Considering a fight against “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather is nowhere near materializing, many boxing fans, analysts and pundits have begun clamoring for a high-profile rematch pitting Manny Pacquiao against powerful Puerto Rican icon Miguel Cotto on November 10 at a venue to be determined.
The bombastic CEO of Top Rank, Bob Arum, traveled to the Philippines on Monday to discuss with Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) if he should battle WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, WBA, WBO and The Ring lightweight royalty Juan Manuel Marquez or Cotto (37-3, 30 KOs).
Cotto (37-3, 30 KOs), a four-time world titleholder in three weight divisions, last threw fists on Cinco de Mayo when he relinquished the WBA world light-welterweight belt via unanimous decision to Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs).
The tough native of Caguas, who fought gamely in the bruising bout and bloodied the usually untouchable Mayweather, suffered a savage TKO defeat to Pacquiao in November 2009.
However, Cotto and Pacquiao were both far different prizefighters three years ago and they clashed then at a catchweight of 145 pounds.
Arum, a corruptible weasel who acknowledged during a 2000 federal trial that he bribed the International Boxing Federation (IBF) to attain a higher ranking for one of his pugilists, believes “The Fighting Pride of the Philippines” would be willing to do a sequel with the naturally larger Cotto at 150 pounds.
Prior to their exciting clash on El Día de la Batalla de Puebla, the 35-year-old Mayweather, a nine time titlist in five different weight classes, said he considered Cotto to be an undefeated prizefighter.
Mayweather’s stance that Cotto, a four-time world champion in three weight divisions, had never been fairly trumped was legitimate.
In rogue fashion, Cotto “lost” his first bout as a professional against “The Tijuana Tornado” Antonio Margarito by a savage 11th round TKO in July 2008.
Roughly seven months after his disturbingly violent thrashing of Cotto, Margarito (38-8, 27 KOs) had his boxing license justifiably revoked by the California State Athletic Commission in February 2009 after it was discovered that he attempted to maim former three-division titlist "Sugar" Shane Mosley with a plaster-like substance inside of his hand wraps.
Fortunately, "Margacheato" was caught and proven to be a cowardly charlatan by officials at the Staples Center in Los Angeles before the bell rang and he had an opportunity to seriously injure Mosley (46-7-1-1, 39 KOs) with his cement fists.
"He faced Antonio Margarito, a guy who everybody said I was scared of, and he got caught cheating,” said Mayweather, who earned a bronze medal as a featherweight at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Cotto retained his belt and earned revenge versus Margarito with a 10th round TKO in their rematch before an electric crowd of 21,239 last December at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The 5-foot-7 brawler pulverized, and outclassed, Margarito for nine rounds before the ring doctor mercifully intervened and saved the evil Mexican from absorbing further damage to his right-eye.
Cotto, who was a visibly different prizefighter after Margarito bashed him a few hundred times with cinder blocks, was shortly thereafter defeated for a second time by “Pac-Man” at an unnatural weight.
At 31, brimming with confidence, and flourishing under the tutelage of new trainer Pedro Diaz, Cotto represents the best fistfight that realistically can be made now with Pacquiao.
Roger “Pit” Perron is a venerable boxing trainer from Brockton (Mass.) who now works with Mike and Rich Cappiello at their gym, Cappiello Brothers Boxing and Training.
Perron adamantly stated that Cotto is far from being a shopworn pugilist.
“Cotto isn’t done yet. He proved that against that scumbag (Antonio) Margarito and against Floyd,” said Perron, 75, who worked with Marvelous Marvin Hagler. “He (Cotto) is a true fighter in every sense.”
In all likelihood, rather than again face Cotto or the 28-year-old Bradley (29-0-0-1, 12 KOs), presently rated by Ring Magazine as the eighth pound-for-pound pugilist in the world, Pacquiao will tussle with Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs) for a fourth time in either Las Vegas or Mexico City this autumn.
The 33-year-old Pacquiao is wise to avoid Cotto as though the future Hall of Famer is akin to anthrax.
If Miguel Cotto ever boxed the famed Filipino as he did Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao would vacate the squared circle with the fifth defeat of his illustrious career.
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