Should Pacquaio get credit for beating Cotto at 145

[Bilbo's Mom]

He should get a lot of credit, but not as much as he would if the fight took place at 147. Beating Cotto at 145 is a monumental accomplishment for a fighter who started where Pac did, but it will be a defeat over a fighter who is not at his best. If it does take place at 145, people will be arguing the merits of the victory for the next 20 years.

One of my main issues (Killer brought this up, I think) is the fact that there is going to be a title on the line; titles should not be able to change hands at catchweights. If it's for the title, it's got to be at 147, otherwise the catchweight is fine (though, like I said above, people will use it as a means by which to debate the merit of the win).

I'd like to see them fight at 147, Pac would still win handily IMO.

I agree about the titles not being on the line, but really who cares. Most people wouldn't even be able to name the belt they are fighting for without going to boxrec to check. (It's the WBO)

And it's kind of funny logic to be put out or offended by the possibility of Manny Pacquaio winning a WBO strap by beating Miguel Cotto in a megafight when the WBC routinely has two world champs per division and when Juan Urango and Herman Ngoudjo can fight for a world title because Paullie Malignaggi and Ricky Hatton didn't want to pay their ridiculous fee demands.

What I'm saying is that the world boxing organisations are corrupt as fuck and if a former flyweight after moving up 8 divisions in his career fights and beats that division's great champion I don't mind if they give him the belt even though the fighters weighed three lbs below the maximum weight limit.