American trainer Freddie Roach reported from Baguio City that boxing idol Manny Pacquiao is about 75 percent ready for his Nov. 14 showdown with Miguel Cotto after completing a third of his required 160 sparring rounds.
“No worries as far as his conditioning is concerned,” said Roach as he was awaiting word if they will uproot their training camp later in the day in anticipation of heavy rains and howling winds with the arrival of a new typhoon in Northern Luzon.
“We just can’t jeopardize Manny’s training so we might just go down to Manila and resume training there,” said Roach, who will fly to Los Angeles this Saturday for the most crucial stage of preparation beginning next Monday (Oct. 26) at the Wild Card in Hollywood.
Pacquiao had initially wanted to train in Baguio right until the day he was scheduled to leave for the US and then made a slight alteration when his handlers disclosed that they will instead leave for Manila on Thursday afternoon.
But owing to the devastation that the new storm is threatening to leave, Pacquiao is seriously considering an early departure for Manila so it would much easier for them to go to the airport.
If indeed Team Pacquiao heads for Manila way ahead of schedule, Roach said the ultra-important sparring sessions would resume Tuesday with three rounds each against Shawn Porter, Jose Luis Castillo and possibly against either Urbano Antillon or Danny Escobar.
“On Tuesday, it’ll be nine rounds total and nine again on Thursday and 10 rounds on Saturday before we leave for the US,” said Roach, who has been camping out in Baguio since Sept. 21 presiding over Pacquiao’s preparation with the help of conditioning coach Alex Ariza.
Pacquiao will train at the Wild Card from Oct. 26 until Nov. 9, the day Team Pacquiao will roll on to Sin City.
Meanwhile, Kenny Bayless has been appointed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to referee the Pacquiao-Cotto 12-round welterweight title match. Also picked to score the fight are Duane Ford, Dave Moretti and Adalaide Byrd. All are from Nevada.
Number 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world Manny Pacquiao will be making his third appearance in the HBO documentary series “24/7”. The Emmy Award-winning series will feature the preparations leading to the “Pacquiao vs Cotto” match this coming November 14 at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, Nevada.
The new four-episode series will debut in the US on October 24 with the remaining episodes on October 31, November 7 and the final episode will air on the eve of the fight, November 13.
“The ‘24/7' franchise provides an engaging and accurate look into the lives of boxers as they toil and sacrifice to get ready for a huge showdown in the ring,” Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports.
“Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto are dynamic individuals in and out of the ring, and our cameras will be there to capture all the drama prior to their fall face-off,” he added.
Manny Pacquiao was first featured in the 24/7 series when he was preparing to fight boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya whom he defeated last December 2008. His second was with Ricky Hatton whom he knocked out last May in just 2 rounds.
Proving that last week’s bad weather was never an issue in training camp, Manny Pacquiao dominated his sparring partners Tuesday at the Shape-Up Gym in Cooyesan Hotel in Baguio City. Pacquiao sparred with highly touted former two-time world lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico for three rounds. Pacquiao is preparing for his upcoming world welterweight with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto set for 12-rounds at a catch weight of 145lbs scheduled on November 14 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. In his anticipated sparring with Castillo, Pacquiao used his vastly improved lateral movements in trying to avoid the Mexican’s uppercuts and body shots. Pacquiao stalled Castillo’s aggressive attacks with three to five punch combos and counter left straights.
The 35-year-old Castillo (60-9-1, 52 KOs) ended his first day of sparring with specks of blood in his left nostril.
“I can’t see his left. It’s very fast and strong. I think that will be a big problem of Cotto,” Castillo told Fightnews after the work out.
Chief trainer Freddie Roach, who at first seemed cautious when it comes to having Castillo as a sparring partner now expressed his contentment in having the Mexican inside the gym.
“Castillo looked to be off a little bit and he’s never sparred as fast as anyone like Manny. But I like his movement because he moves similar to Cotto. Overall it was a great workout and I was very happy,” said Roach.
In sparring with Porter, Pacquiao again worked on his footwork and stiff combinations while moving out of harm’s way.
“That will one of Manny’s best assets. His ability to throw strong punches while moving out of the ropes,” said two-time world champion Dodie Boy Penalosa who now works as one of Pacquiao’s assistant trainers.
Meanwhile Roach denied reports circulating on the internet that Pacquiao was knocked down in one sparring session last week.
Roach said no one has come close to flooring Pacquiao in any of their sparring sessions in their Baguio training camp.
Last weekend internet forums were deluged with queries and reports that Pacquiao got tagged by American sparring partner Shawn Porter.
“That’s a lie. I would know because I would have to pay. He’s getting hit but he’s never been floored ever. Not in eight years. The money is still in my pocket,” said Roach.
Roach has promised $1,000 for anyone among the sparring partners who could put down Pacquiao during sparring.
Team Pacquiao has tapped welterweight veteran boxer Jose Luis "El Temible" Castillo who has a record of 60 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw with 52 knockouts to help Manny Pacquiao in his preparations against Miguel Cotto.
Those looking to find some use from Michael Koncz should take note that it was Koncz who brought in Castillo after receiving guarantees that the Mexican warrior is in shape. The 35-year old Castillo is coming from a 2 round TKO victory last September and is on the comeback trail going 4-0 in 2009 with all his victories coming by way of knockout or TKO.
This is good news for Team Pacquiao and bad news for Miguel Cotto as Castillo will definitely be able to emulate Cotto and display his veteran boxing skills and craftiness during sparring sessions against Pacquiao which definitely helps tremendously. Castillo is big and strong too and has fought the best of the best with victories over Joel Casamayor, Diego Corrales and Juli Diaz.
Castillo is best known for his classic wars with the late Corrales in 2005 whom he knocked out the second time they fought. Castillo also fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2002 twice losing on both occasions by unanimous decision. Castillo definitely gave Floyd fits and I actually had him winning the first fight as he gave Floyd the toughest fight of his career in my opinion.
Perhaps the arrival of Castillo as Pacquiao's sparring partner will be beneficial to the Filipino slugger in more ways than one. Not only will he prep up and push the Pac Man in sparring and get him accustomed to the stalking style Cotto will probably try to do against Manny, he will also be able to share his pointers on how to beat Mayweather's style. Castillo throws combinations similar to Cotto and is very savvy. He is also bigger and moves kind of similar to Cotto in the sense that Manny can definitely hit both of them. I won't say he is a Cotto clone, but the looks that he will give Manny will really help out.
It's like killing two birds with one stone. Not only will Pacquiao get help in preparations against Cotto but in case he does clash with Mayweather in the dream fight all fight fans have been yearning for, he will have great tips and pointers from a man whom a lot of people think actually beat Mayweather before. As of now however, all eyes are on Cotto. Bringing in Castillo is definitely a good move by Team Pacquiao and should pay dividends.
MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao sparred six rounds yesterday and again took some hard shots as he tried to squeeze the best from his sparring partners, Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon, at the Shape Up Gym in Baguio City.
“He took some real hard shots but overall it was a good workout,” said Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, over the phone on his way back to the Manor Hotel where he’s staying for the duration of the training.
“It was pretty good,” said the American trainer, adding that the number of rounds in sparring should move up by Saturday. He said they plan to do another six rounds on Thursday while they await a new sparring partner.
Former WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo, who figured in two brutal bouts with the late Diego Corrales in 2005 (the first one, won by Corrales, being chosen Fight of the Year), is scheduled to arrive Thursday.
“If he does, then he spars with Manny on Saturday,” said Roach of the 36-year-old Castillo, who lost two close decisions to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2002. Many thought that Castillo, a veteran of 70 fights, won the first one.
After four days of sparring, Pacquiao has logged a total of 18 rounds, the most difficult of which are those with Porter, a junior-middleweight who looks like he’s out to knock Pacquiao out.
Roach has dangled $1,000 to anyone among the sparring partners who could send Pacquiao to the canvas.
The 21-year-old Porter, with more than 200 fights as an amateur and unbeaten in 10 fights as a pro, has forced Pacquiao to keep his hands up in training, having hurt the reigning pound-for-pound champion a couple of times since last week.
Still, the 2007 National Golden Gloves champion is in awe, adding that Pacquiao, with both his power and speed, should have the upperhand when he faces Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight crown on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.
“I think Manny’s speed, quickness and power and all that would take care of the whole match for him. He’s quick. He’s very quick,” said Porter, who also excelled as a college football player.
“One of the best workouts I’ve ever had. I know he’s the best of the best, and he’ll shock the world again I think,” added Porter.
Roach said Pacquiao will close out his training in Baguio on Oct. 24 and in the evening of the same day, a Saturday, they travel to Los Angeles, rest the following day and resume training at the Wild Card Gym on Monday.
They will spend two more weeks in LA as they wrap up the sparring and begin to taper off, and should be in Las Vegas on the Monday of fight week.
Notes: The latest Nike commercial featuring Pinoy icon Manny Pacquiao, along with some of the great athletes in the world today, is out. The commercial, shot in the United States a couple of months ago, features Pacquiao along with NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, tennis champions Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, soccer star Christiano Ronaldo and 110-m hurdles world record holder Xiang Liu. In the 60-second commercial, each athlete is shown in training and in actual competition, with Pacquiao pounding the roads of Los Angeles, hitting the mitts at the gym and knocking out an opponent on the ring. It’s not the first time Pacquiao has starred in a Nike commercial with the world’s best, and certainly it won’t be the last.
In case you missed it, the WBC recently manufactured a title and a belt for catch-weight mega-fights, or for mega-fights in general, or some such total nonsense, and they called it the WBC Diamond Championship.
Hardcore boxing fans were almost universal in their dismissal, with I'd wager about 70% of us wondering if this was a joke that had gotten out of hand. The Diamond title! And it was unanimously voted on by cardboard cutouts representing the WBC's "board of governors."
But it's real, and it's happening. When WBO welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao square off on November 14, the title will be "at stake." Ronnie Nathanielsz reports that both fighters are excited, according to Bob Arum, who says they're "crazy" about all the diamonds, and that the belt "is something new and adds to the excitement."
Now...hang on.
First of all, I highly doubt that Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao are "crazy" about the title. I just don't see Cotto or Pacquiao getting all giddy about an ugly belt with a bunch of diamonds on it. This sounds like grandpa at Christmas time. "Didja see Billy openin' up that surfboard (note: it was a skateboard) I got 'im? He was crazy about it!" Billy, for the record, is fairly indifferent.
Second, it adds nothing. It IS something new, and it's so ridiculously unnecessary that words can't properly describe it. I could even use some words I generally keep off the front page here, and they still wouldn't be enough. In short, it's a f***ing stupid waste of f***ing time, another f***ing belt in a sport with too f***ing many of them for anyone sane to keep track of in the first f***ing place.
See? Not good enough. Not descriptive enough. Doesn't quite get across just how much I hate the WBC diamond title, which I may simply choose to ignore, making one of those internet political statements the kids are so fond of in our current era. This belt means nothing. It gives the WBC money for fights it has no f***ing business sticking its f***ing nose into. That's it and that's all. It is a money-grubbing, fake, fabricated piece of jewelry that has nothing to do with the sport of boxing. If Cotto and Pacquiao pay sanctioning fees for that hunk of nothing, then they deserve to have given the money away.
And if anyone wants to pay me for the kids' WWE championship belt that is currently serving as the Wii Sports bowling title in my living room, I'll put some new tape and notebook paper on that and you guys can fight for that, too. Hey, at least that belt has history.
We caught up with top trainer Roger Mayweather at the Mayweather gym in Las Vegas and got his thoughts on Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto, and a potential bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr! Only on FightFan.com!
FF: FightFan.com here at the Mayweather gym with Roger Mayweather. Roger I wanted to start out by reflecting back on an interview we did with you earlier in the year where you went out on a limb and predicted that Shane Mosley would “Whoop Antonio Margarito’s ass.” What do you have to say about that?
RM: There you go. And what happened? It was just like I told you!
FF: It was particularly interesting because your prediction was pretty bang on when a lot of people though Margarito would win that fight…
RM: Well most people don’t know shit about boxing so it never really matters what ‘a lot of people think’. You get a lot of people saying things because they saw one fighter beat someone else. People will look at a fighter score a decent win over someone and think it means they’ll go on to beat someone who’s really skilled.
Remember that Shane Mosley is a real fighter. He’s fought some good fighters and he had a good amateur career. The only reason he didn’t go to the Olympics was because of Vernon Forrest… and Vernon Forrest was a good fighter. He just happened to have the style to beat Mosley. But Mosley is a good fighter. Look at how he beat De La Hoya twice. He beat a lot of good fighters and he just beat Fernando Vargas twice too. That just goes to show you what kind of fighter he is, and why styles make fights.
FF: What do you think about Manny Pacquiao fighting Miguel Cotto?
RM: I really don’t know if Pacquiao will beat Cotto. I look at that fight… and I don’t believe Pacquiao will beat Cotto.
FF: Well let me ask you this, because you’ve told me about a few fighters you didn’t think Pacquiao would beat. Earlier this year you sat here and asked me “What the fuck is Pacquiao going to do to De La Hoya?”
RM: That’s a different case though, because De La Hoya had to drop weight. He didn’t beat the De La Hoya that my nephew beat. He beat a De La Hoya that was under-weight.
FF: All right, that’s fair…
RM:I think De La Hoya beat himself because he dropped that weight. De La Hoya was all about the money, he figured the dude was too small to beat him… so he dropped too much weight. He ended up dropping to 145 and that sucked his (strength) out. That’s why Oscar lost. It wasn’t as much about Pacquiao beating De La Hoya as it was De La Hoya beating himself by dropping too much weight.
FF: All right well what about the Ricky Hatton fight. You picked Hatton to beat Pacquiao as well did you not?
RM: I did think that Ricky Hatton would whoop Pacquiao.
FF: Do you think you may have sold Pacquiao a bit short in the past?
RM: I certainly did against Ricky Hatton because I thought he would beat Pacquiao. Obviously, I was wrong.
FF: Let me ask you this then… how good is Manny Pacquiao in the grand scheme of things?
RM: Obviously he’s a much better fighter than I thought he was. Regardless of how he beat De La Hoya, he still beat De La Hoya. Regardless of how he beat Ricky Hatton, he beat Ricky Hatton. Obviously, he’s a better than I thought he was.
FF: What about his skills? You’re big on head movement and defense and he’s been doing those things well. Has he impressed you recently with his skills?
RM: (Shakes his head no) He fought a wild fighter in Ricky Hatton who doesn’t have any skills.
FF: And as you mentioned earlier, you don’t think Manny Pacquiao is going to beat Miguel Cotto?
RM:I don’t think he’s going to beat Cotto. If he does beat Cotto, I’ll be amazed. That will tell me how good he really is. He’s fighting a guy who can make the weight, and who’s a pretty good puncher. I’ve got to see him beat Cotto… I’ve got to see it with my own eyes.
FF:Let me ask you a bit of a hypothetical question here. All the money and politics aside… do you think your nephew Floyd Jr. is going to fight Manny Pacquiao some day? If I’m a betting man is the smart money on that fight happening at some point?
RM: I sure hope so! If Manny Pacquiao beats Cotto, I know it’s going to happen. That would be the biggest fight in the world for Pacquiao. It would also be the biggest fight in the world for my nephew if they were to fight in the near future.
But as you say… it all depends on what happens between Pacquiao and Cotto. Obviously if Pacquiao is taking the fight with Cotto, he thinks he can beat him. That should tell you right there… for a little guy, he’s got some balls!
FF:He’s up ten weight divisions from where he started his career… he has six titles in six weight divisions…
RM: He’s got some serious balls. Fighting Miguel Cotto… De La Hoya… Ricky Hatton. All of those guys are much bigger than he is.
Manny Pacquiao’s accomplishments mustn’t be diminished. In the past year, he has dismantled three world-class opponents in three weight divisions to earn comparisons to the great Henry Armstrong. He deserves the windfall of accolades he has received. At the same time, whether anyone likes it or not, we can look at those three opponents and find significant flaws. David Diaz is tough and well-schooled but not an elite fighter. Oscar De La Hoya, once one of the best, was a zombie the night he met Pacquiao because of weight loss and natural deterioration. And Ricky Hatton, when it came down to it, was good but overrated. This is one reason the announcement that Pacquiao will face Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 is so exciting: You can’t find a comparable flaw in the Puerto Rican. He is relatively young (28), a gifted boxer, naturally bigger than Pacquiao and will be fighting only two pounds out of his natural weight class. Thus, this will be Pacquiao’s biggest challenge since he outpointed Juan Manuel Marquez in March of last year and might go further than any other fight in determining just how good the Filipino icon really is. Some have suggested that Cotto is in decline after the tremendous beating he took from Antonio Margarito in July of last year. They point to his narrow victory over rugged, but limited Joshua Clottey as evidence. I didn’t see it that way. I saw a tough guy fight gallantly through a gruesome cut –- when others might’ve quit –- and find a way to beat a very strong, proven veteran who was fit and determined to win. I thought it was an outstanding performance by Cotto. If he can find a way to beat Pacquiao, which is a distinct possibility, talk of his demise beforehand will seem foolish. Several knowledgeable observers have suggested that Cotto struggles only when his opponent backs him up, as Margarito did. And Pacquiao doesn’t fight like Margarito. Moving forward, Cotto can be a dominating fighter. And many still wonder what will happen when Pacquiao takes a big punch from a real welterweight, as Cotto is. The guess here is that his chin will be tested as never before. Bottom line: Cotto is big enough, experienced enough and good enough to beat the most-celebrated fighter in the world, a fact that Pacquaio’s many fans will find hard to swallow. It’s true, though; it can happen. But it won’t. In the end, I think Pacquiao will win the fight for one overriding reason: talent. Cotto was and remains an elite fighter. Anyone who beats Shane Mosley and compiles a record like his (34-1, 27 knockouts) is among the best at his craft. However, he’s no Pacquiao, whose natural gifts and refinement under trainer Freddie Roach are rare. Cotto is a very good boxer, Pacquaio a great boxer. And when very good meets great, great wins. Pacquiao might not be able to move Cotto backward as Margarito did but he presents many other problems. He might have the fastest hands in the world. He has learned to use his quick feet to get in (to do damage) and out (to avoid it) before his opponents can react. And he demonstrated in chilling fashion against Hatton that he can knock out a bigger man. The point of this is that it won’t be easy for Pacquiao, as the Diaz, De La Hoya and Hatton fights were. He’ll take punches from Cotto. He’ll find him difficult to hit at times. He’ll even lose rounds, which somehow seems unfathomable in light of his recent performances. Then, when he wins, it’ll mean that much more. He will have beaten a fighter who belongs on the pound-for-pound list and who was at his best at the time they fought. And afterward, no one will be able to say, “Yeah, Pacquaio won but …”.....source
It matters little to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum that Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto are each regarded as among the world’s 10 finest boxers. Arum is simply thrilled that the fight between them that he finalized last week while on vacation in Israel and Italy will, in fact, be a fight.
Arum said Monday that Pacquiao and Cotto will meet in a fight with a 145-pound weight limit on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on HBO Pay Per View. Pacquiao is a unanimous No. 1 in the Yahoo! Sports poll of the world’s top boxing writers. Cotto is sixth and that alone should make for an intriguing matchup.
Arum, though, likes the style mix between them.
“The significance of this fight is if you know the body of work of these two fighters,” Arum said. “When these guys get into the ring, there will be a confrontation. People who watch know they’ll be entertained. This will sort of be an edge-of-your-seat kind of a fight. It’s an all-action, all-out battle where guys are going to demonstrate toughness, courage and resilience.
“It’s definitely not going to be a boxing exhibition where two guys are running circles around each other. There are some fights that should properly be called boxing matches, but this is one where it’s totally accurate to call it a fight.”
The bout and the date had been long rumored, but the hang-up was getting the men to agree on a weight. Cotto holds the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt and has difficulty going much below 147.
Pacquiao, who still has only had three of his 54 bouts above 130 pounds, preferred it to be as low as possible and no higher than 144. Cotto’s physical trainer said he couldn’t safely fight below 145 pounds and Pacquiao ultimately agreed to the weight.
Arum expects the fight to perform as well at the gate as Pacquiao’s dominating second-round stoppage of Ricky Hatton, which produced $8.9 million in ticket revenue at the MGM Grand Garden, but he’s hopeful it will exceed it in pay-per-view sales.
Pacquiao-Hatton did 850,000 on pay-per-view and Arum believes Pacquiao-Cotto has the potential to surpass that.
“With all due respect to Ricky, I think Cotto, as a great Puerto Rican star, brings a larger fan base in the U.S. audience,” Arum said. “I really think we’ll be able to do north of 850,000 with this one.”
MANILA, Philippines - It took a 15-minute phone conversation with Bob Arum for Manny Pacquiao to agree to fight Miguel Cotto in November.
At 145 pounds flat.
“It’s done,” said Pacquiao’s adviser, Mike Koncz, over the phone last night, sounding happy that the Filipino pound-for-pound champion has finally come to a decision on whom to fight next.
Koncz was scheduled to leave for Los Angeles last night to meet with Arum and discuss the final details on the fight contract which has yet to be signed by the 30-year-old superstar.
“No contract has been signed but Manny and Bob had a verbal agreement. And we’ve never backed out of any verbal agreement so Bob is happy with that for the time being,” said Koncz.
Pacquiao was busy shooting a movie when The STAR tried to contact him last night.
Negotiations for Pacquiao’s next fight took a sudden twist last week when Shane Mosley, the WBA welterweight (147 lb) champion, said he’s willing to fight the Filipino at 140 lb, and get 40 percent of the purse.
Cotto, the WBO welterweight champion, had insisted that he’d only fight Pacquiao at 145 lb, and not a fraction lower than that. This gave Pacquiao some doubts on whether he’d take the Mosley challenge instead.
Pacquiao’s lawyer, Franklin Gacal, said they wanted Cotto to drop down another pound or two, but now that everything’s been agreed upon, it’s time to focus on Cotto.
Koncz did not say what made Pacquiao seal the deal with Arum, the legendary promoter and master negotiator.
“Manny had a personal phone conversation with Bob Arum the other night and it lasted 15 minutes. Some adjustments were made and Manny has agreed to fight Miguel Cotto,” said Koncz.
“They resolved everything. They talked for about 15 minutes,” said Koncz.
Pacquiao had wanted his next fight staged on Oct. 17 but Arum, who also owns the promotional rights over Cotto, said that would run against the World Series schedule, and pushed the date to Nov. 14.
The extra month will also give Pacquiao ample time to finish all his previous commitments, incuding two movies he has to make, probably another string of commercials, some business deals and more time with his family.
“The extra month gives him all the time to finish all these. And by holding it in November, we want to maximize the dollars,” said Koncz.
The Canadian ring adviser did not elaborate on what the adjustments and agreed upon between Pacquiao and Arum although certainly it had to do something with the economics.
“But we don’t want to discuss that,” said Koncz who expects the fight contract to be sealed, signed and delivered soon.
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