MANNY PACQUIAO BARGED INTO BOXING IMMORTALITY, PUMMELED
COTTO IN 12th
[PHOTO
AT LEFT - Manny Pacquiao, of the Philippines, right, connects with a
right to the head of Miguel Cotto, of Puerto Rico, during their WBO welterweight
boxing title fight, Nov. 14, in Las Vegas. AP]
LAS VEGAS, NOVEMBER 15, 2009 01:41 RP time (STAR) By Dino Maragay - Pacquiao forges boxing history.
MANILA, Philippines Manny Pacquiao barged into boxing immortality by outgunning, outsmarting, and brutally busting up and stopping a game Miguel Cotto in their welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to become the first boxer in history to win seven world titles in as many weight classes.
The end came at the 2:05 mark of the 12th round as Pacquiao pummeled a bloodied Cotto on the ropes, forcing referee Kenny Bayless to halt the carnage. The victory awarded Pacquiao the WBO welterweight crown.
Pacquiao once again proved that blinding speed kills. The Filipino spitfire peppered Cotto with a plethora of punches from all angles, throwing the Puerto Rican off his rhythm.
Cotto, known as a vicious body puncher, started out the fight with his trademark left jab to keep Pacquiao at bay, but the Filipino's blazing speed spelled the difference. A right straight coming off a Pacquiao flurry decked Cotto near the 2:00 mark of the third round.
The Puerto Rican was floored a second time in the fourth, this time from a Pacquiao left uppercut. Cotto, who entered the fight as the bigger man, spent the rest of the fight backpedaling in a futile attempt to avoid Pacquiao's barrage.
It was Pacquiao's show for most of the fight, appearing like he was the more physically larger fighter by stalking Cotto. The Puerto Rican sporting cuts below his right eye and left eyebrow would occasionally land his jab, but was constantly met with quick combinations from Pacquiao.
By the 12th round, Cotto was dead-tired, his face busted all over as he caught several unanswered blows from Pacquiao.
Philstar.com had the bout a near-shutout for Pacquiao at the time of the stoppage, 110-98, giving Cotto only the opening round.
He's not a very easy opponent. He was able to withstand my punches, Pacquiao said in a post-fight interview.
With the win, Pacquiao upped his record to 50-3-2, 38 KOs, further enhancing his already hall-of-fame career. Cotto, meanwhile, suffered his second loss and now carries a 34-2, 27 KOs ledger.