LAS VEGAS – The Fight Factory Gym is in a converted warehouse in a small industrial park in Tampa, Fla. The banners covering the walls trumpet the virtues of all things Miguel Cotto.
But the banner that catches the eye immediately upon entering the gym has Manny Pacquiao’s face in the crosshairs of a rifle scope. Across the top of the banner are the words: “On Nov. 14 the world will see who is the real king of the ring.”
Miguel Cotto, the WBO welterweight champion, has long ago been out of the conversation about Pound-for-Pound. He doesn’t even argue that point anymore.
But welterweight? Come on!
After a two-hour workout at the gym last month, a confident Cotto talked about defeating Pacquiao, whose acclaim grew exponentially after he beat Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton – two larger men who were supposed to put the former 130-pound champion in his place.
His confidence is contagious. He left no doubt in my mind that he has everything he needs to beat Pacquiao. The only qualms I have are with his corner where the inexperienced Joe Santiago will have to match wits with Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s longtime trainer and chief strategist.
Thanks to Roach, Pacquiao showed the kind of power and resourcefulness that was necessary to deal with a bigger opponent. But this is the first time that he will fight a welterweight champion in his prime.
“I’m working for everything I think he’s going to do, and I’m pretty sure that we’re not going to have any problems the night of the fight,” Cotto said.
After taking a beating from Antonio Margarito, who is suspected of using loaded gloves in the fight, and losing his title, many felt that Cotto was damaged goods. Even Cotto had his doubts when he made his comeback against Michael Jennings.
In his last fight, Cotto suffered severe cuts about his left eye before going on to win a 12-round decision over Joshua Clottey. Cotto learned something about himself and his new corner of Santiago and cutman Joe Chavez in that bout. He learned that he could deal with almost anything that was thrown at him in the ring.
“A lot of people wondered why I didn’t allow the fight to be stopped, but I spent more than nine weeks preparing for the Clottey fight to make a great fight and a great show for the fans all over the world,” said Cotto. “There was a lot of pride on the line with myself and my family. No matter what the situation, no matter what the vision in my eye was, I always told the referee, ‘I’m good.’ “
Cotto looks back at the Margarito fight as something that was out of his hands. His corner, his uncle and trainer Evangelista Cotto, and cutman Miguel Diaz, were busy working the corners of other fighters on the card when Margarito was getting his hands wrapped. They didn’t check the wraps.
Before Shane Mosley fought Margarito in January, Mosley’s trainer Nazim Richardson checked Margarito’s gloves and they were damp. The wraps were confiscated by the California Boxing Commission and later tested by the FBI and found to contain plaster of paris. Margarito is still under suspension for trying to use the loaded gloves.
Cotto suspects Margarito was hitting him with loaded gloves the night they fought.
Cotto fired his uncle and Diaz before he fought Clottey. His uncle didn’t take the news very well and threw a cinder block through the window of Cotto’s Jaguar. Since the breakup Cotto has moved his training camp from Puerto Rico to Tampa and seems content with Santiago running things.
On the day of the workout the gym was as quiet. There was no chatter from Santiago, which could be seen as a good or bad. No one was exhorting Cotto to push himself harder.
Cotto is the boss now. And whatever happens against Pacquiao it will be on him. That is the way he likes it. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone.
“I’ve been in good fights with (Zab) Judah, (Shane) Mosley, Clottey. If people saw Miguel Cotto in all of those years, and they didn’t believe in me, then what else do I have to do?
“For those people not to believe in me, I can’t do anything else. I’m here mostly to prove to myself that I’m better than Manny Pacquiao. I’m doing this for the pride of my family, my kids and my country.”
