Papa Cotto fires on Paco Valcarcel

World Boxing Organization Champion Miguel Cotto opened camp for a November 14 duel with pound for pound champion Manny Pacquiao this week, but his father - Miguel Senior - also opened mouth and let loose a few choice comments regarding Paco Valcarcel.

Valcarcel is the long-time president of the WBO and has insisted in making Pacquiao and Cotto's fight for the welterweight championship though the weight limit is set at 145, 2 pounds short of the full welterweight limit.

Aside from issues regarding the bout's contracted weight limit, Cotto and his advisers are not keen on the idea of having to spend $150,000 to defend the championship.

Miguel Senior believes that Valcarcel has been the origin of the controversy surrounding the championship and the sanctioning fee which would be charged by the WBO.

"What is happening is that like a good business man [Valcarcel], he is going to have to come up with the $150,000 however he can," Miguel Senior told Antolín Maldonado Ríos of Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia. "I believe Valcarcel went to the other side, to stir something up in the Philippines and convinced them, but he is not going to convince us."

Team Cotto argues that they had negotiated this fight at catchweight limit of 145 pounds and that it was clear the title was not on the line.

Miguel Cotto Junior has also made it very clear, that he would be more than happy to vacate the title and save himself $150,000.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-2850-LA-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m8d6-Papa-Cotto-fires-on-Paco-Valcarcel