I must admit that I have been wrapped up
in the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight more than just about any other
bout in recent memory. From my initial venture with the Examiner I
begin turning a lot of my interest towards the showdown and it’s
hard to believe that we are just a few days away from this potentially
great event.
When looking at this contest there is so much to
discuss, so I figured I would attempt to be brief with my analysis and
prediction of the fight.
Manny Pacquiao
I
can’t lie that my perception of Manny Pacquiao has changed
dramatically over the years. I first saw Pacquiao when he came out of
nowhere to upset then IBF bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in
June of 2001 and I remember being impressed with his speed and killer
instinct.
I remember being surprised when he lost to Erik
Morales’, as he had a hard time coping with the Tijuana
fighter’s aggressive style, but I was just as much impressed with
the way Pacquiao turned things around to win the rematch. To this day
that still stands out to me as one of his most impressive performances.
His
fights with Juan Manuel Marquez were wild fun. Pitting Pacquiao’s
relentlessness against Marquez’ technical brilliance served as
some sort of violent ‘speed chess’ and I feel that both
bouts could have went either way. The two men were that evenly matched
and will be tied together for as long as they live.
Recently
Pacquiao has lifted his status to an all time high with stoppage
victories over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. When the De La Hoya
fight was announced I was extremely skeptical at how a fighter of
Pacquiao’s stature would be able to handle someone of De La
Hoya’s size but he certainly proved me wrong. I remember feeling
confident that Pacquiao would handle Hatton but never imagined it would
have been in such devastating fashion. What a shocking way to finish a
fight.
At the end of the day, whether you love him or hate him, I
think Manny Pacquiao deserves respect for simply being willing to
challenge himself over and over again. That characteristic about him
stands out just as much as his style in the ring or any of his knockout
performances.
Miguel Cotto
There isn’t much you can knock about Miguel Cotto.
His
career has been all about steady progression, as he slowly climbed the
boxing ladder early on by besting fellow contenders, former title
challengers, and former champions. With each victory you could see
Cotto becoming more accustomed to the professional side of the game and
there was always something positive to hold on to.
Despite not
being as jovial or charismatic as his fellow country man Felix
‘Tito’ Trinidad, Cotto’s class and apparent humble
demeanor wasn’t something that needed to be looked down upon. He
has always had his own ways of going about his business and at the end
of the day he’s always let his fists do the talking for him.
As
he became a champion and pushed forward there were some rocky moments
for the Caugus native. His bout with Columbian Ricardo Torres was a
life and death affair, one in which we saw Cotto taste the canvas for
the first time as a professional. He was also buzzed against southpaws
DeMarcus ‘Chop Chop’ Corley and Zab Judah, yet he found a
way to turn the tables against both men.
Cotto’s only loss
as a professional was undeniably brutal. Despite building up an early
lead against Antonio Margarito, Cotto would eventually surrender to the
Tijuana fighter’s sustained attack. We may never know if
Margarito had something illegal in his gloves and all we could do is
speculate as to whether Cotto was really cheated on that fateful July
night.
While nothing dynamic stands out about Cotto, he is just
like Pacquiao in the sense that he has always been willing to test his
abilities against the best in the division. He may not be the fastest
fighter or the biggest puncher but Cotto brings a little bit of
everything into the ring and he is a very complete fighter.
Prediction
When
the fight was first announced I still had visions of the Hatton
knockout in my head and instantly tabbed Pacquiao as the favorite. As
the weeks have passed I have tended to see the Cotto side of the
equation more and more, but simply not enough to where I can feel
comfortable picking the Puerto Rican on Saturday night.
Perhaps’
Pacquiao’s recent success has been overblown, but you can’t
take away or deny what he has been accomplishing in the ring as of
late. I also feel that the Margarito fight was such a devastating loss
to Cotto that it did take something out of him.
This should be an
extremely entertaining fight and I can’t root for or against
either man. I just want to see a good fight with a decisive winner and
my prediction is Pacquiao by a clear yet competitive decision.
Thanking the readers
I
must say that my time with the Examiner has been well worthwhile and I
have gotten to appreciate all aspects of my role within the site,
including the feedback from the fans. I made a point to focus a lot of
my time and energy into the Cotto-Pacquiao fight, as it was simply the
talk of the town and the type of event that doesn’t come around
too often.
While I did receive some harsh criticism from the
readers early on I just continued to press forward with my articles in
hopes that my objectivity and comprehensive work would shine through.
I’ve tried to remain unbiased in my approach and simply focus on
the bout from as many angles as possible. I hope you’ve been able
to enjoy it.
Once the Pacquiao-Cotto showdown passes I will
continue to cover the Las Vegas scene but it will be hard to imagine a
fight that will be as compelling or rewarding as this one.
For the readers’ honest feedback, whether positive or negative, I thank you.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
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