Cotto’s advantage

By Edri K. Aznar

WHILE a lot of experts believe that pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will win his Nov. 14 date with World Boxing Organization welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto, three-division world champion Felix Trinidad thinks otherwise and is betting on his countryman to come out victorious on the much-anticipated super fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Trinidad believes that the 28-year-old Cotto has the edge over the smaller Pacquiao because the Puerto Rican world champion is a natural welterweight.

“On the night of the fight, Pacquiao will still not be a full welterweight. And Cotto is very strong. As the fight plays out, around rounds 7, 8, 9 is when Cotto starts taking over. I think Cotto will win by decision but he might even get a knockout.

With all of my heart I think Miguel Cotto will win,”

The 36-year-old Trinidad respects Pacquiao’s boxing skills but he believes Cotto still has the advantage because of his strength and size.

“Manny is a bigger puncher and a good boxer but he never faced a natural welterweight like Miguel,” he said.

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Trinidad isn’t convinced with Pacquiao’s eighth round destruction over the aging Oscar dela Hoya, the only welterweight Pacquiao has faced, because he believes that the Mexican-American boxing icon wasn’t the fighter that he used to be.

“Oscar was a great champion. He did many, many great things in boxing. When I fought him it was a great fight. But when he fought Pacquiao, Oscar was already a little past his prime. He was not the same,” he said.

Trinidad had a memorable battle with dela Hoya, where he won a 12-round majority decision in their world title unification bout 10 years ago.


Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on November 4, 2009.