Manny Pacquiao's legacy is secure no matter what happens on Saturday against Miguel Cotto. (AP Photo)

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First things first: I am not (as of this moment, at least) predicting a loss for Manny Pacquiao this Saturday against Miguel Cotto. But for argument's sake, let's say he loses to Cotto. What does it mean? What does it say?

For a fighter like Manny Pacquiao, it is anything but destructive to his career, no matter how it were to happen, if it were to happen.

Pacquiao, you see, is special. Always will be. He's special because he legitimately tests his limits. Special because he's a genuine fighter. Special because of what he hasn't done as much as what he has done.

He's done a lot. Even in this era of meaningless belt-gathering, winning titles in six divisions is amazing. A seventh would come Saturday. And when you look at how Pacquiao did it, it's even more incredible.

His first major title came in 1998, when he beat Chatchai Sasakul at flyweight (112 pounds). He burst onto the world scene with a stunning domination of Lehlohonolo Ledwaba to win the IBF junior feather weight (122) title in 2001. His 2003 demolition of Marco Antonio Barrera stunned many, and made him the rightful world champion at featherweight (126).

He and rival Juan Manuel Marquez collided for a second time in 2008 to decide not just Marquez's 130-pound WBC title, but the vacant Ring championship, too. And Pacquiao won a narrow decision in a great, great fight. Three and a half months later, he wiped out 135-pound titlist David Diaz.

And earlier this year, he made mincemeat of Ricky Hatton to become the junior welterweight world champion. Not one of those titles was cheap, save perhaps a bit for David Diaz, who is hardly among the worst recent paper titleholders.

Cotto's WBO welterweight title would be another amazing scalp. And all of this leads me to what Pacquiao doesn't do, never has done, and what is just as important in terms of legacy as all of his talent and skill and phenom status.

He doesn't protect his record. He doesn't whine about how unfair everything is. He's never complained or bickered or gone out of his way to hand-pick easy opponents.

Manny Pacquiao will add Miguel Cotto -- win or lose -- to a list of opponents that includes Ricky Hatton, Oscar de la Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, among many other tough opponents. And he's beaten every one of those men, too, with only a draw against Marquez and one loss in three fights against Morales since he's stepped up into the truly elite ranks of the sport.

Pacquiao, at 30, could never fight again and be a shoo-in Hall of Famer on every single level. He's helped put the Philippines on the map as one of the world's premier boxing powers, and his accomplishments ensure that generations to come in the Filipino community will look to the sweet science. He is a sports hero the likes of which American fans will never quite be able to comprehend. He is one of a kind.

Manny Pacquiao steps into the ring again this Saturday to give himself yet another great test. Even if his unbelievable run from 2003-present hiccups against Cotto, it won't mean he was overrated, overhyped, or made out to be something he wasn't.

Pacquiao has exceeded every expectation anyone has ever had. He's everything he's been said to be, and then some. And it may yet be a long time before we see anyone quite like him. No matter what happens on Saturday, if you're a boxing fan right now, you'd be foolish to not cherish Pacquiao and the chance to watch him fight.

This Friday, Matthew Hatton gets the chance to step out of his brother's shadow a bit. He faces Lovemore N'dou in England. (Photo via images.sportinglife.com)

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In the enormous shadow of Saturday's Cotto-Pacquiao mega fight, it would be hard for the boxing world to pay much attention to any other fight this weekend. But on Friday from England on Sky Sports, a promising scrap will take place.

In Stoke, it will be Lovemore N'dou (holder of the semi-recognized IBO welterweight title) taking on Matthew Hatton, younger brother of the world-famous Ricky, in a fight that won't lack any for heart or determination, even if it doesn't pit the talent or fame of the Vegas main event the next night.

N'dou (47-11-1, 31 KO) is a 38-year old South African who lives in and fights out of Australia these days. He is likely best known to American fans as a former 140-pound contender and titleholder. In 2004, he lost a fairly competitive decision to a then-unbeaten Miguel Cotto, and had two televised fights in 2007 and 2008 against Paulie Malignaggi. Malignaggi routed N'dou the first time, but as the incoming titlist exercised his rematch clause. You probably recall that the second fight was infamous for Malignaggi's ill-advised hair extensions and a far more competitive bout than the first go-'round, paired with Ricky Hatton's comeback in Manchester against Juan Lazcano. That fight led to Hatton-Malignaggi, of course.

N'dou is fighting with the hope of landing Matthew's brother (a longshot) or his countryman, welterweight titleholder Isaac Hlatshwayo. He also had strong words for his Friday opponent:

"I don't think he's anything special. I'm going to expose him next Friday and make him realise he's still a donkey and he doesn't belong in the ring with me," Ndou said.

The younger Hatton (37-4-1, 14 KO) is simply not his brother. Never has been, never will be. At 28, he's certainly improved over the years, but those improvements have made "Magic" a C+ fighter at best.

Still, there's no denying his heart, courage or passion. He was set to take on the far more talented Zab Judah on two dates this year, but Judah for one reason or another pulled out. Hatton then looked to N'dou for a chance at a trinket and a potential bigger fight on down the line.

Last November, N'dou moved up to 147 pounds to take on the returning Kermit Cintron in Tennessee. The fight was off television on the Jermain Taylor-Jeff Lacy undercard, and from all live reports, was a truly ugly affair. But N'dou was one of but four men who have lost to Cintron yet gone the scheduled distance with him as well, proving his chin at the higher weight. In July of this year, Lovemore fought Phillip N'dou (no relation), beating his fellow South African on the cards.

Hatton's best work has been in his last few fights. With wins over veterans Ben Tackie, Ernesto Zepda and Ted Bami, he's made his case as ready to take that next step up. N'dou represents that. It's now or never for Matthew. He has also felt better training with Lee Beard than he did for years with Billy Graham:

“When you look at my record I’ve had four defeats,” he says, “but I only feel I’ve been legitimately beaten once and that was against Craig Watson last year. I don’t blame anyone but myself for that but I wasted a lot of years training with Ricky at Billy Graham’s gym. I enjoyed training with Ricky but Billy was doing nothing with me. I was almost training myself.

“So after the Watson defeat I thought, ‘I’m going nowhere here. I’ve got to do something for myself now’ and I left the gym and joined Lee Beard. I’ve had four good wins since the move and feel my career is just starting.”

Neither man is quite world class, but neither can afford the loss, either. Expect spirited action, a potentially fitting lead-in for the main course on Saturday. Bad Left Hook will bring live coverage of N'dou-Hatton starting at 5pm ET on Friday afternoon.

Nikolai Valuev and David Haye battle today in Germany for the WBA heavyweight title. (Photo via www.donking.com)

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Bad Left Hook will have live, round-by-round coverage, scoring and analysis for both of these cards. Valuev-Haye starts at 3pm on Integrated Sports PPV in the States ($24.99) and on Sky Box Office in the UK, and the HBO card starts at 9:30pm ET.

Nikolai Valuev v. David Haye (12 Rounds, For Valuev's WBA Heavyweight Title)

I'll flat-out admit again that I'm rooting for Haye because a win for him makes the stagnant heavyweight division that much more interesting. The last time the division got any shot in the arm, it was Vitali Klitschko coming back. And that comeback has simply led to two Klitschkos manhandling their opposition instead of just the one. Haye winning opens things up. Valuev winning does not.

But Valuev can win, and the closer we get to it, the more it feels to me as though that's what we're going to see. I don't like it, but for all the world this just reeks of a massive disappointment for an exciting, dynamic fighter whose chin simply isn't going to stand up. Valuev will be more aggressive here than he was against Holyfield. Valuev, soft as he is, is almost surely a better cardio guy than Haye, and his stamina is likely to hold up. Haye could stop Valuev, but I don't think he's going to get there.

But it's the chin, really. Monte Barrett clipped and wobbled Haye a year ago -- Haye's last fight, mind you -- and with all respect to Barrett (whose fights I've generally enjoyed over the years, and who is still owed a debt of gratitude for getting Tye Fields off of TV), he stinks now.

Valuev will lose some early rounds. Valuev will eventually catch and hurt David Haye. Haye will get up, try to fight back, and in his recklessness, get hit hard again. I hate doing it, and I hope I'm wrong, but I'm going with Valuev by TKO.

Alfredo Angulo v. Harry Joe Yorgey (12 Rounds, For the Vacant Interim WBO Junior Middleweight Title)

I know he's only 27 and that he's got only 17 pro fights under his belt, but this is an immediate future make-or-break for Angulo. He's mauled everyone except Kermit Cintron, and since I think Cintron is way better than Yorgey (yes, I just complimented Cintron), I sort of expect he'll do that again. Yorgey's a tough guy and a decent boxer, and I think he'll make this a pretty entertaining fight for as long as it lasts, but I just don't think he's in Angulo's league. Of Jack Loew fighters, Yorgey's over by Billy Lyell, not by Kelly Pavlik. Angulo by TKO.

Chad Dawson v. Glen Johnson II (12 Rounds, For the Vacant Interim WBC Light Heavyweight Title)

The WBC light heavyweight titlist, for the record, is Jean Pascal, who won it in June, defended it against a mandatory in September, and is fighting a rematch with Adrian Diaconu in December. But hey! Interim title! Good job, WBC! I'll be sure to take your moral stands from your idiotic convention really seriously!

Not even that, but Dawson held the title before and gave it up so he could fight Antonio Tarver instead of Diaconu. Yet Shane Mosley, who once gave up the interim WBC welterweight title, needs to publicly apologize for doing that if he wants the WBC to sanction a fight with Andre Berto in January. Who do these rubes think they are, exactly? I'm serious when I say a six-year-old could poke holes in their logic. I'm no rocket surgeon over here and it's plain as day to me.

Anyway, I expect Dawson to win this one clearly. It's not that I'm underestimating Johnson or don't think he'll make for another competitive, entertaining fight, but Chad's younger and faster and all that. Johnson's a 40-year old man, and 40 is going to be a big, flashing red light for a little while longer. If Johnson wins this fight, that'll put that to an end. Bernard Hopkins alone isn't enough to make me stop thinking fighters tend to decline pretty hardcore at this age. Dawson by UD.

Chad Dawson escaped with a narrow win over Glen Johnson in 2008. Tomorrow, he tries to do it again with no doubts remaining. (Photo via cache.daylife.com)

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He was referred to by Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter during Mayweather's short retirement. Four of his last six wins came over top names. When he took the title, he really took it.

He's the only man yet to beat Tomasz Adamek. He routed Antonio Tarver twice. And he came out the victor in a highly competitive and very entertaining fight against Glen Johnson last year. But somehow, Chad Dawson still doesn't seem to have mass respect.

Part of it lies with the fact that many feel Johnson deserved the W over Dawson. I scored that fight a draw, and still feel it's hard to really make a good case that Johnson was "robbed," but since that's been the story of Glen's career, it's an easy story to market from the Johnson side.

Part of it also stems from the fact that Dawson, despite being a very likable guy who makes for solid fights when not against the frustrating Tarver. He's unbeaten, has had good backing from both Showtime and HBO, and has honestly taken the best fights he could get. The Tarver rematch was a contractual thing, the Johnson rematch something he admittedly didn't want to go after, but when his hand was forced, he did it, and he vacated a title to make it happen. It was the only fight out there for him.

Someday, Dawson will move up in weight. He's talked about going down to 168, but that would probably just serve to weaken him. There are several who feel -- and I'm one of them -- that Dawson will someday compete at heavyweight, as his old foe Tomasz Adamek is now doing. A stop over at cruiserweight could offer some attractive bouts, too, and would help him bulk up naturally.

For now, though, he's a light heavyweight, and you can argue he's the world's best (I don't, at least not yet, with Bernard Hopkins still existing). And the rematch with Johnson tomorrow night can go a long way to earning him the accolades he's yet to fully acquire.

Make no mistake, it's no easy win. Johnson is probably still the most dodged man in the division, and at 40 has shown no real signs of slowing down. He's as tough as they come, a relentless sort who loves to mix it up, with a chin made of granite and heavy enough hands to put down anyone. Since the narrow loss to Dawson, Johnson has again found it hard to get proper opponents. He has faced Aaron Norwood and rematched Daniel Judah in the 19 months since the Dawson loss.

Dawson, who lives in New Haven, will have the home field advantage in Hartford, Connecticut tomorrow. His family and friends will be there, the XL Center will be almost 100% his fans, and the truth is, he's the younger, faster, more athletic, more dynamic fighter. He should win.

And if he doesn't, make way for 40-year old Glen Johnson, the continually-ignored, continually-great fighter that refuses to go away, no matter how many times it seems like promoters or TV networks wish he would.

Monte Barrett remains the only man who has fought both combatants, and he's picking Nikolai Valuev over David Haye this Saturday. (Photo via nbcsportsmedia.msnbc.com)

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Monte Barrett, who has fought both men: "David Haye has more tenacity. But I think Valuev will win the fight because he’s good at what he does. ... I think [Haye is] making the same mistake I made when I fought him. He’s getting caught up in the hype. ... [Haye] has power. He’s not heavy-handed, he just has a lot of pop in his punch. When he hit me it reminded me of Wladimir Klitschko. He has deceptive speed about his power and Klitschko has the same type of power in his punches. Valuev is not heavy handed at all." (Boxing News, link via BoxingScene.com)

The following picks are all from Sporting Life.

Ricky Hatton: "David packs a lot of power and I think he can do to Valuev what no-one else has done and knock him out in sensational fashion."

Enzo Maccarinelli: "I do feel David can beat him and if he can put Valuev down, that giant frame is going to be hard to get off the ground. I think it will be a late stoppage."

James DeGale: "As time has gone on I fancy his chances less and less. Valuev is humongous! If he doesn't knock him out in six I can't see it. He's not going to get a decision in Germany, is he?"

Arthur Abraham: "I think Nikolai is going to win. For Haye it will be difficult to come out of cruiserweight and fight a man that is as tall and heavy as Valuev. Haye is a good boxer, no doubt about that, but I believe that Niko will take care of business."

The rest of that Sporting Life article has thoughts from Emanuel Steward, Danny Williams, Frank Warren, Frankie Gavin, Matthew Macklin and Tony Jeffries.

David Haye, in many ways, carries the hopes of a division on his shoulders this Saturday against Nikolai Valuev.

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Let's just come right out and say it: If Nikolai Valuev retains his WBA heavyweight title on Saturday in Germany when he faces David Haye, the heavyweight division remains that far off from anything terribly interesting happening.

Even though Haye takes his share of talk for being mouthy or arrogant or egotistical, or for ducking out of fights with both Klitschkos this year after making such a show of calling them out, I think the vast majority of boxing fans around the world will be rooting for Haye to take Valuev out of the picture.

It's nothing personal against Valuev, really, it's just that his fights stink. He's deserved to lose more than the one time he has. John Ruiz beat Valuev and was jobbed. A 12,000-year-old Evander Holyfield beat Valuev and was jobbed. Valuev has plenty of legitimate wins, too, I'm not saying that he doesn't. I'm also not saying he's somehow not a legit fighter because he happens to be seven feet tall.

It's just that his fights are rotten to watch, he's generated no significant interest over his career, and if he was going to make anything happen, he would have by now.

Haye, on the other hand, has a future. He's bigger than he's often given credit for, at 6'3" with a 78-inch reach. He's a fitness fanatic, the type of guy that stays in immaculate shape between his fights, much like his would-be rivals, the Klitschkos. He's got massive power. And at 29, he's still young enough to stir up some genuine interest in the still-failing heavyweight division.

But for as much talk as there is of Haye knocking Valuev out, I just can't see it. Brickhaus said something to the same effect, and here are the two scenarios I think are most likely for Saturday.

1. David Haye by decision

Haye will out-quick and batter Valuev, but never break him. He will win a clear decision -- clear even in Germany -- and head off to his likely mandatory fight with John Ruiz, another thriller waiting to happen.

2. Nikolai Valuev by knockout

Haye's chin has always been a bit dodgy. Monte Barrett managed to rock him around a little bit in his proper heavyweight debut last November -- coincidentally, the last time Haye fought. With the unusual angles from which Valuev can punch a man, including straight down, Haye has got to be careful to not leave himself wide open. For such a huge man, you could say that Valuev doesn't punch that hard. But it's relative; he is a huge man, and he punches plenty hard enough to knock Haye out if David gets reckless.

I can't see Valuev being stopped by Haye unless it's an accumulation of body work that just breaks Valuev's spirit and gets him to quit on his stool or something like that. It's not that I underestimate Haye's power, which I think is outstanding. It's that I think the only guy in the division that might be able to seriously knock Valuev out is Wladimir Klitschko, were Wlad willing to unleash one of his cannon right hands or a series of left hooks like destroyed Ray Austin a couple years back. Valuev's just such a mass of flesh, blood, bone and muscle that I don't think anyone will really hurt him too bad without the perfect shot, and like him or not, he's not a dumb fighter, and he protects himself.

I am oddly excited for this fight because of what a Haye victory could mean. Haye is an exciting fighter who could finally spark some real interest in the division. We all recognize that the Klitschkos are great talents and have become as close to unbeatable compared to the rest of their division as it's likely to get, and that's nice, but they're never going to stir up any real emotion or interest unless they were to do the unthinkable and fight each other.

David Haye is the sort of talent and personality that can revive a division like this, which has stagnated but does have some nice young talent here and there.

But if Valuev wins? That's a bitter question to taste, really. If Valuev wins, and deserves to have won, then Haye leaves Germany dejected, embarrassed and in many ways, debunked in the court of public opinion. It'd be a long, hard climb for him back up the ladder. And it would mean that still another of the major heavyweight titles is controlled by a man who just doesn't make for a compelling night at the fights.

For the good of heavyweight boxing, David Haye must win.

Harry Joe Yorgey faces Alfredo Angulo on Saturday night on HBO. (Photo via harryyorgey.net)

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Alfredo Angulo wasn't supposed to be here. Harry Joe Yorgey wasn't either.

Angulo, the 27-year old brawler from Mexicali, was being set up to make a fast move to world title status by promoter Gary Shaw. In "El Perro," Shaw saw the exact type of fighter that embodies the famed Mexican warrior spirit. Angulo doesn't take a backwards step, doesn't seem fazed by any pressure, and hasn't even had any great reaction to the first loss of his career.

That loss came in May, when he faced former welterweight titlist Kermit Cintron. The powerful Puerto Rican was seen as the underdog despite his edge in big-fight experience and his massive power, in part because we'd seen Cintron crumble against Antonio Margarito on two occasions, and Margarito (pre-wraps controversy) was always the fighter Angulo was most compared to. His toughness, his exhausting power, his constant forward motion -- Angulo had all of that.

But Cintron and trainer Ronnie Shields saw a flaw: Angulo couldn't box, didn't move around the ring very well, and thus they outboxed him all night long. Truthfully, the fight was closer than it's made out to be, but Cintron's win was legitimate, and it was the best performance of Kermit's career, just when he needed it most.

Angulo (16-1, 13 KO) didn't let it get him down. He returned against tough trial horse Gabriel Rosado in August, and knocked out the Philly battler in the second round. And instead of looking for something easy, he's lined up another tough cat out of Pennsylvania.

Harry Joe Yorgey (22-0-1, 10 KO) is nothing special, and I say that in a nice way. He doesn't have great speed or power, there's really nothing above-average about his game at all. Yorgey is coming off of a March upset of Ronald Hearns, taking Hitman Jr.'s "0" with a stunning ninth round knockout on Showtime. For Hearns it was a step up, but Ronald was still the heavy favorite.

Yorgey is 31 and has four children. He quit his construction job to become a full-time fighter, to try and make something of himself in one of the hardest professions you can go into. Jason LeHoullier was in his way last August. Hearns was in his way this past March. Now Angulo is in his way.

If you're looking for a great exhibition of pure boxing skill, this won't be the fight for you. Angulo and Yorgey are going to go toe-to-toe, and eventually, someone's going to break. Yorgey says he'll try to outbox Angulo, but I don't think that'll wind up working. Yorgey (now trained by Jack Loew) also believes his power will surprise Angulo, but "Perro" isn't worried about it.

But one thing I want to say is this: A good loss (you know what I mean by that, I'm sure) isn't the end of the world for either of them, so don't take it that way. Yes, they both would benefit greatly from the win -- focus on that. This fight, for both Angulo and Yorgey, is about who takes that step forward into a possible world title shot, not about who takes the step back. Something has to give between these two.

Prediction: And as far as that goes, I've got to go with Angulo. I think Yorgey's a great story and a heck of a tough fighter, and I don't think Alfredo's going to have an easy night by any stretch of the imagination. But I see Angulo, focused and improved, busting Yorgey up and stopping him in eight or nine rounds. Angulo steamrolled Rosado in August, and looked ferocious in doing so. Yorgey's skills are not massively better than Rosado's if they're really any better at all. But I don't think this will be the last we hear of either man, win or lose.

This Friday night at The Palms in Las Vegas, a couple of former world champions return to the ring. You'll have the option to order the broadcast for $24.99 on pay-per-view. And as much as I support boxing being available in all forms for anyone that wants to see a fight or a few, I cannot in good conscience support this card.

Why? I love boxing. And fighters like Judah aren't good for the sport at this point. I've bashed Zab before, and have admitted he's just not one of my favorite fighters. Never has been, never will be. But he's a frustrating guy as a fan, too, because his talent has never, ever been the problem. And it's not heart, either.

It's guts. Judah lacks guts.

Don't forget that Judah, former junior welterweight titlist and welterweight world champion, had a fight lined up on the July 18 Mayweather-Marquez undercard. When that fight was moved to September 19, Judah was still to be involved, against the same exact opponent. Matthew Hatton, the brother of Ricky, was ready, willing, able and, frankly, not much of a risk. Judah's pure talent trumps Matthew's so horribly that even the fact that Matthew is a big-hearted scrapper and Judah is anything but probably wasn't going to matter.

When Matthew Hatton decided to stop being jerked around by Judah's in-or-out act and take a minor welterweight title fight with Lovemore N'dou, Judah was offered Antonio Diaz as an opponent. It appeared good to go.

Then Zab pulled out entirely, bailing on the biggest boxing event of 2009 because the opponent apparently wasn't to his liking. "Not a big enough fight," he said. He then turned down a proposed fight with Shane Mosley, who he had agreed to face in 2008, only to pull out when he had an argument with his dad and allegedly punched a shower door.

He turned Mosley down. "Not enough money," he said. In the same breath, he said he'd be taking a couple of tune-up fights before the end of 2009.

The available names at 147 came no bigger than Mosley. Judah's already been spanked by Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto, and Mosley's desperation to find an opponent led him to Judah more than Judah being a legitimate contender anymore.

So which is it, Zab? Is it the money or the name value?

Whichever it is, neither will be present on Friday, when he gets back into the ring for the first time in a year to face journeyman Ubaldo Hernandez (22-19-2, 10 KO). Hernandez, 32, hasn't fought in two years, since he lost two straight to Frankie Figueroa and Rogelio Castaneda Jr., so is Judah trying to tell us that this is a better fight than Matthew Hatton or Antonio Diaz? That this was worth turning down Shane Mosley? That it's a legitimate fight in any way whatsoever?

He's taken "tune-up" to the absolute extreme with this opponent, the third man to be associated with Judah for this fight. He worked his way down until he found something easy enough, it appears. And he doesn't deserve your money or attention for this travesty, either.

On the undercard, former lightweight champ Joel Casamayor returns with his own completely overmatched opponent, 27-year old club fighter Jason Davis (11-4-1, 3 KO), an absolute non-threat. But Casamayor's fight at least has a story to it. The 38-year old Cuban will be moving up to junior welterweight for the fight, 14 months after losing his 135-pound crown to Juan Manuel Marquez.

Your money will also get you heavyweight Ronald Johnson (11-1, 3 KO) taking on Dumont Welliver (18-19-1, 6 KO), as well as Salvador Sanchez Jr. (16-3-2, 8 KO) facing some tomato can. So who's buyin'?!