Pacquiao Defeats Cotto with Speed and Strategy

Manny Pacquiao fighting Miguel Cotto was a promotional dream from the beginning. Both fighters have tremendous weapons in their arsenals. Unlike many championship fights of the past, designed to scoop a king's ransom pay-per-view gate with no question as to who would win, the Pacquiao Cotto match up promised results that were not as easily predictable.

Many claimed that Cotto's power may be too much for Pacquiao. There was suspicions that the smaller Pacquiao may get overwhelmed by the strength and technical knowhow of the the larger Cotto. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

As the fight began, it appeared as though some of the early suspicions regarding the Pacquiao Cotto results might come true. Cotto established a solid jab in the first round that looked to possibly set the pace for the rest of the fight. As it turned out, Pacquiao was simply studying his larger opponent.

"I wanted to test his power," said Pacquiao.

Test his power he did. Round one went to Cotto having established the jab and Pacquiao being content to feel him out. The results that followed however would be considerably different.

The next two rounds were scooped by Pacquiao. A strong third round had Pacquiao catching Cotto, the result sending Cotto to the canvas. The fight still remained close despite the knockout and although Cotto had been knocked down, he did not seem seriously hurt. He came out in the fourth looking fresh.

Between the third and fourth rounds, Freddy Roach, Pacquiao's trainer criticized his fighter for fighting Cotto's fight. He explained to him that he wanted him to stick to the game plan. Roach didn't want Pacquiao walking into Cotto's right hand or taking unnecessary punishment. Pacquiao had something else in mind.

As the fourth round began the two fighters came out looking strong. Both appeared to be showing the will to step into the mix and take punishment. Each demonstrated their ability to exchange mixed flurries of punches to both the head and body. It was a skillful ballet of pugilistic determination.

As the round progressed, Pacquiao began to appear as though he may be tiring. He took time up against the ropes to absorb a series of punches from Cotto to both the head and body. Against the ropes was the last place Roach wanted his fighter to be. The entire time however, Pacquiao knew exactly what he was doing.

The larger Cotto continued to hammer on Pacquiao while Manny kept his hands up as if prepared for any results that followed. What emerged was boxing greatness. In a display reminiscent of Ali against Foreman in Zaire many years ago, Paquito's strategy against Cotto at the moment seemed to bear the results he was searching for. Much like Foreman against Ali, Cotto began to appear fatigued. He was having trouble piercing Paquito's defense in the rope-a-dope. Pacquiao seized the moment.

After taunting Cotto a couple time in an attempt to get him to punch himself out, Pacquiao slipped out from against the ropes and began a barrage himself. Like the brilliant tactician that he is, Pacquiao continued to circle to his right avoiding the power in Cotto's right hand and kept him busy with combinations that came with incredible speed. So fast were Manny's punches that the commentators mistakenly called which hand knocked Cotto down again only moments later.

With a powerful shot that knocked Cotto down for the second time in the fight, Pacquiao seemed to really hurt Cotto for the first time. Had it not been for the fact that only seconds remained in the round, the fight may have been over right there. Instead, Pacquiao treated the fans to several more rounds of his technical majesty before the referee finally stopped the fight with the results showing Pacquiao the victor over the allegedly stronger Cotto.

They say now he may very well be the greatest little big man to ever fight. He is the only fighter to ever win titles in seven different weight classes. His first coming at 106 pounds. His promoter Bob Arum believes he may be the best fighter he has ever seen. That is some pretty impressive company when you think of who Arum has worked with including, Ali, Ray Leonard and Hagler.

One thing is for sure. After viewing the results from the Pacquiao Cotto match up, we are surely seeing one of the greatest champions of all time. This coming at a time when boxing could use a boost back to its former glory.