Ringside With Raymundo 07.09.09: Pacquiao Seeking First Welterweight Title

Posted by Raymundo Dioses on 07.09.2009

This week, Raymundo thinks the proposed November mega fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will be Pacquiao's stiffest test yet, Margarito's input and "Sugar" Shane loses hope for a showdown with Pacquaio.... for now....

The fight that is 99% made will be the fight that Manny Pacquiao will seek to win his first true welterweight title.

Sure, he won the IBO light-welterweight title in a relatively easy two round knockout over Ricky Hatton in May, but this coming Fall, the "Pac Man" is trying to prove once a for all that he is a solidified welterweight.

The proposed November 14 bout against Miguel Cotto will be the true test for the former flyweight, who boldly ascended into the lightweight and welterweight divisions, going a pristine 3-0 and winning two titles in the process in a little under one year.

After edging out a controversial split decision victory over arch-nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez in March 2008, Pacquaio faced David Diaz in June, scoring a defiant stoppage after nine rounds, then faced future Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya in a highly touted December bout in which after absorbing a barrage of ‘Pacquaio Pressure', De La Hoya could not answer the bell for the ninth round.

In the first mega fight of 2009, Pacquaio took on light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton, and proved too much for Hatton, who was knocked down twice in the first stanza and was stopped in the second round. Pacquiao was dominant over Hatton, who fell to 1-2 in his past three fights and looks to have one foot in the ring, while the other is stepping towards retirement after two big time knockout losses.

So far it's been pretty much a breeze since moving up in weight, needing only 19 rounds in three fights, in the process scoring three wins and taking the throne of pound for pound best fighter on the planet.

What's on the horizon is his stiffest test in the higher weights, when he takes on career welterweight and seldom defeated Miguel Cotto.

Cotto, (34-1, 27KO's) has recorded two victories after a disputed first career loss against Antonio Margarito may or may not have had loaded gloves in the July 2008 fight, which Margarito is currently serving a year suspension for having a ‘plaster like substance' found in his gloves in his next fight, a January 2009 bout which he lost to Shane Mosley.

Prior to that fight last summer, Cotto was seemingly indestructible: a knockout machine who donned the best ‘go to body' game in the business. Alongside a strong Puerto Rican fan base, Cotto represented an entire country and fought valiantly for them.

The Puerto Rican was undefeated and rated in the top five on pound for pound lists by most major affiliates. Cotto was a machine, and his demise may have come by way of ‘Antonio Margacheato'.

Cotto's comeback bout was for Paul Williams recently vacated WBO welterweight title, in which he steamrolled over Michael Jennings in five rounds in front of a supportive Madison Square Garden crowd in New York City.

Poised to be the best welterweight fight of 2009 by your truly, Cotto faced his biggest test since being defeated in a June bout against rugged Joshua Clottey. The bout, while competitive throughout, featured a knockdown in Cotto's favor in the first round, a rally by Clottey in the mid-rounds, and late round heroics from a bleeding Cotto, who persevered through a third round clash of heads that handed Cotto a cut above his right eye.

Cotto is back on his winning trail, and barring injury will face Manny Pacquaio in a mega bout in November of this year.

"Cotto/Pacquiao is the fight I want to make. It's the fight I really want to make," stated Top Rank's Bob Arum, who currently promotes both fighters.

It's believed the deal is all but done, with only issues of weight and purse split to be decided. Heading into his two previous bouts, the main argument from Pacquaio and Co. has been the purse split.

Pacquaio argued his way up from a proposed 70-30 split in the De La Hoya bout, eventually succumbing to somewhere around a 37-64 split. His most recent fight against Hatton, Pacquaio engaged in another purse war with Ricky Hatton, and when the dust was settled, the pound for pounder secured a bigger piece of the pie, even though Hatton held the IBO light welterweight title.

The purse split seems to be the biggest, and really the only issue in the making of Cotto v. Pacquiao. Pacquaio has grown accustomed to fighting just as hard out of the ring for his paycheck as he does with his fist in the ring. This is somewhat acceptable in his position; he is the most sought after boxer and let's face it, this is a dangerous sport and these athletes need make as much currency as they can while their able bodies allow them to do so.

As for the actual fight, it's going to be spectacular. It's sure to be another classic to come out of the desert skies of Las Vegas. Pacquaio is in his prime, and Cotto will be fighting for the ‘invincible' and ‘feared' mythical titles he lost just one year ago. Neither fighter will be looking to back down, and expect power shots a plenty' and a show that's a guaranteed cant miss.

What does Antonio Margarito think of the match up?

In an interview with "The Record", former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito expressed that he feels Pacquiao will come out victorious over Miguel Cotto due to Cotto agreeing to meet at a catch-weight.

"From the very first round, the advantage will be for Pacquiao because Cotto will be dehydrated (from losing weight)."

Margarito pointed to Oscar De La Hoya's difficulty in fighting the speedy Pacquaio in part due to coming down to such a low weight, and feels Cotto will lose in the same fashion.

Shane Mosley abandons hope!

According to reports, WBA welterweight champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley has given up his attempts to land a fight against Manny Pacquiao.

The champion has tried in interviews and press releases to lure Pacquaio into a match, to no avail.

Perhaps Mosley could attain a shot at the winner of the Pacquiao/Cotto bout, yet for now, Mosley is shopping around an HBO date later this year with his name on it. Any takers, Andre Berto, Paul Williams, ANYONE???!!!!