The Only Winner
Posted by Tommy Hackett on October 10th, 2009
Anyone excited about next month’s fight between Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao got a treat yesterday as Pacquiao vs. Cotto: Face Off, a fantastic interview segment between the two conducted by Max Kellerman, popped up online. In fact, it’s a treat for anyone who just enjoys a bit of class and respect being shared between two proud sons of their native countries. (Yes, Puerto Rico is really a commonwealth of the US, but you know what I mean.)
If you’re anything like me and find yourself forgotting what sportsmanship looks like sometimes, please enjoy…
Many have been critical of Pacquiao camp’s insistence that this bout be contested at a catch weight, while still wanting Cotto’s welterweight title be on the line. This gambit represented a change for the Filipino icon that had successfully gone up in weight so many times he had been hailed this generation’s Henry Armstrong. This time, should Pacquiao win, the boxing world finds itself with a champion at welter unwilling to fight at welter. On the surface, it just didn’t make sense. Only a “sweetening of the pot” from promoter Bob Arum ended the issue. As they say, CREAM…
Then again, go back a bit further. When the bout was first announced, I found it a difficult one to call and still do. Neither has fought anything like the other. But watching this, I begin to wonder if maybe deep down, they’re mirror images.
Watching this interview, I forget any controversy. Throw the belts in the trash and forget the purses. November 14 will see a pairing of two pound for pound entrants –who are class acts besides — giving their all to prove themselves and bring honor to their homelands.
With that in mind, I think it’s safe to call both winners. Cotto’s remark at the end of the interview sums it up well: “the only winner in this fight is the fans.”
These two are what the fight game should be all about.