Firepower undeniably exploded on November 14, 2009 at the MGM grand in Las Vegas. This showcased the Welterweight showdown between the current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao of Philippines and the current WBO Welterweight Champion Miguel Angel Cotto of Puerto Rico. This fight undeniably meant all for both of the warriors taking on each other. For Pacquiao, this will be a chance to defend his current title as the pound for pound king but more than that, this is an attempt for him to make history as he tries to gain his seventh world title in seven different weight divisions. For Cotto, this fight is a chance for him to prove that he has what it takes to defend his crown and to beat such great opponent.
In the opening round of the bout, Cotto seems to be more aggressive than Pacquiao. He was even the first to connect a jab that made Pacquiao be out of his rhythm. This scenario seemed to continue until the second round but Manny has always an answer for every punch thrown by the Puerto Rican Champion. However, things started to change for Cotto when he tasted the power of the right hand of Pacquiao that made him floored. It was then when the onslaught of Manny continued and it never stopped again. Near the end of the fourth round, the left uppercut unloaded by the pound for pound king floored Cotto for the second time around. In the proceeding rounds, Cotto seemed to have recovered but that was it. He started backpedaling just to avoid the attacks of the swift Pacquiao. From rounds 2 to 11, Manny Pacquiao was all over Cotto and was indeed in complete dominance. It seemed that Cotto can’t do anything about the flurry of punches being released by his adversary. He cannot answer the attacks simply because he was busy defending himself. 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.
In this win, history has been made by Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao because he is the only boxer in the entire world to have captured seven world titles (including the crown he scored in this victory) in seven different weight divisions. With the win, Pacquiao upped his record to (50-3-2, 38 KOs), further enhancing his already immaculate career. Cotto, meanwhile, suffered his second loss and now carries a (34-2, 27 KOs). Filipinos were again made proud by this achievement of whom they assume to resemble Muhammad Ali. After the fight, it seemed that the audience wants more from Manny and have started shouting “we want Mayweather.” A lot of us hope that this fight will be sealed in a deal also because it will surely be a more explosive one.
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