Pacquiao Cotto: Puerto Rico Press Tour Video

Puerto Ricans love boxing, ergo they love Pacquiao

Is anyone surprised at the shower of love Manny Pacquiao is getting in Puerto Rico?

Please do not count me among the uninformed.

Per capita, the fight fans of Isla Encanta might be the world's best. Compared to Mexico, the UK and other countires, they are a small group but Boricuas love their beisbol and their boxeo.

Miguel Cotto, also a caballero like Pacman, is respected for sure. No one really has a bad word for the fan friendly fighter and family man from Caguas.

But, try as he might, Cotto has never inspired the intensity and complete devotion his countryman had for big puncher Felix "Tito" Trinidad. It's no knock on Cotto, mind you, just like it's no knock to say that Floyd Mayweather Jr. doesn't have the USA following that Sugar Ray Leonard used to command.

Personally, the "I do my talking in the ring" guys usually bore me. But Puerto Ricans take fighters as they come in personality, whether it's the stoics such as Bazooka Gomez or Esteban DeJesus or the handshaking, genial Jose "Chegui" Torres.

What matters to Boricuas is what a fighter does when that bell goes ding, ding, ding. They gave all due praise to Latin superstars from Panama (Roberto Duran, Nicaragua (Alexis Arguello) and Mexico (JC Chavez and the tragic Salvador Sanchez).

They have a genuine respect for ring crafstmen, especially those whose heart and courage is unquestioned.

They love boxing, they love genuine artilce fighters.

They would've given respect to Bernard Hopkins, before and after he beat hero Tito, if he had not thrown their beloved bandera in the gutter.

Ergo, they love Manny Pacquiao.

They still want Native Son Cotto to beat him.

But, as they say in American politics, they respect the process.

The only surprise is that anyone would be surprised.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5699-NY-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m9d12-Puerto-Ricans-love-boxing-ergo-they-love-Pacquiao

FIREPOWER PUERTO RICO PRESSCON PHOTOS

9/12/09, Caguas, Puerto Rico -- Six-time world champion pound-for-pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao(R), General Santos,Philippines and three-time world champion and the pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto(L), Caguas, Puerto Rico pose during a public press conference in Puerto Rico Saturday to promote their upcoming "FIREPOWER" World Welterweight championship fight. Pacquiao vs Cotto is promoted by Top Rank, in association with MGM Grand and Tecate, will take place, Saturday,November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be available live on HBO Pay Per View. Both fighter are on a multi-country, five-city media tour to kickoff the promotion. -- Photo Credit : Chris Farina - Top Rank.

Six-time world champion pound-for-pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao(R), General Santos,Philippines and three-time world champion and the pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto(L), Caguas, Puerto Rico pose during a public press conference in Puerto Rico Saturday to promote their upcoming "FIREPOWER" World Welterweight championship fight. Pacquiao vs Cotto is promoted by Top Rank, in association with MGM Grand and Tecate, will take place, Saturday,November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be available live on HBO Pay Per View. Both fighter are on a multi-country, five-city media tour to kickoff the promotion. --- Photo Credit : Chris Farina - Top Rank.

Hall of Fame Top Rank promoter Bob Arum(ctr) introduces six-time world champion pound-for-pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao(R),General Santos,Philippines and three-time world champion and the pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto(L), Caguas, Puerto Rico at a public press conference in Puerto Rico Saturday to promote their upcoming "FIREPOWER" World Welterweight championship fight. Pacquiao vs Cotto is promoted by Top Rank, in association with MGM Grand and Tecate, will take place, Saturday,November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be available live on HBO Pay Per View. Both fighter are on a multi-country, five-city media tour to kickoff the promotion. --- Photo Credit : Chris Farina - Top Rank.

Source: http://philboxing.com/news/story-27272.html
Photos by: AP Photo