Boxing News

Tag: Miguel Cotto

  • Al Bernstein On Boxing: Boxing Is All The Way Back

    A few months ago I did a commentary on my boxing channel (also seen on this website) that lambasted the mainstream media for poor coverage of boxing. In that commentary I pointed out that boxing’s product was back to being as good as anytime in it’s history. What boxing really needs, I said, is to be covered.

    Well, for the Manny Pacquiao –Miguel Cotto fight the press—all the press—did it’s job. Newspapers, television, magazines, radio and of course the internet, gave that fight the coverage it deserved. And, because of that and the fact that it was a compelling and important match, 1.25 million homes bought the pay per view. The match itself was exciting and Pacquiao’s performance was dazzling.

    All that was dramatic enough, but then boxing did what it has been doing for the last four or five years—it gave it’s fans just what they wanted. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao agreed to fight each other—and what’s more they agreed to do it on March 13th of next year. That last part is really significant because it allows the sport to take advantage of the momentum it has created this year.

    Now, boxing is all the way back. In 2010 we already have the Shane Mosley-Andre Berto welterweight title match set for Jan. 30, and the Mayweather Pacquiao megafight for March 13. Berto and Mosley could be a barnburner of a fight, and it will get it’s share of coverage. Then all eyes will turn to boxing for the Mayweather-Pacquiao battle.

    Creating a deal between Mayweather and Pacquiao should have taken longer and been more difficult, but it wasn’t. Top Rank Chief Bob Arum and Golden Boy head man Richard Schaefer should be congratulated by everyone who loves the sport. They did what’s best for their companies, for their clients and for the sport. Everyone will make a lot of money, fans will see a history making match, and boxing will be on everyone’s lips leading up to and after this match. (more…)

  • Boxing Perspective: Miguel Cotto – A Statue Slowly Getting Nicked

    Miguel Cotto is a proven warrior. He has been more judged by his wins than his losses. He has started out as a stone statue, barely being disturbed by many impressive agile boxers.

    Manny Pacquaio has nicked that statue. Pacquaio gets through his fights by determination. His faith in his skill has catapulted him into a boxer that is becoming more rare as time goes on.

    His losses have not defined him. He has risen above the average level and found his prime. Has Pacquiao been overlooked at the start of his career until now?

    Cotto has been regarded as unbeatable, tough, strong, unwilling to mask his aggression. Pacquiao’s victory over such an incredible fighter has undoubtedly validated his talent as a phenomena.

    Those who are questioning Pacquiao’s integrity, worry about your own.

  • Boxing Promoter’s Association President Joe DeGuardia Praises Pacquiao vs. Cotto

    It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Boxing Promoter’s Association (BPA), to congratulate our sport in once again showing that Boxing is truly desired by fans.

    The Top Rank-promoted fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto last week exceeded 1.25 million buys and generated over $70 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue. (more…)

  • Boxing Result: Pacquiao Dethrones Cotto For WBO Welter Title

    Manny Pacquiao solidified his status as a modern day great this evening at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV by unseating reigning WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto via a 12th round stoppage.

    The combatants both came out strong in the opening moments, trading leather with great gusto until Pacquiao broke things open with a full-blooded right hook that had Cotto on the floor in the third.

    But the champion got up and went back to matching the challenger punch for punch. Pacquiao proved he could take the punishment handed out by a strong welterweight and fire back in return, canvassing Cotto again in the fourth.

    The champion was shaken up this time but rejoined the fray, slugging it out with the quicker southpaw in the fifth and sixth frames.

    Pacquiao began to pull clear in the seventh as Cotto could no longer hold the center of the ring and was getting beaten to the punch repeatedly. (more…)

  • Boxing Preview: Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao

    Miguel Cotto defends his WBO welterweight title tonight against challenger Manny Pacquiao in a hotly anticipated clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

    Pacquiao, 49-3-2 (37), comes into the bout riding a four year, 10 bout win streak at super feather, lightweight and light welter with the most recent victory coming against Ricky Hatton for the IBO 140 lb crown in May.

    Cotto, 34-1 (27), a former WBO light welter and WBA welter champ, has bounced back from his sole career defeat to Antonio Margarito last year to win the vacant WBO welter crown against Michael Jennings and then defend in a difficult contest against Joshua Clottey in June.

    If Cotto is to win this clash he will have to come into the ring as a fundamentally different fighter than he has shown himself to be in the past, and that is not likely to happen.

    The difference between the two combatants in this bout will be Pacquiao’s movement and ring generalship, backed up with his incredible stamina and power in both hands.

    Cotto’s fundamentals as a fighter are strong, however, he needs to be set to order to punch and when forced on the back foot he is vulnerable. He comes to opponents in a straight line, bobbing and weaving, and against a constantly moving target such as Pacquiao, the Puerto Rican star could be exposed the same way Oscar De la Hoya was in his fight against “Pac Man”. (more…)

  • Sparring Partner Porter Will Lead Pacman Into The Ring!

    2008 US Olympic alternate Shawn “Showtime” Porter will lead superstar Manny Pacquiao into the ring Saturday night for his showdown with WBO Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.

    Porter, 10-0 (8 KO’s), served as Pacquiao’s primary sparring partner and played the role of Cotto during his six weeks in camp. While swapping punches with the best fighter in the world was often a grueling task, Porter was grateful for the opportunity. (more…)

  • Boxing In Las Vegas: Pacquiao Plans Post-Cotto Fight Concert

    After boxing’s No. 1 pound for pound fighter and box office attraction Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao plays a little chin music on WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, he will head over to the Mandalay Bay Events Center to perform a live post-fight concert with his MP Band. (more…)

  • Boxing Preview Analysis: Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao

    A five star matchup in anyone’s eyes takes place tonight when Puerto Rican WBO welterweight champion defends his crown against multi-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

    For Cotto, himself a two weight world champion, it’s the second defence of the title he won back when stopping Michael Jennings in five back in February.

    The 29 year old Cotto has only one defeat in 35 fights. That loss came in controversial circumstances in July last year when he was stopped in 11 by Antonio Margarito.

    Cotto, like his opponent tonight, has taken on all comers in his title reigns at 140 and 147 pounds.

    His first world title sucesss came in September, 2004 when he won the vacant WBO light welterweight championship stopping Kelson Pinto in six in an exciting scrap. (more…)

  • Al Bernstein On Boxing: A Prediction? Not On Your Life!

    Boxing’s excellent year of 2009 heads for a potential zenith this weekend with the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight.

    Anyone who has even a passing interest in the sport should want to watch this match. The true measure of a fight is how many questions it raises when you try to analyze it. This fight has so many interesting elements that it boggles the mind.

    The first is the mystique of Pacquiao. There is this almost pervasive force field around him now that suggests that he can do anything. How do you ever really believe he can lose?

    He has gone up from 106 pounds at the beginning of his career to 147 to beat Oscar De La Hoya. In the legendary competition between Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera , Erik Morales and Pacquiao, Manny came out with the best record in face to face matches with these hall of famers. And along the way he has become boxing’s international superstar. Does all that mean something when he steps into the ring with Cotto?

    Then there is the “real welterweight” angle to this story. Cotto is that. This Puerto Rican superstar is very comfortable at 147 pounds and has been there for years since moving up from 140. He is a big puncher at that weight and still has hand speed to throw combinations.

    There is a school of thought (and I am in this school) that says he will be the hardest puncher Pacquiao has fought. Mystique or no mystique, Pacman has been put down and also stopped in his career—but that was a while ago.

    Then we have the “reinvention” of Pacquiao. Nearing 30 he did something almost no boxer can do at any age, let alone that age—he reinvented himself. With the help of Trainer Freddie Roach he went from as kind of one dimensional slugger to the textbook version of a boxer-puncher. (more…)

  • WBC Joins Forces With Top Rank For Wounded Warrior Project

    Top Rank has lined up some special activities in support of the Wounded Warrior Project in Las Vegas as part of the great battle between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. (more…)

  • Don King Boxing: Daniel Santos Ready For Spotlight

    Three-time world champion and current WBA super welterweight champion Daniel Santos will defend his title against undefeated, WBA No. 1-ranked mandatory challenger Yuri Foreman as the featured PPV match on the Pacquiao-Cotto “Firepower” card on Saturday from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas telecast live on HBO PPV at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. (more…)

  • Boxing Fans Invited To Cotto, Pacquaio Las Vegas Arrivals

    This Tuesday, Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will make their MGM Grand Arrivals, officially kicking off fight week for “Fire Power”, their sold out welterweight championship mega fight.

    Pacquiao and Cotto will arrive at the MGM Grand’s Front Lobby Porte Cochere at 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. PT, respectively. The event is open to the public and the media. (more…)