Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao are confident just four weeks away from the fight with Miguel Cotto. (Photo via www3.pictures.gi.zimbio.com)

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Trainer Freddie Roach told the Philippine Daily Inqurier that he is worried about Miguel Cotto's infamous roughhouse tactics, including low blows, and told the Telegraph that he feels Manny Pacquiao's speed will carry the day on November 14.

"Cotto tends to get dirty when the going gets tough in most of his fights and I don’t want that to happen. I will make sure the referee will be very strict about it. Cotto stops his opponents’ momentum with that kind of blow. In that Judah fight he had five low blows."

He's also concerned about the possibility of Joe Cortez being named the referee:

"Joe Cortez is Puerto Rican and he’s in the running as one of the referees. I don’t want him letting Cotto get away with stuff like that. We’re going to make an issue out of it first."

You know, I agree Joe Cortez isn't a great referee these days and really shouldn't be in the running for a fight of this magnitude when guys like Kenny Bayless, Tony Weeks, and Jay Nady are out there, but I don't think he'd favor Cotto for being Puerto Rican. This is just Freddie stirring the pot. He probably doesn't want Cortez as referee and this is a way to get out there early that he doesn't.

Freddie sees Cotto as a tougher opponent than Mayweather, which is B.S., but good hyping B.S.:

"Cotto brings a lot more to the table than Mayweather because he will engage, he will fight, whereas Mayweather tends only to fight from distance. Cotto is much more clever than people give him credit for. But in this sport, if you don’t take chances, you don’t knock people out. Cotto will fight. I imagine by fight time he gets into the ring on Nov 14, he will be 160 lbs. We will be about 149lbs. But speed will win in the fight; not power."

As for Jose Luis Castillo, who was brought in by Michael Koncz as a sparring partner, presumably because five or six years ago he fought sort of like Cotto, has praised Pacquiao as they've sparred:

"I couldn't see the left hand. It’s very fast and strong. I think that will be a big problem for Cotto."

Keep in mind that the last time most of us saw Castillo, he couldn't do anything with Sebastian Lujan, but hey.