Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Pacquiao P4p King - Will Mayweather Jr Answer Call, David Mayo - The Grand Rapids Press

[Glax0r]

Manny Pacquiao is boxing's pound-for-pound king; will Floyd Mayweather answer the call?
By David Mayo | The Grand Rapids Press
November 15, 2009, 12:50AM

LAS VEGAS -- This wasn’t only the fight of the year. It was the fight of just about any year, the fight of a lifetime. It hearkened memories of Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo earlier this decade, or Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns two decades ago, for its beautiful viciousness. And it sent a message to Floyd Mayweather that can not, better not, be ignored.

Manny Pacquiao is the pound-for-pound king of boxing, at least until Grand Rapids native Mayweather answers the call and proves otherwise. He boxes. He fights. He is the complete ring machine.

And when he disintegrated Miguel Cotto with a 12th-round technical knockout Saturday night at MGM Grand, this was not a dehydrated Oscar De La Hoya, or a blown-up and tenderized-by-Mayweather Ricky Hatton. This was a full-fledged middleweight, fighting at the welterweight limit, who was prepared and willing to match punch for punch, until he found out that he wasn’t fast or powerful enough.

Referee Kenny Bayless finally used his discretion to do what Cotto’s corner could have much earlier, stopping the fight at 55 seconds of the final round -- 125 seconds before it would have reached a distance conclusion -- with Cotto’s back on the ropes under a Pacquiao assault.

But the foundation for victory was laid much earlier.

In the third round, Pacquiao knocked down Cotto, who recovered and dominated the rest of that round.

In the fourth round, Pacquiao did it again, except this time it was late in the round, and Cotto really was hurt, and never really recovered at all.

And in every round, Pacquiao’s speed, and cunning, and guile, and courage -- some attributes which Mayweather possesses, and at least one, the latter, in which he never has been remotely tested in the way Pacquiao has -- carried the fight against an outstanding and willing man.

Cotto’s ability can not be questioned, nor his heart, nor his preparation, nor his belief that he could win.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) simply was able to take away the most important of those attributes -- self-belief -- with a series of well-placed shots and a well-thought strategy, fighting when Cotto wanted to box, boxing when Cotto (34-2) wanted to fight, slugging and scoring knockdowns when Cotto never saw them coming.

The turning point came late in a fourth round which began with Pacquiao landing a series of combinations before a sizzling left hook by Cotto forced the Filipino back to the ropes, hands up, taking shots upstairs and downstairs. But with 20 seconds left, Pacquiao’s speed and precision caught Cotto with a left hook to the chin and sent the Puerto Rican down, badly hurt, but with enough time to survive the round.

Cotto, 28, almost finished the fight because he is gladiatorial, despite ample opportunity to save him from himself. His face looked like he spent the afternoon with his head in a beehive.

He streamed blood from his left eye, his nose, his mouth. Bayless deprived Cotto the opportunity to avoid the technical knockout, but the legend of this fight long since had been cemented.

There is only one fight in boxing that matters now, Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather. There are no more delays, no more claims by Mayweather that he ducks and dodges no one which will satisfy anyone on the planet. If that’s your stance, then prove it. Make the deal, 50-50, not a haggling mess.

Fighters have turned down fights with Mayweather with unreasonable salary demands before. If Mayweather refuses Pacquiao because he doesn’t get a 60-40 split, he’s doing the same.

That goes for Pacquiao and his promoter, Top Rank, too. No one wants to see a third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in March, not after Mayweather devalued Marquez with a one-sided beating two months ago, any more than we want to see Mayweather against some tune-up foe, possibly in January, possibly in England.

Nor does Pacquiao deserve more than half the purse split against Mayweather. Nor should personalities prohibit the fight, regardless Pacquiao’s political aspirations.

It’s time to do what’s right.

[Duran Legend]

will Floyd Mayweather answer the call?


.

nope

[RJJ_TKO9_JT_2005]

Its a done deal now. PBF has no other fight out there. He would have to leave the country if he didnt take the fight. And trust me this is the fight that he wanted. I am one of Pac's biggest fans but no way he beats Floyd. Floyd will do him like he did Judah when Judahs speed bothered him. He's gonna walk Pac down. The size and the toolchest of skills. Will be a step too much.

[Duran Legend]

Its a done deal now. PBF has no other fight out there. He would have to leave the country if he didnt take the fight. And trust me this is the fight that he wanted. I am one of Pac's biggest fans but no way he beats Floyd. Floyd will do him like he did Judah when Judahs speed bothered him. [B]He's gonna walk Pac down. The size and the toolchest of skills. Will be a step too much. b]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Ask Oscar ,Hatton and Cotto what happens when you try to do that

[brain228]

No Flyod will not anwser the call.

[AS IRON AS]

This wasn’t only the fight of the year.  It was the fight of just about any year, the fight of a lifetime. It hearkened memories of Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo earlier this decade, or Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns two decades ago, for its beautiful viciousness.

WTF ??????????????