers and began his tenure in the division by brutalizing top ten contender Carlos Quintana over five rounds to win the WBA title. Current welterweight champion Shane Mosley and Joshua Clottey serve as other marquis victories at 147 pounds, and his lone defeat to Antonio Margarito – a bloody and extremely violent affair – is so controversial that most fans and media view Miguel Cotto as having never lost in the ring.

In terms of tomorrow night’s action, we have an excellent little man in Manny Pacquiao, who is probably best served fighting at 130 pounds in the junior lightweight division, going against an excellent welterweight in the prime of his career. While Pacquiao possesses superior speed and controls distance better than Miguel Cotto and equals him in defense, the Filipino falls short in other categories, such as power, size, going to the body and ring generalship.

At the end of the day, Miguel Cotto represents something Manny Pacquiao has never had to face in the form of a bigger and more talented man in the ring. Although it has not, this alone should make Miguel Cotto a solid favor to win tomorrow night, and unless Pacquiao gets on his bicycle and does a lot of running, expect to see the Puerto Rican inflict a serious body attack that should culminate in a knockout inside of eight rounds. Manny Paquiao does not belong in the welterweight division, and Miguel Cotto will prove why tomorrow night in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden.

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[broncofan]

Pac Man will win and then face Mayweather!