Big Apple Boxing Thoughts 07.25.09: Cotto vs. Pacquiao, Gatti, Haye on the Run

Posted by Jonathan Yaghoubi on 07.25.2009

In this week's edition of Big Apple Boxing Thoughts, Jonathan Yaghoubi talks about the Nov. 14 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. Plus, David Haye's inexcusable cancellation of his fight with WBC heavyweight titlist Vitali Klitschko.


Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

A deal was finally completed this week as the long rumored Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto fight will finally take place. Two of boxing's most popular and crowd-pleasing fighters, will meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Nov. 14. With this bout being signed, this will be boxing's biggest spectacle of the year.

One of the details of the fight will certainly be the weight in which the fight will take place at. Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), a titleholder at 147 pounds, had agreed to drop below the welterweight limit for the fight. Pacquiao, the 140-pound junior welterweight champion, wanted him to come all the way down to 143 pounds. Cotto refused. They have now agreed to fight at 145 pounds.

Pacquiao, the Filipino phenom, is riding a 10 fight win streak which dates back to early 2004 when he dropped a close but unanimous decision to Erik Morales in the first of their three meetings. His Henry Armstrong-like performance earned him the 2008 "Fighter of the Year" honor. He is coming off a sensational 2nd round knockout of Ricky Hatton and looks to continue his dominance.

It will not come easy for Pacquiao because he is going into the ring with the hardest puncher he has ever faced in Miguel Cotto. Cotto is two years younger than Manny and is coming one of the toughest wins of his career. Cotto, the three time champion who hails from Caguas, Puerto Rico scored a dramatic split decision victory against the always tough Joshua Clottey. Cotto was able to score a knockdown in the first round that propelled him to the victory. Even though with the win, some suggest that Cotto has lost a step and still might not be the same fighter since his loss to Margarito. While that talk might be a bit immature, Cotto still remains one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world but he will be facing the quickest boxer of his career. With the dynamic that both guys will be fighting skills they had never seen before, it makes this fight that much more intriguing

We know how hardcore the fan base for Pacquiao is and will be come fight night but Cotto is no slouch either. He will have the entire island of Puerto Rico on his back in the biggest fight of his career. Ever since the departure of Tito Trinidad from the sport, Puerto Rico is starved for that next great Puerto Rican star. Cotto is not quite at that level yet but a win over Pacquiao will cement him as a national hero.

I have to say that you really have to admire Miguel Cotto. This guy does not take a back seat to anyone. He does not duck anyone and always the fights the best the sport of boxing has to offer. After having such a tough fight against the very talented Clottey, Cotto could have easily taken a gimme fight but that is not like him. Some will take Pacquiao; others will insist that Cotto will come out on top. Everyone in the boxing world will agree that this is one of the best fights available.

Everyone except Shane Mosley, that is.

HAYE RUNNING? - David Haye has just pulled out of his fight with Vitali Klitschko that was set for September and now has decided to fight against the freak show that is heavyweight champion, Nikolai Valuev on Nov. 7 in Germany.

What the hell is going on here? I really don't know who to believe between the Klitschko camp or the Haye camp? Haye and his advisors say that the contract to fight Vitali was a slave contract and never agreed to the fight. I thought this fight was to be signed, sealed, and delivered. Vital's camp thought the same thing and are now livid that the fight is off. Well, can you blame them? The biggest loss is going to be the fight fans all around in Europe and especially in Germany. They were expecting 55,000 people at the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, Germany. It is very disappointing to me because I have been looking forward to this fight for a while. You can go all the way back in April when I attended the Haye-Wladimir Klitschko press conference where Haye was sporting his now infamous Klitschko beheading picture. He was one the funniest interviews I ever chance to be part of. The guy is a fun quote and you just can't wait to hear what he says next. Haye has brought a charm and charisma to the heavyweight scene that has not been around since the Mike Tyson days. Why would Haye go through all this bad mouthing and intense war of words to not fight the brothers? Haye had his back injury and had to pull out of the fight. Instead of waiting for Haye's injury to heal, Wladimir took fight with a guy that was not licensed to fight in another country. Wladimir could have waited and rescheduled but I guess fight with Ruslan Chagaev was more important.

What we do know now is that Haye will get a chance to win a part of the heavyweight crown and really pressure the Klitschko's for a better contract if successful. Boxing is wait and see progress and I truly believe a Haye-Klitschko fight will happen. I think Haye wants to build this fight up real slowly and make one of the biggest money making fights ever to take place in Europe. Fans will ask to see it more as long as everyone does their job and win their respective fights.

As for Vitali Klitschko, a fight with Chris Arreola would be my cup of tea. Arreola has some serious knockout power even though he is not the most skilled boxer in the world. But he is an undefeated American heavyweight and that is something that has not been said in a long time. With the letdown of no Klitschko-Haye fight, this might be the next best heavyweight fight. If it can get done, it's another fight the 411 maniacs can fight over.

GATTI - One last note, I saw the first Mickey Ward-Arturo Gatti on HBO last Friday as they aired the whole trilogy back to back to back as a tribute to the late Gatti. I had not seen the fight in a long time and watching that ninth round and listening to both Jim Lamply and Emmanuel Steward lose their freaking minds is a sight to behold. But it's not just the announcing. The heart and soul these two guys had for those three minutes was amazing. I shed a good amount of tears after that round was over. I only dream to have that heart and courage those two guys displayed. I could not believe I was tearing up so much as it seemed childish. But I remembered how cool Gatti was to me the two times I met him, once as a waiter and other as a reporter. He feared no man but let's not take away from Micky Ward. I don't even think a plastered glove from Antonio Margarito was going to knock that dude out. If you ever feel like you are going to quit on your dreams and give up on life, watch that ninth round and it may encourage to give your entire heart, body, mind, and soul for the rest of your life. Gatti and Ward did it that night.

Amen!