Is Miguel Cotto being overlooked by the public in his upcoming match against pound for pound kingpin Manny Pacquiao?
How do most observers of the sweet science define success? Is it the number of wins, knockouts, losses, or even an opponent a fighter has faced? Or is it a general bias or opinion when the fight is announced? Generally, before two fighters climb into the ring, most observers have an immediate fighter that they favor. Whether it’s based on statistics, or personal preference, the idea, the excitement, and the what if; sparks a keen sensation of pure enthrallment.
The pound for pound kingpin Manny Pacquiao is set to square off against the hard hitting, WBO Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on November 14,2009. With the fight nearly around the corner, most are favoring IBO light Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. Currently, the IBO light Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, is coming off two fresh wins against former light Middleweight champion Oscar De La Hoya and former light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton. While these two wins are notable, they are exploited, and causing a wave of limited probabilities towards the upcoming fight; thus, giving Miguel Cotto, a rare but undeniable chance to gain success.
Current WBO Welterweight champion, Miguel Cotto, is a proud champion who for many years was viewed as a boxer willing to take on the stiffest competition in the Welterweight division. More importantly, WBO Champion Miguel Cotto showed a professional side of his boxing capabilities that few knew existed prior to his only untimely loss to former WBA Welterweight champion Antonio Margarito.
Prior to this match, Miguel Cotto was referred to as a stalking presence in the ring. Miguel Cotto would simply stalk and wear down his opponents with relentless pressure and counter punching precision. However, the loss to former WBA champion Antonio Margarito potentially caused the public to generate a bias belief that Miguel Cotto has a rare chance against IBO light Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao due to his track record against a similar style opponent. This is simply due to the fact that like Manny Pacquiao, former WBA champion Antonio Margarito was relentless while pursuing Miguel Cotto.
Like most professional fighters, a loss is a loss. You gain a certain amount of confidence, or lack of, that causes an immediately careful approach towards your next opponent. With the illegal hand wrap incident looming over Antonio Margarito VS Shane Mosley is still lingering, we wonder whether the same instance happened during the Margarito/Cotto fight. Luckily, WBO champion Miguel Cotto is a superior fighter in every way than the primitive fighting Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao has the exceptional skill of hand speed; is this enough to beat a quality fighter like Miguel Cotto? WBO Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto was able to overcome the hand speed deficit against current WBA Welterweight champion Shane Mosley when he faced him in 2007…and so it goes!
There are apparently many different tactical aspects to the upcoming fight. Will Manny Pacquiao be able to adjust to a hard hitting fighter like Miguel Cotto? Will Miguel Cotto be able to adjust to a quick southpaw like Manny Pacquiao? And, can Manny Pacquiao become the first ever to win a 7th world title in his 7th weight division. More importantly, will Miguel Cotto hit Manny Pacquiao as much as Juan Manuel Marquez did? If so, will Manny Pacquiao be able to hold up under that type of excruciating punishment?
It’s IBO light Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s speed and his use of angles that makes it difficult for any fighter to land quality punches. Consequently, Miguel Cotto will have to show is greatest ability which is patience to overcome the supposed deficit. More importantly, I see WBO Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto working the body throughout the fight to stop the slick movement of Manny Pacquiao. Steady pressure, patience, and short quick punches are the keys to success for WBO Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.
While the public still slightly overlooks Miguel Cotto, it’s this inspiration that’s earned him the title of a people’s person. Miguel Cotto’s great ring ethic provides a calm and alluring possibility of supporters around the world. As for Manny Pacquiao, he is a champion inside and outside the ring. His presence is stellar, constantly looked over for the good of the sport.
Once the two great champions step into the ring on November 14, 2009, the question still arises regarding Manny Pacquiao. If WBO Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto starts pummeling Manny Pacquiao as much as former champion Juan Manuel Marquez did, will Manny Pacquiao start breaking down physically? Either way, the Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto fight has all of the intriguing possibilities surrounding this historic fight that you could ask for. With all these implications aside, the question of “what if” continues to haunt both fighters until a winner is declared and the true champion is crowned.
