In a smart way, Cotto stops Pacquiao - De La Hoya

MANILA, Philippines – Oscar De La Hoya, one of Manny Pacquiao’s high-profile ring victims, sees the Filipino icon’s winning streak ending this time. In a blog he wrote for The Ring, De La Hoya, who recently retired from boxing, said Pacquiao will be in for a rude surprise when he faces Puerto Rican bomber Miguel Angel Cotto on Nov. 14 (Nov. 15 in Manila). “Now that the fight is getting closer, I’ve changed my mind about who I think will win. At first, I had Manny Pacquiao. I was a firm believer that Pacquiao’s speed was going to neutralize Miguel Cotto, especially after Cotto’s performance against Joshua Clottey in June,” the former multiple-division champion wrote. “Then, as the fight was getting closer and closer and I thought more about it, I’m now convinced Cotto will win. The reason is, first, nobody looks good against Clottey. He’s a difficult, strong, in-your-face type of fighter. And Cotto had that gash over his eye the whole fight. I thought he did an excellent job in light of that,” he added. De La Hoya said that at welterweight, Pacquiao does not pack enough punching power to be able to knock out a full-blown 147-pounder like Cotto. He cited his own welterweight duel with Pacquiao last December, where he was mercilessly battered by the Filipino but still managed to stay on his feet until his corner stopped the bout at the end of the eighth round. “Cotto has a good chin and a big heart. He’s a natural welterweight who hits hard and is also smart and fast. Pacquiao doesn’t hit hard enough to knock anyone out in the welterweight division. I’m basing that on my fight against Pacquiao. I could’ve stood there and put my face in front of him and he couldn’t have hurt me,” he said. De La Hoya had so much faith in Cotto that he thinks the Puerto Rican will be able to withstand whatever Pacquiao brings to the table. “A lot of people are counting him (Cotto) out after his last performance. I think he’s the real deal, though. I’ve seen his skills and I’ve seen his power. He’s proved himself against tough, rugged guys. He’s proved himself against slick boxers,” he continued. And the Golden Boy’s forecast? A late-round stoppage for Cotto. “I think Cotto is a smart fighter. I think he’ll get through those first few rounds and in a smart way he’ll walk down Pacquiao and possibly stop him in the later rounds,” De La Hoya predicted.

Source: philstar.com

Underdog role no concern for Cotto against Pacquiao

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Miguel Cotto has no qualms about being listed as the bookmakers' underdog for his WBO welterweight title defense against Filipino Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas next week. The Puerto Rican, who has an enviable career record of 34-1 featuring 27 knockouts, is confident his power and meticulous preparation will trump Pacquiao's speed when the fighters clash on November 14. "I don't know anything about the betting business," Cotto said on a conference call from his training camp in Las Vegas on Thursday. "I am just here to try to bring my best every day in the gym. "With all the work I make in my training camp, I am going to the fight to win money. "I am here for myself, not for any kind of bet. "I am prepared for anything Manny can bring to this fight. He has a lot of things besides his speed and I am prepared for all he can show me at this time." Pacquiao, (49-3-2, 37 KOs), is widely viewed as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world but Cotto believes the Filipino southpaw has picked the wrong opponent for his first bout in the welterweight division. "Manny comes from a lower weight division and if he thinks he is going to have the same power as Miguel Cotto, he is thinking pretty wrong," the Puerto Rican said. "He has picked the wrong moment and the wrong fighter. If he thinks he is going to win against Miguel Cotto, he is pretty wrong."

RENOWNED SPEED

Cotto, who retained his WBO title with a gruelling split decision win over Ghana's Joshua Clottey in June, was confident he would be able to cope with Pacquiao's renowned speed. "We know he has speed and style and that is why you prepare yourself to beat him," he said. "You will find out on the 14th how I am going to deal with his speed and it is not going to be the factor that everyone thinks it is." Pacquiao cemented his status as the sport's premier fighter with a stunning second round knockout of Britain's Ricky Hatton in May to claim the IBO light welterweight crown. Since then, he and his trainer Freddie Roach have frequently discussed the possibility of a lucrative bout with undefeated American welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr, leaving many fans to regard the Cotto fight as a formality. Cotto, however, was unfazed by suggestions he was being underappreciated by the Pacquiao camp. "What they say and do doesn't concern me," the 29-year-old said. "I know they know what they have in front of them. I know what I can do to him and he better be focused on what he is up against in Miguel Cotto. "It's not really important what the boxing world wants to see or wants to do. "Once I beat Manny Pacquiao on November 14, they continue their plans and do whatever they want but I am not going home without winning this fight."

Source: reuters.com

Aces chase record 6th win versus Whoppers

MANILA, Philippines - Streaking Alaska Milk team goes for a new franchise record as it guns for its sixth straight victory against Burger King in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome today. Aces coach Tim Cone said making it 6-0 will certainly be a big motivation as they play the Whoppers in the second game of a triple-bill which also marks the resumption of Smart Gilas’ guest stint in the tourney. The RP training pool, with naturalization candidate C.J. Giles in tow, goes up against Coca-Cola at 2:30 p.m., hoping to nail a first win after losing its first three games to Burger King, Talk n Text and Barangay Ginebra. Barako Bull, a lowly regarded squad off to a solid start in the tourney, takes on a badly-depleted Barangay Ginebra at 7:30 p.m., determined to pull off another surprise after claiming a pair of stunners over the Coke Tigers and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Jayjay Helterbrand, with a strained knee, is joining Mark Caguioa in the sidelines. Focus, however, will be on the Aces, who are seeking to keep their romp against a team which is definitely no pushover. “It’s not easy beating (coach) Yeng Guiao’s team. They have no superstar but they work hard. They’re a blue-collar team that can rise to the challenge,” said Cone of the Whoppers. “They get under your skin. They’re physical and they’re tough, and I hate playing that kind of team,” Cone also said of the team that beat them convincingly in a tune-up in the off-season. The Aces, however, are highly motivated as they tangle with the Whoppers, looking to surpass the 5-0 start they made in the 1998 All-Filipino Conference. The last time Alaska had a 6-0 start in a tourney was in the 1996 Commissioner’s Cup. It was the Aces’ grand slam season featuring stars Johnny Abarrientos, Jojo Lastimosa, Bong Hawkins, Poch Juinio and Jeffrey Cariaso. The Whoppers, on the other hand, try to check their slide and start a run to catch up with the early frontrunners. Burger King is tied with Coca-Cola at eighth place with identical 1-3 cards, a game and a half ahead of cellar-dweller Rain or Shine. The Tigers have just broken into the win-column with a 93-79 bashing of the Purefoods Giants Friday. They hope to build up momentum as they meet the RP aspirants today. Giles, who returned to the country Sunday, will be back in action with the RP training pool after playing only a few minutes against the Tropang Texters and sitting out the whole game against the Kings.

Phillies' collective slump hastened fall

The Philadelphia Phillies’ bid to become the first National League team in 33 years to win consecutive World Series titles fell two wins short against the New York Yankees with a 7-3 loss in Game 6 Wednesday. “Our goal is to come back and play again, and hopefully we play the Yankees again,” manager Charlie Manuel said. Chase Utley tied Reggie Jackson’s record for homers in a Series with five, and Cliff Lee earned two wins. But the Phillies couldn’t overcome poor performance by three players who played crucial roles in helping them win the franchise’s second championship in 2008. Cole Hamels was Most Valuable Player of the World Series last year against Tampa Bay. Lidge got two saves versus the Rays and Ryan Howard had three homers and six RBIs. They won’t have fond memories of this one. The Phillies gave Hamels a 3-0 lead in the pivotal Game 3. But after tossing three scoreless innings, the temperamental lefty fell apart. He allowed five runs over 4 1-3 innings in an 8-5 loss that gave New York a 2-1 lead. Lidge, who led the majors with 11 blown saves in the regular season, made one appearance against the Yankees. He entered with the score tied in the ninth inning in Game 4. After retiring the first two batters, Lidge gave up three runs in a 7-4 loss. Howard, the MVP of the NL championship series against Los Angeles, set a record with 13 strikeouts in a World Series. Willie Wilson fanned 12 times for Kansas City against Philadelphia in 1980. Howard hit a two-run homer Wednesday. But the All-Star first baseman finished with a .174 batting average (4 for 23), one homer and three RBIs. “You don’t look at it as a failure. We had a great season. We just got beat by the better team,” Howard said. The defending champs cruised to their third straight NL East title with 93 wins and breezed through the first two rounds of the playoffs, beating Colorado in four games in the division series and the Dodgers in five in the NLCS. Still, the Phillies were 2 to 1 underdogs against the Yankees, who had 103 regular-season victories. The Vegas oddsmakers had it right all the way. No one was going to deny the best team that money can buy – New York’s payroll was $201 million on opening day – its 27th title. Howard, Hamels and Lidge weren’t the only problems for the Phillies. A potent offense that led the league in runs went into a collective slump at the worst time. Jimmy Rollins (.217), Shane Victorino (.182), Pedro Feliz (.174) and Ben Francisco (.000) couldn’t produce at the plate. Lee was masterful on the mound in Game 1 and helped the Phillies avoid elimination with a strong outing Monday night. Pedro Martinez was superb in a 3-1 loss in Game 2, but the wily 38-year-old right-hander failed to match that effort.

Pacquiao remains on track for title quest

Manny Pacquiao denied that humanitarian work in typhoon-ravaged Philippines took away from his training sessions for an upcoming title fight with Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao donated money and took time out from his sparring sessions to help the victims in the wake of typhoons that killed hundreds of people and rendered tens of thousands of families homeless in his native Philippines. "It was mentally draining for him to see the devastation because thousands passed away and that is sad but once we stepped in the gym he was fine," trainer Freddie Roach said. About 1,000 people died due to the two storms and more than 162,000 people had to be moved into makeshift evacuation centres because of back-to-back typhoons Ketsana and Parma. Pacquiao (49-3-2, 27 KOs) said he would have liked to do more but had to get back to training or risk not being fully prepared to face World Boxing Organization champ Cotto in their November 14 fight in Las Vegas. "I wanted to help them but I am in the middle of heavy training," said Pacquiao. "It is difficult but I have to focus on my fight and nobody can help me in the ring. Pacquiao, of General Santos City, is chasing a piece of boxing history by trying to win seven titles in seven-different divisions. Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) has been called a throwback fighter but Roach says Pacquiao is more old school. "Manny is a throwback," said Roach, who is predicting Pacquiao will knock Cotto out. "He is like a Henry Armstrong type of guy. "He is carrying his punch and his power up with him. This would be one of the greatest achievements ever and he would surpass great ones like Sugar Ray Leonard. "Pacquiao, who attempted to run for a seat at the House of Representatives in 2007, arrived in Los Angeles on the weekend after training in both Baguio City and Manila for just over a month. He has been working the last few days with Roach at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles. "I am excited," Pacquiao said Wednesday. "It is going to be great because our style is kind of similar." "I am hungry to win this fight. I feel like I am in 100 percent condition. I can't wait until November 14." Roach said they had to leave for the US sooner than expected because of the demands on Pacquiao's time in the Philippines. "Baguio worked out well because we asked people to stay away," Roach said. "He didn't have politicians bothering him. "He was on fire the whole month there and we had great camp. The weather messed with us but we ran in the rain and we ran inside sometimes. "The last week in Manila was tougher because everyone was trying to pull him different ways. There were lots of politicians." Pacquiao is hugely popular among people of all ages in his native country and among Filipino expats, working overseas as labourers or domestic helpers. Roach took it one step further Wednesday saying that Pacquiao is more popular than American boxer Mike Tyson in his prime. "Even Mike Tyson didn't have the drawing power that Manny has," Roach said of his former fighter Iron Mike. "People just swarm (Pacquiao) to get a touch or a look. His countrymen love him. "He brightens up a room and has got a great smile. He's the type of fighter that is going to keep boxing alive." Roach said their game plan against Cotto is to stay away from underdog's devastating left hook and take away his counterpunching ability. "We watched all the tapes of him (Cotto)," Roach said. "Cotto has never fought a guy like Manny Pacquiao and I don't think he can handle it. "He is going to try to be a counterpuncher and not come at us." Roach said he thinks that if Pacquiao can wear Cotto down then the Puerto Rican star might give up. "I feel Miguel Cotto isn't deep enough and he can be hit," Roach said. "He took a beating in his fight with Antonio Margarito. He tried to quit in the ninth round holding his eye and he sucked it up came on and won the fight. We are not going to give him confidence in this fight. "We are making adjustments for Cotto's style and his big left hook. While Cotto is fighting at his natural weight (145 pounds), heavy favourite Pacquiao is moving up in class to meet the challenge. Asked if Pacquiao could go even heavier for his next fight, Roach said, "I don't think so. At 147 pounds we have to feed him five times a day to keep the weight on. Roach said the knockout to Margarito might have have scarred the confidence of Cotto "After you get knocked out for the first time in your life you need time to build your confidence back," Roach said. "You are undefeated and then you get knocked out, it is going to affect you. "We are just getting ready for Cotto and whatever he brings. If he wants to box us or fight us."

Source: google.com

Pacquiao back to ‘normal’

Manny Pacquiao has reverted back to his old ways. Despite the punishing effects of jet lag, Pacquiao still managed to give trainer Freddie Roach a reason to smile when the Filipino kicked off his sparring session on US soil on Wednesday at the Wild Card in Hollywood, less than three weeks before the November 14 duel with Miguel Cotto. Sparring 10 full rounds with unbeaten super-welterweight Shawn Porter and super-feather Ray Beltran and one guy Porter handpicked to help, Pacquiao didn’t resort to things that made Roach cringe the last time he worked out in Manila over the weekend. “It’s back to normal,” said Roach on the phone from the sweat shop located on Vine Street. “I was surprised that he looked good today despite the jet lag. There was no more playing around this time.” Pacquiao, Roach noted, did four rounds with Porter then had three apiece with Beltran and the unidentified fellow who subbed for original choice Raymond Serrano. “He had a lot more focus today than the last time (in Manila),” added Roach. Roach said another former sparmate, super-welter Rashad Holloway, will likely be called in to replace Serrano as Pacquiao hikes the number of rounds to 11 on Thursday and as much as 12 on Saturday before he begins to slow down next week. Roach expects Pacquiao’s showing to improve even more in the coming days now that they are training under familiar conditions. Meanwhile, Pacquiao and Roach are hosting a teleconference call this Thursday to give the media a deeper look into their training camp.

Source: mb.com.ph

Machida retains UFC title in decision over Rua

Lyoto Machida retained his light heavyweight title with a narrow unanimous decision over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 104 on Saturday night. Machida (16-0) lost a round for the first time in his UFC career during a tight, technical fight with Rua (18-4), but all three judges rewarded the champion with 48-47 advantages on their scorecards. Machida hung on with an injured leg and a bloody mouth in front of a Staples Center crowd that gradually switched its support from Machida to the underdog challenger, a fellow Brazilian. The fans loudly booed the final decision. "My corner told me that I was winning all the rounds," Rua said through an interpreter. "I feel like I won this fight, but a fight is a fight. What can I do?" Although Rua didn't win, he might have created a plan for future opponents against Machida, whose confounding karate-based style has baffled everyone to date. Rua concentrated on kicks to Machida's body and legs, attempting to negate the champion's peerless footwork and positioning, and it largely worked. Rua also rarely attempted to take down Machida, instead content to pick away at his defenses while staying away from Machida's counterpunching strengths.

"Whenever he wants, I'll try again," Machida said about the prospect of a rematch. "No problem."

Cain Velasquez also stopped Ben Rothwell 58 seconds into the second round of their heavyweight bout, pinning Rothwell against the cage and landing numerous left hands. Velasquez (7-0) is one step closer to a title shot against Brock Lesnar. The crowd booed the stoppage, but Rothwell appeared to be nearly defenseless against Velasquez's strikes. Velasquez used his skills from his college wrestling career at Arizona State to get Rothwell on the ground before finishing off the well-traveled mixed martial artist making his UFC debut. The loss was just the second in 16 fights for Rothwell, who protested the stoppage, insisting he could have taken more punishment. Velasquez likely won't get his shot at Lesnar for at least six months, with Lesnar scheduled to take on Shane Carwin next month in Las Vegas for UFC 106.