Pacquiao v Cotto – what’s in a date?

When Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto trade leather on November 14, they will share a fight date with some of boxing’s all-time greats.

Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson and Joe Louis are among several stars who did battle on November 14, although they weren’t involved in super-fights.

Ali, in his first stint as world heavyweight champion, stopped Cleveland Williams in the third round in 1966.

An ageing Robinson outpointed Jean Beltritti in Paris in 1964, less than a year before retiring.

Joe Louis twice fought on November 14 – a decade apart. In 1934 he knocked out Stanley Poreda in one round, and in a non-title bout in 1944 he saw off Johnny Davis, also by a first-round KO.

Fighting elsewhere that same day in 1944, featherweight great Willie Pep, also in a non-title bout, was dropped by Charley Cabey Lewis, but he got up to win on points over 10 rounds.

A third boxer in action on that same day was bantamweight star Manuel Ortiz, who defeated Luis Castillo on a ninth-round TKO to retain his world title. On November 14 1949, Ortiz out-pointed Theo Medina in a non-title bout.

Another man to twice fight on November 14 was legendary middleweight and light-heavyweight, Harry Greb. He fought to a draw against Terry Martin in 1914 (although apparently he deserved to win) and in 1916 he knocked out Jackie Clark in the third round.

Could it be that Pacquiao v Cotto will be boxing’s first super-fight on November 14? Please drop a line if you know of a blockbuster that took place on this date.

Source: http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/longdrop/2009/10/25/pacquiao-v-cotto-whats-in-a-date/