What are the fans expecting from the Pacquiao – Cotto match?
The Pacquiao vs. Cotto mega-fight is just over two weeks away. The big night of course is Saturday, November 14, when both men will step into the ring in Las Vegas. The match has been eagerly anticipated for months and it has big implications for not just the welterweight division, but for the pound for pound rankings and the future competition for one Floyd Mayweather as well.
Leading up to the big Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto match fans have generally been lumped into just a few main groups. Here’s a look at how some fans are feeling about Pacquiao vs. Cotto as the fight approaches.
The Pro-Pacquiao Fans
Manny Pacquiao has a diehard group of fans, not just from his home country of the Philippines, but from around the rest of the world as well. Generally speaking, these fans would support Pacquiao and pick him to win regardless of the match-up. This fight against Miguel Cotto is no different, and people in this camp are eagerly awaiting a dominating Pacquiao performance.
The Pro-Cotto Fans
Miguel Cotto has his own diehard following of course, most of which come from the island of Puerto Rico. What do they think about their hero’s chances against the pound for pound king? His size advantage, experience against bigger men and all-around skill set will win him the day without too much of a problem.
The “Pacquiao is Overrated” Camp
People in this group point to a few key pieces of evidence for their stance on Cotto and Pacquiao. The first is that Oscar De La Hoya was past his prime and weight drained. The second is that Ricky Hatton was past his prime and was recently planted into the canvas by Floyd Mayweather. This group of fans feels that all of the Pacquiao – Cotto hype has forgotten these facts, and is anticipating a rude awakening come November 14th.
However, should Pacquiao win they are ready to discredit with their third piece of evidence , that Pacquiao has forced Cotto to weigh in at a catch weight instead of the welterweight limit. (See also: “Fans of Floyd Mayweather” camp)
The “Cotto is Shot” Camp
We all saw how Antonio Margarito brutalized Miguel Cotto, and this group of fans feels strongly that there is no returning from that kind of beating. The subsequent shaky victory over Josh Clottey has done little to change their minds, and memories of Cotto’s scares at junior welterweight are all too prominent as well.
The Realists
Then we have a fifth and final group of fans, the realists. They can see everything from both sides, and ultimately want the best man to win so that the biggest fights can be made afterward. They recognize that Cotto has suffered a brutal loss, and has been less than his best since then. They also recognize that Pacquiao’s weight class jumping and contract stipulations raise some question marks.
Ultimately though, they want a good fight that brings positive attention to the sport of boxing. These fans want the winner of this match to be promptly put into the ring with Floyd Mayweather in what would easily be the biggest fight of the generation. These fans may be rooting for one fighter over the other, but they’ll be happy with any result that brings other fans out of their seats and sets up more exciting moments in the future. Count me a realist.
Image Credit: Image: Pro Boxing Fans; Photos: Mike Gonzalez (Pacquiao) & Wikimedia User Javabeans (Cotto); Creative Commons 3.0 License
