Four days into the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight for the latter’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title, the psy-war between both camps continues unabated, as expected. Barbs have been traded between Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, on the one hand, and Cotto himself, his trainer, Joe Santiago and conditioning coach Phil Landman, on the other.
Such off-ring remarks are of course part of every great battle in sports. It is to be expected…and even obligatory for box-office purposes. For Pacquiao, the battle will test a number of things, among them, how his speed and power will adjust to his heaviest weight in his career, probably 150 pounds by the time he steps into the ring.
One of the advantages that Pacquiao however enjoys is that he did not have to undergo any kind of weight reducing regimen to prepare for this fight. He did not have to go through any body- and mind-sapping weight reduction program and was thus focused on strategy, getting to know his opponent and getting to know himself better.
In contrast, Cotto has had to go down from 160 pounds, two months ago, to the catch weight of 145 pounds, some 30 hours before the opening bell. While Cotto’s handlers insist going down to the catch weight is no problem, one could not help but notice Cotto’s sunken cheeks and almost tense deportment.
To say that the bout with Cotto is going to be Pacquiao’s toughest is an understatement. Cotto is bigger and younger, at 29, than Pacquiao (who will turn 31 this December). Cotto is however less experienced having had 35 fights (34-1-0, 27) to Pacquiao’s 54 (49-3-2, 37). Cotto had a busy amateur career before turning pro in 2001. Cotto represented Puerto Rico in various international tournaments: the 1999 Pan American Games, the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 1998 junior world championships (where he won a silver medal) in the lightweight and light welterweight divisions. Cotto has fought the best, including Antonio Margarito, Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. Cotto lost to Margarito via an 11th round TKO, although Margarito’s victory over Cotto has been beclouded by suspicions over Margarito’s alleged attempt to use illegal hand wraps in a subsequent fight. The Puerto Rican won by TKO in the 11th round over Judah on June 9, 2007 and by unanimous decision over Mosley on Nov. 10, 2007.
A key factor in Pacquiao’s winning ways and in his preparations for Cotto is his interesting partnership with Roach. In an article written by Greg Bishop and published in The New York Times on Nov. 7, 2009 entitled “Out of Chance Meeting, a Formidable Pairing”, Bishop says that Roach, 49, claims that “Pacquiao has not peaked” and that “their (Pacquiao and Roach) best work, the crux of their connection, still comes each afternoon, when Pacquiao pushes aside all other endeavors and Roach clears his (Wild Card) gym. Inside the ring, they speak their own language, share inside jokes, dancing, adjusting, resuming their boxing dance again”.
Despite all the distractions that come Pacquiao’s way, the world’s pound-for-pound king has a way of shutting out everything when preparing for a fight. Bishops says that “the boxer possesses an innate ability to block out the world, to box for millions of people but not feel their collective weight.” Pacquiao’s workouts are, in Bishop’s words, “not human. Pacquiao spars, hits mitts, punches bags, jumps rope. At the end of four punishing hours, he does crunches while trainers pound his abdomen with a bamboo pole.”
Roach, who is an ex-boxer, is supremely confident about Pacquiao’s chances against Cotto. In the same article, Bishop writes that “The trainer (Roach) was standing behind the gym counter when a man asked if he should bet on Pacquiao against Cotto. “Your whole house,” Roach said, predicting a ninth-round knockout.”
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Virtually unnoticed in the last weeks that have been dominated by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng was the outstanding feat of De La Salle University’s (DLSU) 21-year old Enchong Dee who led the Green Tankers to the championship of the 72nd UAAP swimming competitions held at the Trace Aquatic Sports Complex, Los Ba?os. Dee won his third consecutive MVP award and won the gold in all 21 events he swam the past three years. Dee’s events were the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly; 800m and 1500m freestyle; and 200m and 400m individual medley. Dee ends his UAAP career with four records while being a mainstay in ABS-CBN’s evening telenovelas. All these while graduating with honors and continuing on his graduate studies in development studies. The UAAP swimming competitions have been organized the past three years by Sports Management Solutions and staged at Trace College, an event partner. Speedo is the other event partner while other sponsors are PAGCOR, Madrigal Dormitories, World Balance and Gatorade.
