Fight Fans, here we go. Cotto-Pacquaio confirmed, baby

[Carbo]

Yeah. It's on. November.

Place your bets.

Awesome news for boxing fans.

A guaranteed thriller.

[EddieShredder]

Awesome... is it at 145?

If Pacman wins this (and I think he will), his resume will be unreal - and there's more to come, no doubt.

[Carbo]

Yup, 145. Arum has announced that he has commitment from both and he even has a for three-city press tour pencilled in. That sounds as definitive as it gets without seeing them at the press conference.

November 14th. You have no excuses. Make space in your diary now.

[damianhucker1]

i have just had this fight randomly come out today on my fantasy boxing game , i only show results that directly effect the game and theres no players in welter weight or light welterweight at the min but for the record , cotto won by ud

[whicker]

Probably too early to say, but who (if anyone) will screen this in the UK?

[johnty1888]

Sell the house, get rid of the missus, sell a kidney - do anything to get the money to go and see this one!!

[hitman_hatton1]

what a fight.

think pac will win on his speed.

not 100% on it though.

[observer1]

Considering Cotto in the past has rehydrated to around the 160lbs mark.

Cotto should take this by KO.

Pac could be facing a MW!

[banjo]

Considering Cotto in the past has rehydrated to around the 160lbs mark.

Cotto should take this by KO.

Pac could be facing a MW!

No doubt about it but don't forget in the past that Pac would come into a super featherweight bout on fight night weighing as a light welter. It's just a product of the weigh in taking place a day before the fight.

Though to be fair I think Pac will take it, I just think he's too fast for Cotto.

[Eraserhead]

The two most badass fighters in world boxing right now.

Cotto's just a bigger badass. A very, very clever one, too.

Unless Pacquiao can weather a storm like Margarito did, it's going to be Cotto all the way for me.

[big lennox]

Easy fight for Manny P at that weight. Cotto really struggles with the weight so anything lower than 147 is dangerous for him.What a shame.

[johnswan1]

Pacman by KO in the mid rounds.

[idle talk]

cotto to lose on a cut

[Dioufy]

My gut says Cotto by early KO, but I have backed both Hatton and de la Hoya to knock Pacquaio out, so take no notice to what I predict.

[idle talk]

i think its too hard to call, cotto could be a bit too big, but pacman could be to fast, it'll be a great fight, both fighters are my favourite on the world stage.

[My Name Is Earl]

By far, a bigger test than Ricky and Oscar. A cracker while it lasts!

Pac 1/2
Cotto 6/4

Set about right IMO.

[jBacca]

Pacman to prove he's just that good.

[alexpaterson]

Great news this could be a cracker made at a good weight not to far for Cotto to come down and not to far for Pac to go up I see Pacquiao winning on points close but clear should be good though

[Carbo]

This thread shows just what is so good about this fight. Not only is it two guys of peerless ring craft, skill and power, and two guys who like to attack, but the predictions on this thread have gone from Cotto by early KO to Pacquiao to batter Cotto from pillar to post and everything inbetween.

Aweeeesssssoooommmmee.

[J]

Cotto will get battered from pillar to post.

doo doo wop to that terry, Cotto too mechanical, Pac too fast.

[Carbo]

Cotto will get battered from pillar to post.

doo doo wop to that terry, Cotto too mechanical, Pac too fast.

I would love to cut and paste the full lyrics to that song in reply, but I cannot find them online.

I am instead pasting a poem about breasts, just to show how happy I am about this fight.

WHEN she rises in the morning
I linger to watch her;
She spreads the bath-cloth underneath the window
And the sunbeams catch her
Glistening white on the shoulders,
While down her sides the mellow
Golden shadow glows as
She stoops to the sponge, and her swung breasts
Sway like full-blown
Gloire de Dijon roses.

She drips herself with water, and her shoulders
Glisten as silver; they crumble up
Like wet and falling roses, and I listen
For the sluicing of their rain-dishevelled petals.
In the window full of sunlight
Concentrates her golden shadow
Fold on fold, until it glows as
Mellow as the glory roses.

Hugh Hefner

Cotto reminds me of a particularly devout nun, he doesn't like it up him. I think Manny will hit too fast, too often, and too hard, Cotto will bust up, is too slow, and will be hammered into defeat, possibly turning away or giving up on his stool. Signs were there during the Margo fight, and during his last contest.

I do like and respect Cotto, but I think he is a flat track bully, and that will cost him in this fight. Hatton and Oscar were similar, against a guy with no respect for them, no fear over their size, and mad fast hands, they will fall apart.

People say Oscar lost because he was dead at the weight. I differ, with respect, I think he was not good enough to beat Manny, weight or no weight.

Terry, I agree that Pacquiao should win, but I'm nowhere near as certain as you.

Four points.

The first is that whatever you say, both Dela Hoya and Hatton put in terrible performances that represented career nadirs for both men. Of course the awesome speed, power and crisp boxing of Pacquaio probably had something to do with that, but I also believe that there is something to Dela Hoya's weight management, and Hatton's farcical camp. I still think Pacquaio, on the night, would have hammered them both, but the fact neither man threw anything back at all to discourage the ferocious little Filipino means that neither fight gave him the test that the names on the CV suggest.

Second, Cotto is faster and more skillful than you give him credit for. He boxed beautifully off the back foot in the first seven rounds against Margarito, showing footwork and fluid, hard combinations that for me took his boxing to a whole new level. Clottey is the type of fighter who can make anyone look bad, in the way Winky Wright could a decade ago at 154, yet Cotto still came through terrible troubles with his camp in the build up, a new and completely inexperienced trainer, and a cut through which he could have had twins, to eek out the win.

Third, Cotto is by far the heaviest hitting and strongest opponent Pacquiao has faced. By a long, long way. And that always injects uncertainty into the mix. Cotto will be little different at 145 as he is at 147.

Finally, Pacquiao has been discouraged in the past. Body shots and cuts have discomforted him and made him lose aggression and drop output for periods in fights against both Morales and Marquez, but for his last three, he hasn’t been challenged, or even hit, at all. Cotto, on the other hand, will.

Anyway, I still think Manny’ll win, but I can’t say so with your confidence.

[DavidPayne]

Its a distance fight, well 10 plus.

Could be Hagler v Hearns for intensity.

This could be a thriller.

Cotto is no slouch in any department and a big bugger at 145.

[Carbo]

Its a distance fight, well 10 plus.

Could be Hagler v Hearns for intensity.

This could be a thriller.

Cotto is no slouch in any department and a big bugger at 145.

Oh stop it, David. I'm already over-excited, and here you are telling me it could be ten rounds of Hagler-Hearns.

If this carries on, my head will crack open by September

[Asterix]

If Cotto maintains a good body attack throughout the fight then that will put a spanner in the works for Pacquiao. But I think Pacquiao will use constant movement and should avoid danger. If he gets caught I think he's got the smarts to avoid any further punishment until he's OK.

Pacquiao KO mid to late.

[Hagler2002]

Cotto handled Mosley's speed so I can't see why he cant handle Pacquiao's. Cotto imo will be far to big for Manny which for me is his first real test against an elite fighter above 130.