Maharlikan Times

Pacquiao too illusive, if not magical, for a “Jet-weight Cotto”

By Granville Ampong, Philboxing.com

     I witnessed how the Coyotes beat the Los Angeles Kings last night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles before the upbeat crowd of over 18,000. Cayotes’ victory was less tight at 6-3. Speed and illusiveness were the differential factors of the power play. Nevertheless, it has been a tumultuous off-season for the Coyotes, who have endured bankruptcy and a recent coaching change. The franchise was put under bankruptcy protection in May and coach Wayne Gretzky quit nine days before the start of the season.

      Well, as I watched the game, I thought I can somehow impart to Cotto some wisdom from the hockey rink. Cotto can only focus on what he can control as much as what the Los Angeles Kings attempted to do. I think Pacquiao’s speed and illusiveness might be too much for Cotto, unless he starts using now an eye-patch alternatively to either eye during his training sessions - which, of course, neither the Cayotes nor the Los Angeles ever did - to improve his peripheral vision and to control his range and angular dimensions. That, I insist it can help him evade some whistling discharges of Pacquiao’s left and right crosses.

Of course unlike the Cayotes, Cotto does not need to deal with a surface for ice-skating or roller-skating. Not even Pacquiao.

     But, Cotto, flat-footed that he is, has less chances of remarkably asserting his agility over Pacquiao’s style of a cockfighting Kelso. He lacks fast lateral movements. I suppose Cotto’s bigger face is simply an easy moving target.

     In the past two weeks, I reviewed nine tapes of Cotto’s last fights. And what I can draw from all angles is that Catch-weight King Pacquiao would be too illusive, if not magical, for “Jet-weight Cotto.” I say “Jet-weight” in the sense that, like Jet-weight King Fraud Mickey May, Cotto is likely not to comply the catch-weight limit and may rather pay the penalty, if there’s any, simply to conserve his natural size and strength.

      And never forget, Cotto is capable of showing ring generalship over Pacquiao but may not have enough overwhelming recompense for defense, that the latter would just shine through out of sweet science like a diamond in the making as he surges to another level and once he feels the intensity of heat and pressure in the frenzy air of the MGM Grand Arena of Las Vegas, Nevada, this November 14.

      Meanwhile, I received 238 e-mails this weekend inquiring about my take on Cotto-Pacquiao fight. They asked me so because they said I have been a bit accurate of my predictions of all Pacquiao’s fights in the U.S., inclusive of his loss to Eric Morales in their first encounter on March 19, 2005.

      But, hold on to your conviction. Your reliance on my suppositions might be detrimental to your betting. I am not a boxing prophet. Nor am I beholden to crystal balls’ spirit of prophecy.

Conversely, bloodless as it was told, I rather want you to check on my intimation on Pacquiao versus Hatton which was brought to light in my article dated March 14, 2009, “Hatton may just freeze this late spring!”, which Hatton indeed froze. Here’s the link of said article at Philboxing.com: http://philboxing.com/news/list.articles.php?aid=1338&id=22835.

       Another article dated December 3, 2008, which highlighted about the prospect of Pacquiao’s dominating performance over De la Hoya, captured the hearts of faith: “Pacman’s Mighty Fortress, Bolstering His Aura of Invincibility”. Here’s the link: http://philboxing.com/news/list.articles.php?aid=1338&id=20444.

        As for Pacquiao-Cotto fight, I believe Cotto will bleed unto submission. And, it’s going to be Pacquiao by brutal knockout again!

Note: You may send your comment(s) to granvilleampong@maharlikantimes.com.