Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MGM Grand and Tecate, FIRE POWER: COTTO vs. PACQUIAO, will take place, Saturday, November 14, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, has won six world titles in as many different weight divisions ranging from 112 to 140 pounds. His performance in 2008 was described as “Henry Armstrongesque,” winning world titles at 130 and 135 pounds with victories over Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz, respectively, and knocking out and retiring Oscar De La Hoya at 147 pounds to finish the trifecta. This year, he picked up where he left off last year – winning another world title in a new weight division — dealing defending junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton a one-punch second-round knockout on May 2.
Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has sold more tickets to Madison Square Garden in this millennium than any other fighter. He has held a world title every year since 2004. Puerto Rico’s most exciting fighter, Cotto held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight crown from 2004-2006, successfully defending it six times before vacating it to capture the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title at the end of 2006, a title he held for nearly as long. He won his second welterweight title in February this year, knocking out Michael Jennings in the fifth round at Madison Square Garden to become the WBO welterweight champion. Notable scalps on Cotto’s belt include Sugar Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Paulie Malignaggi, and Demarcus Corley.
Abac Cordero, The Philippine Star: “PacMan Braves Storm, Motors to Manila”
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=511070&publicationSubCategoryId=69
Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin: “PacMan Shows Off Deadly Form”
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/223102/pacman-shows-deadly-form