Pacquiao and Cotto watch from the sidelines

There’s no denying that the upcoming Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fights are linked in more ways that one. With a combined record of 172 wins against only 8 losses, including 126 knockouts along the way, the four men represent the standard for quality boxing in today’s era.


Coming from vastly different backgrounds, each fighter is unique and inside of the ring each man has stamped their own imprint on the sport over the years. It goes without saying that all four men will be keeping a close eye on one another as their respected fights take place, and with Mayweather-Marquez going down September 19th both Pacquiao and Cotto will be on the sidelines as spectators watching the contest go down.


These days it’s very easy to get a pulse for anything and everything that Pacquiao’s legion of fans are saying and feeling. Having great pride and faith in their native son, his followers have been keeping an eye on everything surrounding Mayweather-Marquez as Pacquiao is tied to both men in vastly different ways.


The names ‘Pacquiao’ and ‘Marquez’ will go down in history as being synonymous with each after their riveting and closely contested Las Vegas battles with one another in May of 2004 and March of 2008. After a draw the first time around Pacquiao edged Marquez out in the rematch based on the strength of a third round knockdown and a late round momentum surge. While Pacquiao’s fans may try to dismiss Marquez at times, anyone with a true sense of objectivity will surely realize how dangerous and respected the Mexico City fighter is after going nail and tooth with the Filipino sensation.


When the attention is turned to Mayweather, Pacquiao’s contingent lights up in a different way, as Floyd has become public enemy number one in Pacland these days. Combining god given talent and a huge ego, there seems to be no middle ground for Mayweather as people either seem to endlessly love him or publicly scathe him. To the Pacquiao masses Floyd represents not only a threat, but a man who seems to genuinely rub them the wrong way.


Cotto himself will surely have a keen eye on this Saturday’s contest as well, as there was once a time when a Cotto-Mayweather clash was the talk of the town. In late 2004 and well into 2005 and beyond people salivated at the chance of seeing Miguel and Floyd do battle. At the time Floyd was making his impression felt at 140 pounds with dominating victories over Henry Bruseles and Arturo Gatti while Cotto was busy dispatching a wide range of opponents from ex champions to fellow up and comers.


Well into late 2007 a Cotto-Mayweather showdown still seemed very much a reality but in 2008 things would change dramatically in each man’s career. Following a December 2007 stoppage of Ricky Hatton, Floyd would be surprisingly quiet for a while before announcing his retirement in early June. There were proposed talks of a Mayweather rematch brewing with Oscar De La Hoya in September but ‘Pretty Boy’ threw a wrench in the plans of many with that news.


The following month Miguel Cotto’s career would be temporarily derailed as he engaged in a much clamored matchup with Antonio Margarito. Despite getting off to a fast start and building up an early lead based off of his counter punching and boxing skills, Miguel began to fade the second half of the fight. Margarito continued pushing forward and would eventually leave Cotto crumpled in a corner in the 11th round, unwilling to continue. The TKO loss was devastating to Miguel in many ways as he not only lost much of his luster but took some serious punishment as well.


Following the Margarito fight it has been revealed that the ‘Tijuana Tornado’ was caught with an illegal substance that was removed from his gloves before his loss to Shane Mosley. That substance would turn out to be plaster of paris and Margarito would be suspended for a year following the incident. Not only did the incident shed a bad light on Margarito, it rejuvenated the entire Cotto fan base, which was quick to dismiss Miguel’s loss, given that it was handed to him by a ‘cheater’. Cotto has since won two fights in a row, the most recent being a back and forth affair against Joshua Clottey, and with Mayweather’s return the possibility of the two men one day meeting in the ring is much more of a reality.


Just as the background of all four fighters is strikingly different, so too are the gifts that they were blessed with inside of the ring. Pacquiao is known best for his relentless and unyielding aggression as well as his deadly left hand. Marquez stands out for his technical brilliance and his fighter’s will. Cotto can be described best as a patient stalker and his body attack is both brutal and beautiful to watch. Mayweather is perhaps the most natural gifted fighter of today’s era and his boxing instincts are second to none.


The core fan base for each man is drastically different yet ultimately and undyingly loyal at the end of the day as well. What goes down this Saturday night when Mayweather and Marquez meet and a few months later on November 14th when Pacquiao and Cotto clash will affect each man’s career as well as shaping the current landscape of the sport.


Some fighters like to say that they don’t pay attention to anything besides the fight in front of them but gut feeling here is that Mayweather, Cotto, Marquez, and Pacquiao will all be keeping an eye on one another, whether inside the ring or as an interested spectator. This Saturday the spotlight belongs to Mayweather and Marquez, and it will be time for Pacquiao and Cotto to watch from the sidelines as they size up the competition.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-22973-Miami-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m9d14-Pacquiao-and-Cotto-watch-from-the-sidelines?cid=examiner-email