WHY PACQUIAO WILL WIN BY EARLY KO
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 05 Nov 2009
Days before Team Pacquiao left the country for Los Angeles where he has resumed his preparation for his November 14 world welterweight championship fight with titleholder Miguel Cotto, chief trainer Freddie Roach was quoted by Filipino media men as to have predicted the Filipino icon will knock the Puerto Rican out in the first round.
While many believe that when Roach makes a projection it usually comes close to reality, such statement that drew mixed reactions from the international boxing world, including the Cotto camp which, naturally, disputed the claim.
Roach in that interview, himself came up with several reasons as to why he believes a whirlwind finish in favor of his prized student is possible.
First, Roach pointed out that the defending champ’s corner is very inexperienced to handle a fight against a ring-killer like Pacquiao.
The thrice ‘Trainer of the Year’ awardee noted, too, that Cotto doesn’t have the move fast enough to contain a speedy opponent as quick as the Filipino International Boxing Organization junior-welterweight champion.
Roach was also quoted by veteran chronicler Michael Marley as saying that the World Boxing Organization 147-pound kingpin is a kind of fighter that telegraphs his punches, and, like Ricky Hatton, whom Pacquiao sent to dreamland in less than six minutes, will suffer the same fate.
“With the amount of punches that Pacquiao will be throwing at Cotto, it won’t be not too remote that the world’s pound-for-pound great could open up cuts early and, ergo, wouldn’t even be breaking a sweat to score a fast victory,” Roach was quoted as saying.
Reason why, Roach once told this during Pacquiao’s training stint in Baguio, that the pan is to start “fast and finish strong.”
“This is the best strategy that we will be using against Cotto,” the trainer said, adding that being a slow starter, Cotto will be disrupted and bothered should Manny jumps the gun on him right from the opening bell. “We need to be fast and aggressive at the start.”
"We must not give him (Cotto) the momentum because he gets stronger as the fight goes on” he said citing Cotto’s recent fights against Zab Judah, two years ago and even against Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey lately.
In those outings Cotto was hit hard and forced to fight in retreat. Against Clottey, Miguel was trying to run the clock out and do just enough to win.
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