Pacquiao stops Cotto to win seventh world title

The Filipino star used his blazing speed and power from both hands to cement his stature as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Cotto took such a beating that his face was a river of red from the fury of Pacquiao’s punches but he refused to quit even as his corner tried to throw in the towel after the 11th round. The fight was billed as a 145-pound classic, and in the early rounds it didn’t disappoint. The two went after each other with a vengeance and Cotto more than held his own as they traded punches in the center of the ring.

Pacquiao dropped Cotto with a right hand early in the third round, but he wasn’t badly hurt and came back to finish the round strong. But after Pacquiao put Cotto on the canvas with a big left hand as Cotto was advancing forward late in the fourth round, the Puerto Rican was never the same again.

No hurry

“Our plan was not to hurry but to take our time,” Pacquiao said. “It was a hard fight tonight and I needed time to test his power.” Cotto fought gamely but in the later rounds he was just trying to survive as blood flowed down his face and Pacquiao kept coming after him relentlessly. In the 12th, Cotto went back out to take even more punishment before a final flurry along the ropes prompted referee Kenny Bayless to stop the fight.

Cotto’s wife and child, who were at ringside, left after the ninth round, unable to watch the beating any longer. They later accompanied him to a local hospital for a post-fight examination. “My health comes first. I just want to make sure I’m fine, but I feel great. I’m swollen but that’s all,” Cotto said.

Cotto’s face was swollen, blood was flowing from his nose and his cuts, and he simply couldn’t stop Pacquiao from bouncing inside and throwing both hands at will. “I didn’t know from where the punches were coming,” Cotto said. “Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers I ever fought.”

Pacquiao, coming off spectacular wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, added another one against Cotto, who had lost only once and held the WBO version of the welterweight title. Pacquiao did it in trademark fashion, throwing punches in flurries and from all angles until Cotto began to slow down and then pursuing him relentlessly until the fight finally ended.

Floyd Mayweather next?

The fight will likely set up an even bigger fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and many in the capacity crowd at the MGM Grand arena began chanting “We want Floyd! We want Floyd” after the fight ended. “I want to see him fight Mayweather,” trainer Freddie Roach said.

Mayweather may have second thoughts after Pacquiao did what no fighter has done before and win a belt in a seventh weight class. More impressive, though, is how he has fought, dismantling opponents despite moving up consistently in weight.

The welterweight ranks will be the last ones Pacquiao conquers, though. He said he will not move up any more in weight. “This is the last weight division for me,” Pacquiao said. “It’s history for me and more importantly a Filipino did it.” Pacquiao was credited with landing almost twice as many punches -- 336-172 -- as Cotto. He earned a minimum $13 million for the win, while Cotto got $7 million. Las Vegas AP    

Pacquiao the best I’ve seen, says promoter Bob Arum

Boxing promoter Bob Arum has worked with Muhammad Ali, “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler but he believes Filipino Manny Pacquiao is the best he has seen. Pacquiao stopped Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in the 12th round of their title fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night to become WBO welterweight champion and win a seventh world title in an unprecedented seventh weight class.

“I’ve promoted Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, and Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter I have ever seen,” Arum told reporters at the MGM Grand after Pacquiao’s win. Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach endorsed Arum’s statement.

“Compared to all those names, he’s as good as any of them,” Roach said. “He’s the greatest fighter of his era, for sure. 100 percent.” The fighter himself, however, was reluctant to make comparisons.

“I don’t want to compare my achievement to any fighter,” said Pacquiao, 50-3-2 (38 KOs). “I’m just doing my job, to give a good fight. My goal is to give happiness and enjoyment to the people who are always watching us.”

Cotto began the contest strongly behind a stiff left jab, but his opponent found his range in the second round and scored knockdowns in the third and fourth. In the second half of the bout, the Puerto Rican champion, bloodied and bruised, mostly circled and retreated hoping to survive until the final bell.

But a Pacquiao barrage prompted referee Kenny Bayless to halt the fight after 55 seconds of the 12th round. ”Miguel Cotto has always been a courageous fighter,” said Arum.

”He was just in with a guy tonight who showed me ... that he is certainly the best fighter of this era and maybe of all time.” Pacquiao had bruising around his eyes and a bandage around his head after his left ear was drained of blood by doctors following the fight.

Cotto did not appear at the post-fight news conference as he was taken to hospital for precautionary scans. Cotto said in a statement he was OK. “I know I’m cut, I know I’m swollen. I just had a fight, that how I’m supposed to look,” he said. “I did my best. I just fought the best fighter I ever fought. I hope the fans enjoyed a great fight.” Las Vegas Reuters