Cotto: I didn’t know where the punches were coming from

      It was Erik Morales who first blurted out this confession after his epic trilogy with Manny Pacquiao ended with his devastating defeat at the hands of the Filipino phenom. We heard it again from David Diaz after he kissed the canvass no thanks to a wicked left hook from Pacquiao in the ninth round of their Lightweight championship fight. Oscar De La Hoya was next and he realized that it was indeed true when he forced to quit on his stool PacMan in their lopsided encounter at 147 lbs. As for Ricky Hatton… well, he never got a chance to even see a glimpse of the single savage blow that sent him to dreamland in their clash at 140 lbs almost a year ago.

       On Saturday night, the 15^th of November, it was Miguel Angel Cotto, a legitimate top 5 pound for pound fighter, a natural welterweight, and the reigning WBO champion who attempted to decipher the Manny Pacquiao riddle, and failed… miserably.  So miserable was his failure that after the fight was mercifully ended by referee Kenny Bayless in the middle of the final round, Cotto’s face was a bloody mess.  His white boxing shorts turned red from his own blood. 

It wasn’t from lack of trying, or lack of skill and power.  Make no mistake, Miguel Cotto was a great, technical fighter, and he still is.  Even after absorbing two knockdowns within the first five rounds, he was still taking the fight to Pacquiao and had a good chance of beating the Pac-Man.   

As it turned out, however, and much to the surprise and amazement of Cotto and the rest of the world watching, Pacquiao raised the level of his performance even higher.  He took the best shots Cotto had to dish out.  He tested and measured the power of a true welterweight by leaning his back to the ropes on several occasions, daring Cotto to fire away with all wicked intents on his body.  And then, just as quickly, he turned the tables on Cotto and unleashed a barrage of punches from all angles.  Manny’s relentless attack and superior hand speed proved too much for Cotto. 

From the sixth round onwards, it was already clear as to who had the advantage. The smaller, faster fighter was now continuously stalking the bigger and stronger fighter. Cotto was no longer looking to win the fight but rather to finish it standing up.

When the smoke had settled, Manny Pacquiao had collected his seventh world title in as many weight categories, an unprecedented feat in the world of boxing, and one that cemented his legendary status and held his name in comparison to the other all time legends as Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Leonard, and even Muhammad Ali.

Now, there is just one more fight left for Manny Pacquiao, the pound for pound best fighter in the world, and the pride of the Philippines to make which could propel him to greatest of all time status. Bring on Floyd Mayweather, Jr.!