Who Has More Firepower? Pacquiao vs. Cotto

A fight of epic proportions will occur tomorrow night, count on it.

Do you really need to hear any more than that? You do? Ok I got you.

This is not only going to be the fight of the year, but a chance to really see history in the making with either fighter. Manny Pacquiao is going to attempt to win his 7th world title in 7 weight classes. For a man who started at 106 pounds as a flyweight, has now blossomed into a leapfrogger of weight classes. This fight at welterweight, he will come in at 145 pounds and face a true welterweight in 3-time champion Miguel Cotto, who naturally fights at 147 pounds.

Pacquiao comes in as a 3-to-1 favorite against the Puerto-Rican hero in Cotto, who if you know me as a person or have paid attention to ETSF, you know that Miguel Cotto is my favorite fighter in all of boxing. Yes, I am half Rican, but it has nothing (I'm lying it definitely does) to do with me being a fan of Cotto. Trust me, listen to the media this week, you're going to hear a ton of media hype about Pacquiao, and deservedly so. He is a phenomenal fighter, and I've already said that he's the best fighter of my generation. I know how good Pacman is. However, if you look at the body of work that Pacquiao has in his last 3-4 fights he's toppled a supremely old and outmatched Oscar De La Hoya, a fraud of a fighter (with a hope of a nation in the UK) in Ricky Hatton, and David Diaz...who? Right. Pacquiao's last real fight was against a very game Juan Manuel Marquez for the Super Flyweight title (130 pounds), who took him to the brink and won by a very close split decision back in March of '08.

Cotto on the other hand as had to deal with a totally different level of adversity. I was in Las Vegas when Cotto faced off against Antonio Margarito in a title defense of his Welterweight title. I got to meet Cotto at the airport and he was truly a nice and humble guy, and it was an honor to meet him. However, a part of me hurt when I saw him. He'd lost, and he look weathered. The fire in his eye wasn't there. When I learned after the fact that Margarito turned his hands into bricks (Margarito's handwraps were dipped in plaster paris, which hardens when made wet.) and could've killed that man. Cotto has returned valiantly, as he's beaten a great Shane Mosley and a very game Joshua Clottey. This comes natural for Cotto, he wants to fight. When Pacquiao enters the ring, he's going to feel it.

As a true pundit of the pugilist science, I'm torn on who will win this fight. My mind says Pacquiao. He's looked almost unstoppable, and all the matchmakers want Pacman to win so the ultimate fight betweeh Pacquiao and Floyd "Money" Mayweather could be on the line. Who doesn't want to see that? I do, I definitely do.

Just not right this second, my heart says Cotto, and how am I going to go against my heart? This is the greatest opportunity for Cotto will ever have to cement his true legacy. The man doesn't fear blood, I think he thrives on seeing it. He is truly tenacious and has a great ability to adapt his style to different fights.

One body punch from hell could change Cotto's life, and lift him into the stratosphere of truly great champions.


Cotto by unanimous decision over Pacquiao.

ITS THE PHILLIPINES VERSUS PUERTO RICO, YOU KNOW WHO ED GOT (PR STAND UP) WHO YOU GOT? LET US KNOW!

-Ed.
www.edthesportsfan.com