A Damaged Miguel Cotto Was Gobbled Up By Pacman
By Lester Salvador
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I don’t wanna take anything away from Manny Pacquiao’s Nov. 14th victory over Miguel Cotto, he did what he had to do, dispose of a guy who was basically just a shell of his former self.
Miguel Cotto, however, was mishandled and used as a pawn, he had no time to rest. I felt great sadness at what foul treatment Cotto was given.
Instead of allowing this man to let his body rest and heal properly they rushed him right away into a fight with a well rested Manny Pacquiao.
The boxing match was not on equal terms. Miguel had to cut an extra 2 pounds because the fight was at a 145lb catch weight, he had to fight immediately after getting in a brutal war with Joshua Clottey, and he got the smaller purse against Pacquiao. Sadly, Miguel Cotto may never be championship level again after the unnecessary beating he received.
This type of tragedy happens in boxing, when a fighter becomes ruined at a young age and is never the same. Cotto reminds me of Fernando Vargas, both are young men who got worn way to soon because of the physical beatings they took early in their careers.
Cotto was denied his full potential, he was never the same after the beating he took from Antonio Margarito. Margarito who was caught loading his gloves for the Shane Mosley fight could have loaded them for his previous fights including the Cotto one.
Cotto was destined to be one of the greatest Puerto Rican boxers of all time but was denied his full potential because he was rushed along. Cotto was used to build up Manny Pacquiao’s Career, they knew he was not the same fighter, he needed time to rest but Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao saw already that Cotto was not the same and demanded that fight.
Manny Pacquiao should be grateful this Thanksgiving for having the privilege of not having to go through the tough route that Miguel Cotto had to endure.
I have so much respect for Cotto, he is a good man an honorable man with a good heart. Cotto shown humility in defeat and class during the Pacquiao fight.
It was so hard for me to watch the replay on HBO. That didn’t look like the Miguel Cotto his fans came to know and love. His corner didn’t even help him with any good advice, it was all Miguel Cotto himself, the least they could of done for him was hire a top trainer like Emmanuel Steward.
I hope he takes a year off and rests before even considering a comeback. Miguel Cotto, you lost that night but you didn’t lose the fans, you are a true warrior who fought the best at their weight and on equal terms.
(Please refrain from leaving any Vulgar, Racist comments or they will be removed, Thank You)
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Just as expected this writer are full of excuses, if cotto defeated pacquiao cotto is great but when pacquiao defeated cotto cotto is damaged goods, for once give pacquiao due credit for his win.
It is often baffling why such a nice, humble, yet exciting fighter like Manny Pacquiao would be a target of player haters. He does not have the same self-aggrandizing pomp and brash personality of a Floyd Mayweather, nor the verbal antics of a Ricardo Mayorga, but for some reason, Pacquiao is an easy target.
excuses excuses excuses. if you watch pacquiao cotto 24/7 then you would hear miguel saying that the past is the past. as an athlete and any athlete should know this, if you compete in a tournment and get whooped on, place last or whatever, by the next one your fully healed and ready to go. miguel brought his game that night, player haters man.
as for floyd showing off his money and throwing it in the air, nobody wants to see that in a broke economy, its like a demon with a full stomach thats rich while the poor starve. yeah he feeds the homeless, but only on camera and media. He says hes blessed by God. not Jesus Christ God, but the Devil god, he supplies a man with earthly riches. Peace out man.
Another wanker-wannabe. Hey writer, been reading articles from author-flamers and learned from them?
Uhuh, just mention Pacquiao’s name in your title and then mock him. Anything else follows…
Get a real job!
lester, i guess you are one of those wanabee writers/boxing analyst…stop now since you will never amount to anything with regards to writing or analyst. explain to me then…was clottey not a good fighter? he is one of the top welterweights for your information! you are complaining of the 2 pounds that cotto has to cut…again for your informtion he weighed in at 146 for the clottey fight! look if you don’t know what you are talking about, don’t even try. do you really think pacquiao had it easy with his career? think again! he came from another country and he came to the U.S looking for a trainer and nobody wanted him except roach! he didn’t have the luxury to fight as an amateur, he fought as a professional as soon as he was able to for him to help out his family and that lester was not a walk in the park! he learned boxing the hard way without the benefit of a good trainer, he learned along the way. cotto on the other hand has the benefit of training as an amateur…man how arrogant can you be to think you know better than the likes of emanuel steward and larry merchant. these two praised pacquiao for his achievements, now who are you compared to these two? next time keep your opinion to yourself, nobody wants to hear them!!!!
March 19, 2005 – Pacquiao loses UD to Morales
Six months later:
September 10, 2005 – Pacquiao KOs Héctor Velázquez
January 21, 2006 – Pacquiao KOs Morales
July 26, 2008 – Margarito TKO over Cotto
Six plus months later:
February 21, 2009 – Cotto TKO over Jennings
June 13, 2009 – Cotto SD over Clottey
November 14, 2009 – Pacquiao TKO over Cotto
If you’re going to compare apples to apples, look at the timeline after a fighter loses, instead of placing your own spin. If Cotto had won against Pacquiao, would your reply still have been that he was “rushed along?”
By Steve Lewis: Previously, I had written about the common post-Pacquiao fight phenomenon called “Monday Morning Quarterbacking.” There is also another sister effect to Monday Morning Quarterbacking. It has been part of our landscape since time immemorial. It is what is referred to by the newer generation as “player hating,” which is often defined as the disliking, resenting, or disapproving of a person due to his/her success or coveted assets. The term “player hater” is often associated with those who are jealous or envious of someone else’s achievements.
Whether it is a frivolous and unsubstantiated claim of steroid use, or claims that Manny Pacquiao drains out opponents, or that he avoids fighters of a particular nationality, or that he plain lacks the skills of a true pugilist, people who make such criticisms often have an agenda. And one will be hard-pressed to be objective and unbiased when there is an agenda dictating how they view and perceive things.
It is often baffling why such a nice, humble, yet exciting fighter like Manny Pacquiao would be a target of player haters. He does not have the same self-aggrandizing pomp and brash personality of a Floyd Mayweather, nor the verbal antics of a Ricardo Mayorga, but for some reason, Pacquiao is an easy target. For the fan base of other fighters out there, it is perhaps the product of their disdain for Pacquiao’s rabid fan base and fanatical following, rather than due to Pacquiao himself. Now every major fighter has their legion of followers, but be that as it may, that is no reason to hate on the man himself. One needs to separate the “idol” from the “idolaters.” Those are two separate entities.
But for other fighters, trainers, or promoters who player hate, theirs is due to something much more concrete: the pursuit of the almighty buck! Now money is not the only thing. Reputations and one’s place in the sports landscape and hierarchy factor in.
Nate Campbell: It has already been well documented that Nate Campbell had always desired a match against Pacquiao. Join the long list of those wanting to strike it rich in the Pacquiao sweepstakes. What differentiates Campbell as a Pacquiao player hater from all other would-be challengers is that Campbell does not primarily focus on his own attributes as a challenger, but rather downplays and belittles Pacquiao’s attributes as an opponent instead. It’s a classic “I-don’t-want-you-to-focus-on-my-shortcomings-so-let-me-deflect-the-attention-elsewhere” routine.
Others like Edwin Valero will not say, “Pacquiao sucks.” But rather Valero makes a case for himself by citing his punching power as a possible factor in defeating Pacquiao. The same with Shane Mosley. He does not demean Pacquiao in trying to land a match against him, but rather cites to his size, speed and championship experience to prove his worth.
So Nate Campbell’s grandstanding does not get taken seriously, particularly with the irresponsible use of the race card and claims that Pacquiao does not fight people at their own weight. Well, guess what? Pacquiao does not fight at his own weight either! Who knows what weight class he really belongs in? Is he a junior welter or a welterweight? Or is he just a bulked up lightweight? We’re not sure! So these justifications by Campbell is without much merit. Ivan Calderon can balloon all the way up to cruiserweight and challenge Vitali Klitschko at a catch-weight at the cruiserweight limit, and if Calderon pummels Klitschko to a bloody pulp, Campbell would probably say that Calderon did not beat Klitschko at his natural weight (heavyweight), rather than marvel at the fact that a way smaller guy went up in weight and beat a bigger man. That is what is referred to as a “lack of perspective.”
And as a side note, as I see this constantly out there, 147 pounds is the welterweight MAXIMUM LIMIT. It does not mean that you have to weigh in at 147 to be a welterweight! All that is required for one to be a welterweight is to weight above 140 pounds, and no more than 147. So many people cannot grasp this concept of a weight ceiling. 147 is max, not a minimum. If the argument was “Allow a welterweight to max out at the limit if he wants to,” then fine. But get the concepts straight.
And arguments about weight drain are overly exaggerated anyway. If Miguel Cotto were asked to fight at lightweight or even at jr. welter, then yes. There may be some merit there. But remember, Pacquiao did not have to do anything for Cotto. Pacquiao could have easily said, “Hey, Miguel. Want in on the Pacquiao sweepstakes? You come down to my division at 140.” But he didn’t. Instead, Pacquiao decided that he would be the one to climb up to welterweight, with the concession that Cotto come in one pound under what he previously came in at (which was 146 for the Joshua Clottey fight). Was that an unreasonable request? It was probably unnecessary, but was it unreasonable? If that extra one pound was make-or-break for Cotto, then that’s an indication of bigger problems. As I have said in football, if you can’t get a 1st down on 4th and inches, you probably don’t deserve to win anyway.
Paulie Malignaggi: Another example of a fighter who is proven wrong one too many times, and has to find a reason as to why he gets debunked constantly. Malignaggi predicted a Pacquiao loss in both the Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto fight. Both predictions missed their mark. But to rationalize and justify his gross miscalculation, he implicitly attributes it to something sinister instead: steroids (and then cowers behind a disclaimer that he’ll “leave it at that”). And you can lump in the Mayweathers among this group. How could they be so wrong in their assessment of Pacquiao? “Well, it must be something like steroids because I can’t possibly be that off, can I?”
It should be noted that Malignaggi lost to both Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton. And for him to witness the spectacular dismantling of those two by Pacquiao leaves Malignaggi in quandary, because where does that put him in relation to Pacquiao? Afraid perhaps to realize that Pacquiao is light years ahead of him, it is easier to dismiss it by alleging steroid use as a way to explain the unpalatable (which the Nevada State Athletic Commission has already confirmed that Pacquiao is clean). Malignaggi goes the extra mile in belittling the NSAC’s testing procedures, stating how it’s easy to beat the tests. Now that’s really grasping for straws. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it.
All other boxers who still think that Pacquiao’s achievements are not all that special: let us see you do better. One would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the current top-10 super featherweight or lightweight division who can legitimately beat Miguel Cotto, even at a 145 lb catch-weight. Find me a flyweight champion or contender who you think has a legitimate shot at a world welterweight title a decade down the line.
Just last calendar year, 2008, Pacquiao was fighting in the super featherweight division before his ascent up the ranks. So it’s not like Pacquiao has had much time to settle above 130. In 2009, he captures the WBO welterweight title. Can Humberto Soto or Robert Guerrero take out Cotto at 145 lbs? How about Juan Manuel Marquez? We saw how ineffective he was above 140. Or how about Nate Campbell himself? The same guy who has twice lost to Robbie Peden, fell short against Isaac Hlatswayo, lost to Francisco Lorenzo, and battled Edelmiro Martinez to a draw in 2003 (so he can’t say he was a skinny teenager back then).
In other words, only a rare specimen like Pacquiao can do what he achieved. The guy debuted as a straw-weight and is now a welterweight champion, for goodness sake. And he didn’t squeak points-wins against De La Hoya, Hatton, and Cotto either. He knocked those guys around and scored TKO wins against all three! And it’s too bad that a good number of people lack the perspective to appreciate such a feat. Of course, some have to in order to protect their claim as the better fighter (Mayweather), or for strictly financial reasons (Campbell), or simply because they can’t explain and accept that someone could be that good (Malignaggi). Then there are those, who, in today’s age of pseudo journalists/internet bloggers, just like to stir up the pot and see people become hot and bothered (S & P?).
But such is the business. As they often retort, “Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.”
Hey Lester, kindly read this article – http://www.boxingnews24.com/2009/11/the-manny-pacquiao-wars-attack-of-the-monday-morning-quarterbacks/
you should be introduced to the other Monday Morning Quarterbacks as you sure smell like one!
Yeah bitch stop hating pac man he beat my cousin but my couin fought a great fight cotto nothing compared to vargas and stop sayin my cousin is damadged your article is damadged u idiot give pac his credit where credit is due he wasn’t rushed he just happened to fight a great fighter in pacquiao now go get another job player hater
Hey John! I’m a PacFan, but I really admire Cotto for the kind of warrior he truly is!!! I’ll be watching all his future fights as I am now a Cotto fan!
Cotto himself made no excuses. Why should you?
Lester I am so glad for your article! So many people are blinded by this hype of this orient typhoon he is nothing but a carefully guided commodity.
Read this article by Fight Hype this guy Ron Frazier I think he is related to Joe Frazier well he trains MMA fighter
he speaks the Facts on Pacman how Pacquiao beat Wash up fighter
http://fighthype.com/pages/content6314.html
HAAHAHHAAHA Where is the same outcry over Shane’s Mosleys Steroid USE it seems it to be avoided by writers that I feel are jealous of MExicans Greatness that can not be marginalized not matter how my negative articles you write..DAddy still Owns.
Lester Salvador just like Liam Santiago are turning to be player haters. You should have complained to the boxing organizers and warned Team Cotto about the potential dangers that you are whining about way BEFORE the fight happened. It’s silly that you guys have a lot more excuses to tell while the brave fighter accepted the outcome like a real champion. That was how Cotto earned more respect from the fans worldwide.
Do you Pilipinos even know who Carlos Ortiz is?
Do you Pilipinos even know boxing History?
Do you Pilipinoes know any boxer besides Pacquiao?
That is all you got
I pity Miguel Cotto, not because he was beaten by Pacquiao, but because you are insulting him by branding him a damaged good. But I pity more on you, Lester Salvador, coz after the fight, Cotto recognized Pacquiao’s skills, no excuses or whatsover, not like you fool (full) of non-sense excuses. Get a life dude.
Lester, I think you are sick. You’re trying to say that when a boxer looses, he is already a damaged good, and he better retire, and nobody should fight him again coz when they win, they will not get the credit because he’s already “damaged.” You are trying to say that a boxer doesn’t have the chance of recovering from a painful defeat. You’re a joke.
Mike C
You say it like Cotto was still prime? Lester is right Pacquiao is all hype who fought hand fed fighters.So many Boxing fans agree.
@True Boxing: Are you saying Cotto isn’t in his prime? Do you know how to tell if a boxer is in his prime? Could you. Don’t talk sh!t when you don’t know what you are saying.
yeah..pacquiao lost before and he is a BUM.! am right lester?
yeah..pacquiao lost before and he is a BUM.! am right lester? yeah..pacquiao lost before and he is a BUM.! am right lester? yeah..pacquiao lost before and he is a BUM.! am right lester?
!@True Boxing: Are you saying Cotto isn’t in his prime? Do you know how to tell if a boxer is in his prime? Could you. Don’t talk sh!t when you don’t know what you are saying.
Mike C why you keep repeating yourself, its obvious that Cotto was not in his prime, look at every fighter pacquiao has fought they were washed up or past their prime thats why he made the fights look so easy, you wont be doing that if they were top caliber fresh fighters.
you just dont walk through top guys like that.
Hey Lester are you so stupid as to ask Filipinos about the history of the sport? What does that have to do with this article?
If you can’t handle the heat of fans reaction to what you put here, then don’t write a freakin’ article… write a diary so that nobody reads it except you.
Why do you “writers” even bother to open your articles with inane phrases like “I don’t want to take anything from Manny Pacquiao” when you obviously do. At least man up and admit, that’s the whole entire purpose of your article.
The Clottey fight was 5 months ago, that’s not sufficient time to heal? Sugar Ray fought Jake Lamotta 3 WEEKS after losing to him in a brutal fight. Insipid articles.
You people are hilarious. I’m giving thanks that fighters like Pacquiao are around, despite the efforts of boneheads who keep trying to tear down his accomplishments.
True boxing: Name names in the division who you think is fresh and will beat Pacman. And also his level.
Cotto did fold mentally once he was knocked down. His skill and speed is still at peak level, but it is hard to commit to your punches after a traumatizing knockout. Look at Roy Jones after Tarver nailed him. Jones could have boxed circles around Tarver in the 3rd fight but he was afraid to commit. So was Cotto. Not saying Manny isn’t a great fighter BUT, IN THE WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION, I AM YET TO SEE MANNY WIN A FIGHT WHERE THE OTHER PERSON STAYS COMPETITIVE MENTALLY. Manny had legit wins against tough lightweights, but thus far, the bigger guys have buckled. It will be interesting to see if Floyd buckles.
@True Boxing: You just can’t believe Pacman just walk through those boxers. It’s like walking in Memphis. Hahahahahahaha
Hey Lester,
I know its hard to swallow any pill of defeat..Just keep on writing man..But please be objective..or maybe try to compare your articles to big name sports analysts and commentators (Iole, Rafael, etc..)..and seek their comments on the following: 1. Cotto as past his prime? 2. Cotto a wash up fighter? 3. Cotto was handpicked? 4. Cotto was rushed? 5. Cotto was weight drained? 6. Cotto is not tough? etc…
Please try to disect the all news and events before the fight and you will see the confidence of Cotto’s camp , etc about Cotto defeating the Pacman.
It would be better to give credit to where it is due than to sour-grape.
You know what, I really searched the web just to look for any new article coming from you. Your link wasn’t posted anymore at Philboxing.com. I wonder why..
And one more thing, why write an article 2 weeks after the fight when in fact you are screaming for a Pacman loss a day before the fight? Can’t compose a sensible article after eating your own words? This article is already long overdue..
Nate
Lester writes for philboxing?
why did they remove his article?
Pangit,
Lester is not one of Philboxing writers. But I just happen to open the link posted by Philboxing which leads to this site. He predicted Pacman coudn’t handle Cotto’s jab, Cotto’s too big, Cotto’s OK, etc..He even predicted Pacman to be KO’ed.
Maybe Philboxing admin won’t post another article again coming from Lester knowing the backlash he would receive from Pacfans.
FYI.
Lester be man enough to accept that you’re wrong with your prediction, same as with other scribes predicting Cotto to win. Don’t make another insensitive article which will further hurt your writing/blogging career..
Nate why you so bitter, lester is entitled to his damn opinion man.
You pac fans are sensitive like anyone who goes against your fighte4r becomes a bad guy?
True Boxing Fan (???)
I’m not bitter with Lester.. I even encouraged him to write more..just read my previous posts..but he has to be man enough to accept what he’s wrong with his predictions and give credit to whom it is due..I’m just pissed when he calls Cotto a shot and a hand-fed fighter..Do you think Cotto is a shot fighter as you’ve said? I’ll say it again, give Pac the credit he deserved. Do you think Ledwaba, Barerra, Solis, Morales, Marquez, Diaz, Hatton, Dela Hoya, Cotto are hand-fed fighters? I don’t think so..
Please read this excerp from the Ring Mag:
“And it’s ridiculous to say Cotto was a diminished fighter by the time Pacquiao fought him. Watch their fight again (I did when HBO replayed it Saturday night). Cotto looked like Cotto for the first few rounds. He was as sharp as ever in Round 1 and perfectly competitive until the end of the fourth. He looked like a prime Cotto until Pacquiao’s punches started adding up and made him look like a spent force. When a fighter begins a fight looking like he’s in his prime and ends it looking shot, the credit has to go to the guy he was in the ring with.”
A true boxing fan will and must learn to appreciate what a boxer does in the ring (win or lose) instead of crying foul after so-so fighter defeating so-so fighter..
Credit goes to Cotto for being a good sport, accepting defeat gracefully and not whining..Credit goes to Pac for being successful while moving up in weight..
AS FAR AS I REMEMBER.. THIS LESTER SALVADOR WROTES IN HIS PREVIOUS ARTICLE SOMETHING LIKE…HISTORY REPEAT IT SELF AS ORTIZ DEFEATED FLASH ELORDE AND COMPARE IT TO BE THE OUTCOME OF PAC VS COTTO.HE ALSO STATED THAT FILIPINOS DOEST KNOW ABOUT ORTIZ. AND HE IS PRETY DAMN SURE THAT THE OUTCOME OF ORTIZ VS ELORDE WILL BE THE SAME OUTCOME FOR PACMAN VS COTTO. HE ALSO WROTE “CAN PACQUIAO HANDLE THE COTTO’S LEFT HOOK?” HE SAID ITS IMPOSIBLE. AND NOW AFTER A WEEK HE COMES BACK AND SINGING DIFFERENT TUNE HAHAHA.
this writer is a SORE LOOSER!
LESTER SALVADOR SHOULD’NT ALLOWED TO WRITE ANYMORE HERE IN THIS WEBSITE HE’S A RETARDED MOROON!