Pacquiao vs Cotto HBO Fight Experience

REAL-LIFE BOXING GETS A VIRTUAL PARTNER WITH INNOVATIVE MARKETING INITIATIVE FROM MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING & HBO SPORTS®

Fans Compete Online in Fight Night Round 4 as HBO® debuts its hit reality series 24/7 Pacquiao vs Cotto on Saturday, Oct. 24

All leading up to Pacquiao vs. Cotto Pay-Per-View Event on Saturday, Nov. 14th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena

Top Two Players Win a VIP Trip to Las Vegas to Play their Final Match During Fight Weekend



Major League Gaming (MLG), the professional video game league, and HBO Sports announced today an exciting new marketing initiative to support the newest installment of the acclaimed HBO boxing reality series 24/7 Pacquiao vs Cotto. The Emmy-Award-winning all-access series debuts its seventh installment on Saturday, Oct. 24. Partnering with MLG, HBO Sports has added a new dimension to expand the audience and appeal in the key youth demographic, an audience segment that has demonstrated a fever-pitch interest in playing boxing video games.

“We are excited about this new endeavor and developing a fun, interactive element for video game players that brings them closer to the HBO 24/7 experience,” said Mark Taffet, Senior Vice President of HBO Sports. “We’re very pleased to work with a new partner in MLG and create a competitive video game experience that can appeal to new fans of the sweet science.”

HOW IT WORKS: Users can register starting today to compete as either Manny Pacquiao or Miguel Cotto in an online Fight Night Round 4 tournament, where they could win a chance to play their final match on-site during fight weekend and watch the fight live!

WHERE TO REGISTER: www.gamebattles.com/HBO247

GRAND PRIZE: The top-ranked online tournament Pacquiao and Cotto fighters will each win roundtrip airfare to/from Las Vegas, 2 nights hotel accommodation, one ticket to the live Pacquiao vs. Cotto fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and one ticket to the VIP reception.

“It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with the HBO team and we’re thrilled to expose our loyal community to a great online and live fight experience,” said Sundance DiGiovanni, co-founder and chief brand officer of Major League Gaming.

ABOUT HBO SPORTS:
HBO Sports introduced the innovative and award-winning all-access reality series 24/7 in 2007. Through six editions of the hit reality series, HBO has earned seven Sports Emmy Awards® for production excellence. The newest installment — 24/7 PACQUIAO/COTTO — debuts Saturday, Oct. 24 on HBO and continues right up until fight night. Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto meet in boxing’s next mega-fight as they battle for a welterweight crown on Saturday, Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.

ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING:
Major League Gaming is the largest professional video game league in the world. MLG is the dominant media property exclusively targeting the approximately 40 million consumers in North America who have a passion for playing video games as a competitive social activity, while giving sponsoring brands access to this highly influential demographic. Major League Gaming represents the best professional gamers and give millions of aspiring players around the world an opportunity to compete, improve their skills, and socialize through our thriving online community and live Pro Circuit competitions.

Source: mlgpro.com

Pacquiao raring to mix it up with his sparmates

Manny Pacquiao’s sparmates Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon had their work perfectly cut out for them.

Upon arriving in Baguio City where Pacquiao is currently holding training camp for his Nov. 14 fight with Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Antillon and Porter immediately climbed the ring and worked out a sweat.

Good for the two of them, according to assistant trainer Roger “Flash" Fernandez.

“Pinag-ensayo na agad namin para hindi masakit ang bugbog nila sa sparring," said the brother of long-time Pacquiao Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez while flashing a big wide grin.


A day after taking a rest from training, Pacquiao was back to his relentless ways, working on the mitts, speed ball and double-end ball, while doing shadow-boxing and abdominal crunches for three straight hours.

“Ayaw paawat," said Fernandez.

Both Antillon and Porter, along with his dad Ken, arrived in the country last Sunday, but owing to the inclement weather, didn’t travel to the City of Pines until early Monday morning.

“We’re ready to go," said Antillon, a regular Pacquiao sparmate every time he has a fight.

Nonoy Neri, another Pacquiao assistant trainer, said Pacquiao is expected to spar four rounds Tuesday at the Shape Up gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel along Naguillan road, two rounds each with Antillon and Porter, a 2007 National Golden Gloves middleweight champion.

Neri said Pacquiao has been getting better and better as training camp in the summer hideaway enters its second week.

“Maganda na ang kilos," he pointed out. “Lumalabas na `yung bilis niya. Sa power wala namang problema kasi nandun na yun."

Pacquiao, as usual, is looking forward to the start of sparring session in training camp.

Informed of the arrival of Antillon and Porter, Pacquiao smiled and quipped, “can’t wait to see them."

Sparring will be held Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the number of rounds gradually increasing by the day until it reaches a full 12 rounds per day.

As the 12-round fight nears, sparring gradually tapers off.

As had been the practice before, head trainer Freddie Roach may hold the sparring sessions behind closed doors.

Source: gmanews.tv

Pacquiao ahead of training schedule

Manny Pacquiao is surprisingly ahead of his training schedule, which is four days old, that he is now ready for sparring, the boxer’s American trainer said on Friday.

“This is our best start ever,” trainer Freddie Roach told The Bulletin on Friday after presiding over Pacquiao’s training at the Shape Up Boxing Gym at the Cooyeesan Hotel in Baguio City.

Roach is convinced that the Filipino is fit enough that he can start sparring sessions on Tuesday.

“Manny is going to be ready (to spar),” said Roach, who, in the past had to wait until 10 days or two weeks after the start of training camp before letting Pacquiao do some sparring.

Two sparmates -- unbeaten welterweight prospect Shawn Porter and lightweight star Urbano Antillon -- are arriving in the country tomorrow morning from Los Angeles and motor direct to Baguio from the airport.

While there is still seven-and-a-half weeks to go before Pacquiao faces Miguel Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas, Roach believes they are not only right on track but a little bit ahead of schedule.

For the third straight day, Roach let Pacquiao hit the mitts for ten rounds after doing nine rounds on Tuesday, just hours after Roach landed in Manila from a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles and less than an hour after arriving in Baguio.

Pacquiao and Roach are camping out in the City of Pines possibly until the third week of October.

Meanwhile, over in Tampa, Florida, site of Cotto’s training camp, top trainer Joe Santiago expressed the belief that on fight night at the MGM Grand, the sheer size advantage of Cotto as well as his natural strength will prove to be very tough for Pacquiao to overcome.

“We have great respect for his speed and we take our hats off to what he’s done for boxing, but on the day of the fight, Miguel is going to be the stronger man in the ring,” Cotto taskmaster Joe Santiago told the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia.

Source: mb.com.ph

Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto Preview & Predictions

Boxing’s next mega-fight set for November 14th; check out Pacquiao Cotto predictions here at ProBoxing-fans.com!

It’s finally been made official, the Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto super fight is now signed and sealed. On November 14 th, 2009 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada, pound for pound champion Manny Pacquiao will take on welterweight powerhouse Miguel Cotto.

The fight will be fought at a catch weight of 145 pounds. The weight was one of the biggest factors holding up the creation of this fight, as Pacquiao’s camp wanted Cotto to come down even farther. Finally the two sides agreed on 145, 2 pounds lighter than the welterweight limit.
Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao

49 (37) – 3 – 2
Height: 5′6″ Reach: 67″
Current Pound for Pound Champion
Last 5 fights: 5-0 with 3 knockouts against Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and Marco Antonio Barrera, spanning four weight classes from super featherweight to welterweight
Miguel Cotto

34 (27) – 1
Height: 5′7″ Reach: 67″
Current WBO Welterweight Champion
Last 5 fights: 4-1 with 2 knockouts against Joshua Clottey, Michael Jennings Alfonso Gomez and Shane Mosley with the defeat coming against Antonio Margarito

Source: http://www.proboxing-fans.com/pacquiao-cotto-preview-predictions/

Pacquiao has no skills

AFTER accusing Manny Pacquiao of using steroids, Floyd Mayweather Sr. has attacked the pound-for-pound king once again. After watching his son Floyd Jr. win a unanimous decision shutout over world champion Juan Manuel Marquez last Sunday, Floyd Sr. believes that Floyd Jr. will beat Pacquiao if ever they get to face each other inside the ring.

Floyd Sr. wants Floyd Jr. to fight Pacquiao next because he is confident of his son’s boxing skills, which he believes are much more superior to Pacquiao’s.

For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter

“I want him to fight Pacquiao,” Floyd Sr. said in a report posted at Fanhouse.com. “He don’t have no skills—he ain’t got skills like my son.”

Last week, Floyd Sr. accused the 30-year-old Gen. Santos native of steroid use, which he believes contributed to his ring success in his abrupt move to different weight divisions.

Pacquiao is considering filing charges against Floyd Sr. for his false allegations against him.

On the other hand, famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach has accepted Pacquiao’s decision of training in Baguio City.

“I’m ok with training here, as long as Manny is happy with the conditions, for sure it will be okay with me too,” said Roach in a report posted at ABS-CBN website.

At first Roach was hesitant of Pacquiao’s choice of Baguio City as his training ground for his upcoming Nov. 14 fight with World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, because he thinks that Pacquiao’s fans might be a distraction to his preparation.

Roach arrived last Tuesday in the Philippines along with conditioning coach Alex Ariza, Wild Card chief of security Rob Peters and two sparring partners.

Pacquiao will be gunning for a record-breaking seventh division world title as Cotto will be putting his WBO welterweight title along with the vacant World Boxing Council Diamond belt on the line.

Source: Sunstar

HOW TO ORDER PAY-PER-VIEW

To order a pay-per-view event, follow the instructions on your cable box or satellite receiver or contact your pay-per-view provider.

To find out how more about service available in your area please contact your cable provider or consult your set top box guide.

DirecTV and Dish Network customers can order online by clicking the appropriate link below:

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Source: http://www.hbo.com/boxing/order/

Pacman form impresses Roach

BAGUIO CITY - From the crowd that flocked around the reigning pound-for-pound king came a yell: “You can easily beat Cotto!”

Manny Pacquiao smiled, and shot back: “Oo, may shampoo naman kami. (Yes, we have shampoo, anyway).”

The response may have been an attempt at humor—reigning WBO champion Miguel Cotto’s surname sounds almost exactly like the Filipino for lice—but trainer Freddie Roach, who arrived Tuesday to begin training Pacquiao in his quest for the Puerto Rican’s welterweight crown, was impressed at how quickly his ward has whipped himself into shape.



“He was very sharp,” said Roach after watching Pacquiao for the first time since the two teamed up to successfully destroy Ricky Hatton last May 2.

“If I didn’t know better, I would think he was in the gym for a month. His combinations are fast and his power is already there. His mind-set, we’re on the same page that we know how to fight Cotto.”

The trainer arrived in Manila along with conditioning coach Alex Ariza and American bodyguard Rob Peters and headed straight to this popular vacation getaway around lunchtime.

Wearing a T-shirt with the face of national hero Jose Rizal, Roach took charge right away in Cooyeesan Hotel’s Shape-up Gym.



“Without a doubt, this is our best start,” said Roach. “He’s now in great shape and I’m fine with that.”

Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 knockouts) will battle Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) over 12-rounds for the Puerto Rican’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Both combatants agreed to fight at a catch weight of 145 lb.

Pacquiao started his workout ahead of Roach’s arrival, doing road work at this city’s hilly routes and working on crunches to firm up his abdomen.

“Mahirap gawin ito, pero kailangan (It’s difficult but we need to do it),” said the boxing superstar. “Body puncher si Cotto (This is difficult but we need to do it. Cotto is a body puncher).”

“My trainers and I have devised ways to fight him,” he added.

With Roach taking over the training yesterday, the two worked on counter shots and footwork inside the ring.

This weekend, four sparring partners led by undefeated American boxer Shawn Porter are scheduled to arrive. All are capable of simulating the style of Cotto, according to Roach.

“Porter is my main guy right now. He’s 11-0 with 10 knockouts and is a light middleweight who’s got a strong left hook,” said Roach.

Meanwhile, the declaration from Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s camp that “Pretty Boy” should be declared the No. 1 boxer in the world still doesn’t hold water despite an impressive demotion of Juan Manuel Marquez over the weekend.

At least, that’s what the sport’s acknowledged bible, Ring Magazine, says.

The highly respected magazine released its pound-for-pound rankings for September and had Pacquiao still at No. 1, with Mayweather shooting up to No. 2 after his triumph over Marquez.

Last Sunday, Pacquiao said Mayweather can have the mythical pound-for-pound title because the undefeated American earned it with his latest conquest, which came after a 21-month hiatus.

“[Mayweather] can boast about being better because he has finished his job [of beating Marquez],” Pacquiao said. “I still have to finish mine and hurdle Cotto.”

Mayweather leapfrogged past Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins, who were third and fourth on the Ring list. Marquez slipped to fifth with the defeat.

source: inquirer.net

Roach: Pacquiao very sharp

By Dennis Principe
If Manny Pacquiao were to fight Miguel Cotto this weekend, there is no doubt in the mind of Freddie Roach the Filipino boxing sensation could still win the highly-anticipated bout. This was how Roach described Pacquiao’s conditioning as soon as the two linked up for the first time since their 2nd round demolition of Ricky Hatton last May in Las Vegas: “He was very sharp. If I didn’t know better I would think he was in the gym for a month. His combinations are fast and his power is already there. His mindset, we’re on the same page that we know how to fight Cotto,” said Roach moments after their training.


The legendary trainer arrived Tuesday morning in Manila along with conditioning coach Alex Ariza and immediately proceeded to Baguio City where they arrived just before lunchtime.

Wearing a T-shirt with the face of national hero Jose Rizal, Roach took charge right away in Cooyeesan Hotel’s Shape-up Gym.

“Without a doubt, this is our best start. He’s now in great shape and I’m fine with that,” said Roach.

The whole time they were inside the ring, Roach and Pacquiao apparently were trying to work on the fighter’s counter shots as well as his footwork.

From time to time though Roach and Pacquiao discussed about their technique by whispering at each other.

After their more than two hours of work out Roach cleared to Fightnews that training in Baguio was never an issue in their previous discussions.

“It has nothing to do with the Philippines. The only problem I have is the jetlag and going back so I want to make sure we’re going to have enough time to come back and adjust and be 100%,” said Roach.

Roach insists they have to be back in the United States at least two weeks before the fight.

“That’s the minimum and we might go straight to Las Vegas and skip Wild Card because going from one gym to another gym and another gym gets a little bit crazy,” said Roach.

This weekend four sparring partners led by American undefeated boxer Shawn Porter who are scheduled to arrive and all, according to Roach, are capable of simulating the style of Cotto.

“Porter is my main guy right now. He’s 11-0 with 10 knockouts and is a light middleweight who’s got a strong left hook,” said Roach.

Pacquiao ( 49-3-2, 37 knockouts) will battle Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) for 12-rounds with the Puerto Rican’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown at stake on November 14 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Both combatants agreed to fight at a catch weight of 145lbs.

Source: http://www.fightnews.com/?p=24019

Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto: November 14, 2009 Showdown

This week's official announcement of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto fight scheduled for November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas brings with it a wave of excitement for fight fans. The diminutive Pacquiao, boxing's acknowledged pound-for-pound king, will move north in weight once again to fight Cotto, the current WBO welterweight champ, at an agreed-upon catch-weight of 145 pounds.

Over the next four months, this match-up is certain to provoke a firestorm of debate among devoted followers of the sweet science. Both men are accomplished stars who inspire great passion in their fan base, and yet they have unanswered questions hanging over them at the moment—questions that will be settled once and for all when they fight in November.
Miguel Cotto Can Cotto Keep Pace with Pacquiao?

For Cotto, those questions center on a single, harrowing fight and its after-effects— his war with Antonio Margarito in July 2008. That fight is Cotto's only loss as a professional, but what a loss it was. In an electrifying fight-of-the-year candidate, Cotto took a commanding early lead, only to get steadily chopped down by his relentless opponent. Margarito was seemingly immune to pain that night, a Mexican terminator at 147 pounds. But when Margarito was subsequently caught with illegal, hardened inserts in his hand-wraps prior to his fight with Shane Mosley this past January, the speculation immediately swirled about the savage beating he'd dished out to Cotto. Was it administered with loaded gloves? If so, how much did it take out of the Puerto Rican star, and could he ever expect to be the same?

Those questions still haunt Cotto's career more than a year later. He's had two fights since the loss to Margarito—an easy victory over Michael Jennings in February to capture the vacant WBO welterweight title, and then a June battle with the tough veteran, Joshua Clottey. Despite fighting most of the bout with a nasty gash above his left eye, Cotto found a way to eke out a split decision over Clottey. But, according to Doug Fischer, the co-editor of RingTV.com, Cotto's performance provided no conclusive answers as to whether the boxer has made it all the way back to his pre-Margarito form.

"Some folks, like myself, were impressed with the way he gutted out a close decision against a bona fide welterweight contender, with basically one eye," Fischer explains. "But there's another camp that thinks he's just not the same guy he was. He appears to them now to be a solid welterweight, but not someone who could conceivably be the welterweight champ anymore or a top-five pound-for-pound player."

HBO commentator Max Kellerman agrees that the verdict is still out on Cotto. He sees the fighter's best blueprint for beating Pacquiao in Cotto's victory over Shane Mosley in December 2007, but wonders whether Cotto has that kind of fight left in him. "The dominant question here is whether Cotto can handle Pacquiao's speed," Kellerman says. "And the good news for Cotto is that his timing was able to offset Mosley's speed, and Mosley's lightning fast. But is this the same Cotto who beat Mosley? He cuts more easily now, and he doesn't seem as quick as he once did. And in Pacquiao, he's going to have to offset a guy who at this moment is faster than Shane, and who's a southpaw, and who has just shown us that he can really punch, even at these higher weights."

There's no doubt that Pacquiao presents a frightening package to any opponent right now, but he's not without question marks himself, particularly when faced with a proven heavy-handed puncher of Cotto's size and caliber. "The question for Manny is, 'Can he take a shot from a guy who has more than respectable power as a welterweight?'" Fischer says. "Because I think Cotto has the ability to catch Pacquiao and hurt him."
"Pacquiao has looked great in his last three fights," says RingTV.com's Doug Fischer, "but he's also fought the perfect opponents, the perfect guys to make him look like a million bucks."

Of course, whether Pacquiao could handle the power of naturally bigger men has been the primary subplot heading into his three most recent fights, and each time he answered with a resounding "yes" and with increasingly spectacular emphasis. Last June, in his first fight above 130 pounds, he dominated then-WBC lightweight champ David Diaz. Six months later, he moved all the way up to 147 pounds and destroyed Oscar De La Hoya in an explosive performance that catapulted him to superstardom. Then in May, he followed up his De La Hoya masterpiece with a crushing second-round knockout of junior welterweight champ, Ricky Hatton.

It was an astonishing trio of victories that, taken as a whole, would seem to pose quite a convincing response to any doubts about Pacquiao's ability to cope with the size and pop of just about anyone. Still, doubts linger.

"Pacquiao has looked great in his last three fights," Fischer says, "but he's also fought the perfect opponents, the perfect guys to make him look like a million bucks."

Fischer is quick to qualify that statement by saying that he's felt that Pacquiao was the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world going back to around his second fight with Erik Morales in 2006. Like almost everyone in boxing, he is blown away by what Pacquiao is accomplishing in the ring right now. Nevertheless, victories over the slow, plodding Diaz, the old and weight-drained De La Hoya, and then the artless and overrated Hatton have not completely sold pundits that Pacquiao, a guy who won his first title as a flyweight, is up to the challenge of fighting an elite welterweight.

The Cotto fight should put those doubts to rest one way or the other. "If Cotto still has it, Pacquiao is going to be in there against a natural welterweight in his physical prime with a lot of pride," Kellerman says. And then we'll find things out."

Or, as Fischer puts it, "The way Pacquiao got rid of Hatton was impressive, and you have to give him credit for it, because he just blew him out of the ring. If he blows Cotto out like that, then my God…he's just a great fighter."

And Fischer is talking great as in "all-time great." Come fight night, Cotto will seek to prove that he's still among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today. But Pacquiao will be competing for an even heavier bounty: to stake his claim among the best pound-for-pound fighters the sport has ever known.

Source: http://manny-pacquiao-fight-vs-miguel-cotto.blogspot.com/2009/09/manny-pacquiao-vs-miguel-cotto-november.html

Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto

Manny Pacquiao Age: 30 Division: Light welterweight Belt: The Ring Belt / IBO 140 Lbs Country: Philippines Record: 49 - 3 - 2 KO: 37 (75.5%) Rounds Boxed: 293 rounds Height: 5'6 1/2" Reach: 67" Last five Opponents: Ricky Hatton - W TKO 2 Oscar De La Hoya -W TKO 8 David Diaz - W TKO 9 Juan Manuel Marquez - W SD 12 Marco Antonio Barrera - W UD 12

Miguel Angel Cotto Age: 28 Division: Welterweight Belt: WBO Welterweight Country: Puerto Rico Record: 34 - 1 - 0 KO: 2 7(77.14%) Rounds Boxed: 226 rounds Height: 5'7" Reach: 67" Last five Opponents: Joshua Clottey - W SD 12 Michael Jennings - W TKO 5 Antonio Margarito - L TKO 11 Alfonso Gomez - W RTD 5 Shane Mosley - W UD 12

After winning against Ricky Hatton, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao (49-3-2, with 37 KO wins) became the best pound for pound fighter of the world and the most "crowd taker" of all time. Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto have tentatively agreed to fight in Las Vegas on November 14, giving the world's best pound-for-pound boxer a very challenging fight against a highly ranked opponent -- and ensuring that we won't see Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather any time soon.

During the press conference in Los Angeles, a famous nba basketball star of on his new hometown Ron Artest made his appearance. Artest said "this is a must watch fight." Manny Pacquiao was accompanied by his trainer Freddie Roach while Miguel Cotto was accompanied by his father and his adviser during the press conference. Pacquiao promised that he will train hard for this fight because now that he able to see face to face Cotto, he understood that Cotto is big and looks strong and so he need to train well for their fight on November. Cotto is two weeks ahead of training against Pacquiao but the Team Pacquiao is confident that their training to be is enough to defeat Cotto. Roach even admitted the Cotto is Solid, but Pacquiao will still triumph.

A Ring Magazine writer said if Pacquiao wins against Cotto there'll be no question and the Filipino effectively cements his legacy. This guy is naive. As I've said before, you can find a loophole in a boxer you don't like. But I agree with him Cotto is the toughest boxer Manny Pacquiao has faced so far in his career and Freddie Roach has set up an eight-week training camp to put his ward into fighting shape.

Pacquiao vs Cotto is a non-title fight as the latter won't stake his crowns despite that the match is generating more buzz than Mayweather vs Marquez. Fight fans expect a war and most likely they will get it - this is the drawing power of Pacquiao vs Cotto.

A Cotto vs. Pacquiao fight would be one of the biggest of the year in boxing. But it wouldn't necessarily be a good thing for boxing fans, because it would also be a step away from the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather superfight that everyone wants to see.

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