VERY soon, Puerto Rican sensation Miguel Cotto will make the monumental mistake of accepting a very difficult assignment: Fighting pound-for-pound marvel Manny Pacquiao at a catchweight of 145 lbs.
My compa?ero with the exceptional undergoal stab, Atty. Ivan Gamallo, points out that a mere pound would not make a difference as Cotto weighed in at 146 during the Clottey bout.
Let me explain.
Fighters don’t just prepare for the weigh-in by crash dieting a day or two prior. It’s a gradual process because anything drastic is unhealthy. Making the weight is the culmination of numerous months of training and preparation coupled with a carefully planned diet to ensure that a fighter peaks at the right time.
Ergo, the dieting aspect is introduced and incorporated into the routine.
NO BULLSEYE. But targeting the exact weight is never an exact science and that is why we have the phenomena of fighters failing to make the weight.
When Miguel Cotto weighed 146 during his last fight, this was actually not the exact poundage they planned for, but probably this was well within a range that they aspired to achieve.
Although fighters have weighing scales calibrated with those of the official scales, there is still room for error and so trainers cannot take the risk.
A most recent example was during the Oscar de la Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao weigh-in, when there was an apparent discrepancy from the time Manny weighed in at his hotel room and when he actually stepped on the scale just a few minutes later.
There were innuendos that something fishy was going on in order to allow Oscar to make the weight, but these were never proven. But just to illustrate my point, the bottom line is that these things happen.
Consequently, trainers will have their fighters aim for a specified weight range rather than attempt bulls-eye accuracy on the day of the weigh in.
UNDER 145. As an added worry, we can expect the cunning Freddie Roach to impose a contractual stipulation that Cotto will be fined a hefty amount for every pound that he weighs above the contracted weight—not to mention the enviable option of calling the fight off with sanctions and damages.
As a result, Cotto’s team, in order to ensure that he will be spared of the sanctions and to dispel the possibility of a multi-million fight being cancelled, will probably aim within the 142 to 146-pound range.
That way, in the event he tips in at 146 pounds he can still have a few hours to dry out at the sauna or run off the excess pound or two.
Bottom line? Cotto’s team will be aiming to go lower than 145. And this is where they are committing a monumental mistake.
WHY. Cotto is a big-boned, wide-shouldered and muscular welterweight who had to move up because he outgrew the junior welterweight division.
He has not fought below welterweight for three years. He has been known to regain 10 to 12 pounds come fight time after replenishing lost fluids. Obviously, size and strength would have been his primary weapons against the Pacman.
But because the targeted weight range for this fight will be much lower than the one he was previously accustomed to, he will be on a stricter diet and will probably have to make adjustments in his training methods.
The effect will be a fighter reporting for training weakened slightly by the change in his diet. Furthermore, his focus will not be solely on strategy, but also on his weight. (to be concluded on Sunday)
LAST ROUNDS. It’s on my Latagaw brods who recently celebrated their birthdays, Provincial Board member Tito Gastardo and Ed Cola. Cheers!
