LOS ANGELES – WBO Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto said the key to winning the fi ght against Pound-4- Pound King Manny Pacquiao is to capitalize on the Filipino’s mistake.
"I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity in this fi ght," Cotto said during an open media workout at the Pound-4-Pound Gym in Los Angeles on November 3. Cotto and Pacquiao are set to meet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on November 14.
Despite having two "perfect" fi ghts (one against Oscar De La Hoya and his most recent, against Ricky Hatton), Pacquiao, at times, leaves himself susceptible to catching a counterpunch.
According to boxing historian Burt Sugar, Pacquiao has a tendency to drop his hands when he steps back after he throws a left cross.
The last person who came close to defeating Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, executed this strategy to near perfection in their last match in March 2008. Marquez lost but he set the blueprint on how to beat the Filipino champion.
Cotto’s trainer, Joe Santiago, said they’ve been watching tapes of the Pacquiao vs. Marquez match and others.
"We’ve been watching all of the videos of Pacquiao’s opponents," said Santiago through an interpreter. "We’re not really worried. We feel confident in our game plan heading into this fight."
Santiago did not divulge their exact game plan against Pacquiao. He only said, that they’re "approaching this fight openly and have a lot of different strategies" and that "they are going to adapt as the fight goes on."
But by the way Santiago and Cotto were catching mitts, it appears that Cotto will not try to muscle or brawl with Pacquiao as many boxing experts predict. It seems that he would rather counterpunch and look for openings.
"He beat Ricky Hatton, he beat Oscar De La Hoya but [now] he’s going to face Miguel Cotto," said Cotto. "There is nothing to compare with the last two fighters because I’m not Oscar De La Hoya or Hatton."
9th Round KO
Cotto seemed miffed when a reporter asked him about Freddie Roach’s prediction that the Puerto Rican would go down in the 9th round.
"That’s the problem here," said Cotto. "Freddie Roach is not the guy that’s going to climb inside the ring. He can say everything, whatever he wants, but if he’s prepared Manny for just nine rounds, he has three more rounds after."
"I’m preparing the right way for this fight," he added. "And I’m pretty sure I’m going to beat Manny." (Joseph Pimentel/AJPress)
( Published November 4, 2009 in MDWK Magazine p A1 )
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