V8: Cotto, Roach, Pacquiao, Klitschko's, and more!!!

Puerto Rican phoenom Miguel Cotto was recently quoted by Primera Hora as stating that Pacquiao "hasn't impressed him" in his last few fights, and that "he has two arms like I do". Seems the criticism of his many nay-sayers after the Clottey fight is finally taking a toll on him. Typically in a very reserved mode, Cotto has made it clear that it doesn't matter if he weighs in at 145lbs, he'll "weigh 8 to 10 more pounds come fight night" and that'll be the Filipino's problem. When the fight was first considered I said that Cotto would be far too big and strong for Pacquiao. Since then, Pacquiao has looked amazing and Cotto has looked subpar to say the least. With a chip on his shoulder and a reputation to restore, it'll be interesting to see if Cotto's words were just another small part of this War Of Words, or in fact Words Of Wisdom for the smaller Filipino. Either way it goes, I'm starting to warm up to this fight, and when that bell rings, the only thing most of us will be saying is WOW! Question is, what's gonna happen to make us say that first?

For weeks now, rumors have run rampant relative to P4P king Manny Pacquiao's ambition of running for a congressional seat in his wife Jinkee's Province. Those rumors have been quickly confirmed as the heavy-handed Filipino warrior threw the first verbal punch at the family (Chiongbians) who have basically been a long standing dynasty, reigning over the past 14 years. Pacquiao was quoted as telling a local reporter that he "hasn't seen anything done in their (Chionbians) reign to uplift the lives of the poor". Obviously, the comments didn't go over too well. We know that Pacquiao packs a punch in the ring, but for selfish reasons, I'm not too sure us fight fans really want to see him find too much success in this latest venture. With Oscar gone, Floyd confused, and Pacquiao in a deep mode of contemplation, God only knows how long it'll take for someone else to come along with the charisma and skill level to carry the sport. Seems like the people of Sarangani could use the help, but with a big bash scheduled for Nov. 14th on HBOPPV looming, this is one (political) party that I hope Pacquiao skips. Hopefully he isn't invited!

I wouldn't be surprised one bit if Coffee king Starbucks received a boost in sales last week as fight fans struggled every step of the way to stay tuned into the Wladimir Klitschko/Ruslan Chagaev fight. From the beginning to the end, (literally), there was no substantive action and it was a stark reminder of exactly how bad the heavyweight division really is. Some question Haye's actions - relative to pulling out of the fight - and watching his substitute fill in certainly didn't help the cause. At 6'6", 245lbs, I cram to understand how is it that such a unique specimen could turn out dull performance after dull performance. It can't be this bad. Maybe I'm dreamin'! Hell, maybe he is too. If that's the case, that works out well. Now someone has a good reason to give this dude a real WAKE UP CALL! Any volunteers?

Trainer of Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach, has come out publicly and stated that he has no problem with a catchweight of 145 pounds when Pacquiao faces Cotto. To some Pacquiao-faithful, this is a big problem, as the comfort zone probably lies around 142, to 143lbs. Many Pacquiao fans feel that a heavier Cotto will be a stronger Cotto, which could spell big problems for Manny. It was odd to see Roach change his tune because just last week he said this fight would only happen if Cotto weighed in at 143, and now, suddenly, it seems things are a bit different. Not so sure what brought about the change of heart, but considering Cotto's comments on entering the ring on fight night atleast 10lbs heavier, I wonder whether this decision was good, or if Team Pacquiao should have stuck to their guns? Those extra 32 ounces could mean an extra 36 minutes of pain for the Filipino. Pacquiao is arguably the better boxer, but make no mistake about it, HE HAS NEVER FACED A FIGHTER THIS HEAVY OR THIS HEAVY-HANDED. If Cotto took everything Margarito had for 11rds (possible loaded gloves and all), and was as strong as he was against Clottey after weighing in at 146lbs, I think this gives him a sizable advantage. Am I the only one that feels that way?

The team of Vitali Klitschko is currently reviewing offers to see who exactly will land a shot his services next. Now that he's clear and it has been confirmed that he doesn't have to face Oleg Maskaev, the list has been narrowed down to three men...Valuev, Haye, and Arreola. Team Klitschko has hinted that it probably will come down to which venue can be secured, as some of those fights have global appeals more than others. Not to make a game out of the scenario, but with one Foul opponent (the freakish Valuev), one who critics feel is scarier than he shows and lacks a 'pair' (Haye), and another one who we know will come to 'strike' (Arreola), the logic becomes very simple. Regardless of location or money you can make, give the fans what they want...Face the one who won't be afraid to strike back, which is Arreola, and let your brother go ahead and take on the guy who backed out on him to begin with, which is David Haye. Problem solved.

Timothy Bradley defeated Junior Witter a year ago for his strap....Tim Bradley vacates a strap because he decided not to face Devon Alexander.....Fast forward a little bit and here we are on the brink of a fight card where Witter and Alexander will face off for the title that Bradley didn't want, and it's all taking place on the undercard of a show headlined by, yep, you guessed it, none other than Timothy Bradley. With Bradley up top and these two contenders flanked to separate sides beneath him, you consider the tropical setup at the new Hot Water Casino, and suddenly, the fight card without a name suddenly becomes the 'Bermuda Triangle'. Sounds good in theory, but if it's true, at least one of these guys who enter the perimeter won't emerge from the equation when it's all over. I wonder who that might be?

In what has become an unfortunate trend as of late, Chris John has become the latest postponement casualty of the fight game, falling victim to an untimely blood illness that will require him to miss his scheduled rematch against Rocky Juarez. The last time they fought it was John's first time fighting on U.S. soil, and now that the fight has been canceled, whether or not he ever fights here again, who knows? It would have been interesting to see if Juarez could have become the first to defeat him, but truth be known, the slick warrior would have had his way again with the rugged Mexican. No new news has been reported on the status of John, but hopefully his red light will turn green soon enough.

Puerto Rican young gun Juan Manuel Lopez finds himself preparing for his first headlining bout which is set to take place Saturday night in Atlantic City, New Jersey. With only 25 fights under his belt, the young warrior seems to be totally comfortable carrying the weight of his nation on his shoulder. With questions looming over the head of Cotto and Trinidad long gone, many see JuanMa as the potential 'next-man-in-charge' to lead the country in the sport. It's one thing to get that trust from the Puerto Rican people, and it's another to feel the love of Nu-Yoricans in the aftermath of the Cotto fight where they came out in droves, but when he steps in the ring Saturday night it'll be him, a credible opponent (the undefeated Lontchi) and the bright lights of a city who is no stranger to big shows. Can the young Puerto Rican deliver on the big stage? Or will the high stakes of Atlantic City set a bar which ends up too high to hurdle? Time will soon tell.

(Vivek Wallace can be contacted at