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LAS VEGAS, Nevada : Manny Pacquiao says even at his maximum fighting weight he still has the lightning hand speed and ring savvy to counter the raw power of Miguel Cotto.

"I feel stronger at this weight than I ever have," Pacquiao said. "My punches are harder, my speed is intact. I keep getting warned about Cotto's body attack. Cotto should be worried about my body attack."

Pacquiao, who turns 31 next month, is seeking to win his fifth major title in five different weight classes when he steps into the ring Saturday to face Puerto Rican champ Cotto for the World Boxing Organization welterweight title.

Pacquiao's camp says a win over Cotto would give him seven titles in seven classes but some in boxing circles dispute that figure because there were no major titles on the line in victories over Marco Barrera (featherweight) and Ricky Hatton (junior welterweight). The Hatton fight was for an lightly regarded IBO belt and the Barrera bout was for an WBC international title.

Oscar De La Hoya stands as the only fighter to have won major championships in six different weight classes.

Still what Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) has done in the ring is remarkable. His major titles have came in a weight classes ranging from 112 to 140 pounds and he is the first Asian to win four or more major titles.

He weighed just 106 pounds in his pro debut in 1995 and captured his first title in the 112-pound flyweight division.


And he has managed to achieve what many other boxers failed to do and that is to maintain his speed and power as he moves up to challenge heavier opponents.

"My speed is still there. If you have speed then you generate your own power," said Pacquiao, who is the odds on favourite to win Saturday and take Cotto's (34-1, 27 KOs) belt.

"We know that he is bigger than me and stronger than me but we studied his style for the past two months and we have our strategy.

"Speed, power and being smart will lead to success."

Pacquiao reiterated on Wednesday that he won't fight any higher than welterweight.

"No, no, no that is enough," he said. "It is amazing to even myself and I can't believe I can fight at 147 pounds.

"I started at 105 pounds but right now my speed is still the same. My goal in my boxing career is to always keep the speed even if I move up to high weight division because if you have speed you can create your power."

Challenger Pacquiao's last defeat was in March 2005 to Erik Morales. He has won 10 straight fights, including seven by knockout since losing to Morales.

"Cotto is the champion for this fight and he is not that easy as what people think. I don't take this fight lightly. He trained hard for this fight that is why we have to focus.

"I am prepared for anything Miguel Cotto has to offer," Pacquiao said. "I have studied all his tapes, and I feel like I know him like I know myself. It's going to be a great fight between two great fighters. "

Freddie Roach has been Pacquiao's trainer for the past eight years.

"We had a great training camp," Roach said. "Manny is 100 percent. We are in great shape and I have never seen my fighter looking better. Miguel, good luck to you and we'll see you Saturday.

"Going in I thought 147 would be Manny's limit, but after this training camp I don't know where his boundaries end."

Roach said neither Pacquiao's widespread popularity or humanitarian work in the wake of a series of deadly typhoons were a distraction to his training for this fight.

"We never missed a day of training," Roach said. "We had a lot of chaos around us. But when he goes into the gym, everything else stays outside and he is the hardest worker I have ever seen."

Promoter Bob Arum says the interest in this fight is higher than he has seen in a long time and it has elevated boxing back onto the front pages of newspaper sports sections.

"Manny Pacquiao has meant a lot to the sport of boxing," Arum said Wednesday.

Longtime boxing trainer Nazim Richardson said too many people have underestimated Pacquiao in the past and got burned.

"I think Manny Pacquiao is going to steal the fight that night," said Richardson who trains Shane Mosley.

"Calling Pacquiao little in his weight class is like calling Mike Tyson a little heavyweight. Pacquiao is a solid guy but his size fools people. He knows how to make the round look like the little guy is dominating the big man."

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