LAS VEGAS—They stood on the edge of a makeshift stage, their stripped bodies against a backdrop of a billboard bearing their larger-than-life images.
In the realm of science, they are the irresistible force and the immovable object—concepts that can only exist in the absence of the other.
And yet here they are, their paths irreversibly on a collision course.
They are better known as Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, and in front of their deafening supporters and under the glare of stadium lights and flashbulbs Friday at the MGM Grand Arena, they eliminated the final hurdle—the weigh-in—to the battle they must wage Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila).
Pacquiao, already the superstar hurtling through the boxing universe at breakneck speed, tipped the scales at 144 pounds, one under the catch weight of Saturday’s bout where he hopes to become the first boxer to win a seventh world title in as many divisions.
He has won the world championships in the flyweight (112 pounds), super bantamweight (122 lb), featherweight (126 lb), super featherweight (130 lb), lightweight (135 lb), and light welterweight (140 lb).
No man has won seven world titles in seven weight divisions and only five boxers have won six—Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya, Thomas Hearns, Hector Camacho and James Toney.
“This is my most important fight because if I win, I’ll be making history for myself and my country,” said the 30-year-old southpaw.
“I’m hoping for my victory,” he added. “I’ll try my best.”
Cotto, the Puerto Rican champion who hopes to be Pacquiao’s brick wall, came in on the dot at 145 pounds, ending speculations that he had trouble making the weight limit.
It’s his World Boxing Organization welterweight title at stake and he has told everyone the past few weeks that Pacquiao “picked the wrong person, the wrong moment” as a stepping stone to greatness.
Weight’s over
“My strength is too much,” Cotto said.
The weight’s over. The war begins.
The trainers of the two fighters fired the initial salvo. When Cotto—who Team Pacquiao had suspected to be struggling with his weight—got the signal that he made the limit, the 29-year-old hook-thrower faced team Pacquiao and flexed his muscles.
All of a sudden, there was a commotion on the stage and cooler heads from both camps stepped in to restrain Freddie Roach and Joe Santiago, the two trainers who had been jawing each other during camp.
Roach, who had belittled the inexperienced Santiago in the past, later alleged that Cotto’s trainer disrespected him with an invective-laced taunt.
Trash talk
“[Cotto] gets on the scale, he makes the weight and then his trainer says to me, ‘145 a..h..., 145,’” Roach said. (See related story on Page A31).
“I said to him ‘why are you calling me an a..h...?” he added.
“Then he’s talking s..., I tell him to f... off and Cotto’s looking at me like he’s going to beat me up,” Roach said.
And to think this was just the weigh-in. For fight night itself, expectations are running high.
Pacquiao (49-3-2 with 37 KOs), after all, is a relentless force in the ring, a bundle of energy known for his rapid punching and power in both hands.
Cotto (37-1, 27 KOs), a heavy hitter known for his left hook, is the naturally bigger and stronger welterweight. And like the scientific concepts they represent, they were not meant to cross paths.
Pound-for-pound king
“If you would have told me two years ago that Pacquiao would be going in the ring with Cotto and be the favorite in the fight, I would have said you should have your head examined,” Top Rank chief Bob Arum, who is promoting the fight dubbed “Firepower,” told ESPN’s Dan Rafael.
It is Pacquiao’s successful foray into different weight classes—beating the biggest names in them—that provides the excitement in the match.
“[Pacquiao] is an example of what it means to be pound-for-pound king,” said iconic fight announcer Michael Buffer.
On the other hand, Cotto’s stubborn insistence that he won’t be gobbled up by the Pacman provides the intrigue.
Bettors’ favorite
“I think this will be a much tougher fight than many of Manny’s supporters believe,” said renowned commentator Larry Merchant.
“I have one prediction [for this fight],” Buffer said. “Pain.”
Pacquiao continued to be the bettors’ favorite on the eve of the fight, but his odds dropped to minus 270 from a high of minus 320. Cotto’s odds improved to plus 220 from plus 240. This figures mean than a $270 bet on Pacquiao will win only $100 while a $100 wager on Cotto wins $220.
The Filipino ring superstar’s demeanor, though, remained unchanged. Smiling throughout his camp, a rarity during his days of trying to make the weight at the lighter divisions, Pacquiao was still carefree during the weigh-in hosted by Hollywood actor Jeremy Piven.
He even playfully answered a question by the comedian about his sex life during training.
“When I start to train, my focus is on training; there is no night [life],” Pacquiao said, laughing.
Cotto, meanwhile, was his usual stoic self as he answered Piven’s question on his weight.
“I ate pretty well for this fight. I’m healthy,” said Cotto, who left the stage gulping a protein shake.
Arum and HBO Sports, which owns the pay-per-view rights for the fight, are optimistic that “Firepower” will hit the 1-million mark in pay-per-view sales. HBO is selling PPVs at $54.95 each.
And based on the attendance generated by the weigh-in, they might just hit the mark.
An estimated 7,000 crammed the Garden Arena, which will also be the site of the fight. Thousands more were turned away by hotel security with still an hour and a half to go before the start of the ceremonies.
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