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Roach wants Cotto down to 143 pounds for Pacquiao fight

A potential clash between Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao is running into very few speed bumps early in negotiations. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

A potential clash between Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao is running into very few speed bumps early in negotiations. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao fight tentatively scheduled for November 14 is coming along nicely:

"We have a number of points we are talking through, but nothing that's deal-breaking," Arum said. "Everything looks great."

One of the key points -- besides the financial breakdown, of course -- is the weight. Arum said that Cotto is willing to come below 147 pounds and that the contract maximum would wind up at 144 or 145. Stay tuned on that.

There is some minor concern that the brutal cut Cotto suffered over his left eye against Clottey could delay the fight, but Arum said it would be OK. Cotto needed 20 stitches in two cuts but said that the doctor said he should be good to spar around the end of September.

...

Arum said part of the discussion with HBO was the production of a "24/7" series for Cotto-Pacquiao. "That would be part of our deal," Arum said.

Meanwhile, news out of the Philippines today is that Freddie Roach wants Cotto to come all the way down to 143, and in fact, the direct quote from Roach is, "The lower I can get (Cotto), the better."

This indicates that Roach believes Cotto to be a genuinely dangerous fight for Pacquiao, and he says that those who think Pacquiao will demolish Cotto the way he did Oscar and Hatton are "not so bright." We know Freddie isn't shy about making Manny sound like an earth-mover, so this seems like legit concern, and there should be some. I don't like the fight for Cotto at 143 pounds, but all I really mean by that is I don't like his chances. I fear he'd be way drained, making the fight easy for Pacquiao.

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Should be 145

If Pacquiao is the best “pound for pound” he should fight Cotto at 145. Fighting “drained” fighters makes the wins less impressive to me. Pacquiao might
be known as the best “pound for pound catch weight fighter”

by Stricker71 on Jun 20, 2009 2:15 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I want Pacman to fight the best fighters in the weight division he’ll actually fight at. If he’s not comfortable fighting at 147 nobody would blame him (he’s not really a true welterweight), but then don’t challenge welterweights — challenge junior welterweights. Or go back down to lightweight (which is the class I’m most interested in seeing him fight at). But challenging welterweights at non-welter weights is starting to annoy me.

by schraubd on Jun 20, 2009 2:59 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

There's nobody there that is interesting besides the rubber match with Marquez

Other than that Valero is it and he doesn’t have a big enough name to earn any money. If Manny goes back down below 140 he might as well retire because his paychecks will be peanuts compared to fighting the bigger boys. Fight should be at 144. Manny can handle 144 and its not like Cotto can’t make it. He came in at 146 against Clottey. Each man is giving up the right amount at the 144 catchweight. Freddy saying 143 is just him playing hardball so the catchweight won’t be at 145 IMO. If its at 145 there may as well not be a catchweight at all.

Gimme 1 round!

by ItBurnzWhenIP on Jun 20, 2009 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

just depends

if Cotto can say the equivalent of ‘145 or no fight’ and then rematch Mosely instead, who seems to be free….will be interesting to see if the money can convince him its worth the handicap of 143.

I live for this shit. (Vin Diesel xXx)

by BrianBrock on Jun 20, 2009 3:28 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

It’s beyond unlikely, of course, but if Cotto and Mosley decided to fight each other instead, it’d be somewhat interesting to see what Bob Arum and Freddie Roach would do. There’s really no one else for Manny to fight near the same scale. But Manny = money, and money talks.

by SC on Jun 20, 2009 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

144 should do nicely.

When you dream...anything is possible... People can fly. Sometimes theres a moment when you wake and become aware of your surroundings..but you are still dreaming... You may think you can fly but you better not try...

by dinkman on Jun 20, 2009 7:13 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

143 is just too low. How much do they want him to come down?

by jjstraka on Jun 20, 2009 9:01 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Bitch

Fight at welter if you want to take on a welter.

Boxing is like jazz. The better it is, the less people appreciate it.
-George Foreman

by jsims2 on Jun 21, 2009 4:47 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I second that

I wonder if Manny is as concerned about the weight as Roach is. I mean, I would really like the recognized pound for pound king to step up and tell us what he thinks. We know that Roach is just trying to protect his fighter and gain any advantage they can get but I want Manny to show us what he is really made of and tell Freddie to make the fight at 147. These catchweights are driving me nuts, they are just one more thing that can ruin the negotiations for a fight. As if the money wasn’t already hard enough for them to agree on.

by Full Throttle on Jun 22, 2009 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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