Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto
Encyclopedia
Manny Pacquiao
vs. Miguel Cotto
, billed as Firepower, was a boxing
welterweight
superfight for the WBO
World welterweight championship. The bout was held on November 14, 2009, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
. Pacquiao won the fight via technical knockout in the twelfth round.
buys, compared to Cotto's 35% share.
in seven different weight divisions. Pacquiao also won the special WBC
Diamond Belt. After the fight, promoter Bob Arum
stated: "Pacquiao is the greatest boxer I've ever seen, and I've seen them all, including Ali, Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard." Meanwhile, Cotto was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
The fight generated 1.25 million buys and 70 million dollars in domestic pay-per-view revenue, making it the most watched boxing event of 2009. Pacquiao earned around 22 million dollars for his part in the fight, whilst Cotto earned around 12 million dollars. Pacquiao–Cotto also generated a live gate of $8,847,550 from an official crowd of 15,930.
Pacquiao's victory sparked a media frenzy, concerning his latest achievement against Cotto, and a potential match-up with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
vs. Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Ángel Cotto Vázquez is a Puerto Rican professional boxer and the reigning WBA light middleweight champion. He is the younger brother of contender Jose Miguel Cotto and cousin of Abner Cotto...
, billed as Firepower, was a boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
superfight for the WBO
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...
World welterweight championship. The bout was held on November 14, 2009, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Pacquiao won the fight via technical knockout in the twelfth round.
Negotiations
The fight was sanctioned as a world title fight in the welterweight division, where the weight limit is 147 pounds, however Cotto's camp agreed to fight at a catchweight of 145 pounds to accommodate Pacquiao's smaller physique. Cotto's camp also conceded the larger share of the purse to Pacquiao, who received a 65% share of pay-per-viewPay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
buys, compared to Cotto's 35% share.
Rounds 1–8
In the opening round both fighters were tentative, although Cotto appeared to have the edge, as he connected with several solid jabs that arguably won him the round. However, from the second round onwards Pacquiao picked up the pace, as he knocked Cotto down in round three with a right hook, and then again in round four with a left uppercut. In round five Cotto mounted a brief comeback and arguably won the round, but thereafter Pacquiao went on to dominate the fight. Cotto had some success when he managed to pin Pacquiao against the ropes, although Pacquiao later admitted that he had allowed this to happen, as he wanted to test Cotto's power.Rounds 9–12
After a one-sided ninth round in favor of Pacquiao, wherein Cotto received significant punishment, many people thought that Cotto's corner should have stopped the fight. At this point, Cotto's wife even left the arena. However, a bloodied up Cotto decided to continue the fight, but he could not evade Pacquiao's onslaught, prompting the referee to stop the fight fifty-five seconds into the twelfth round. Pacquiao was ahead on all three judges' scorecards before the stoppage, which read 109-99, 108-99, and 108-100, all in favor of Pacquiao.Punch stats
- Total punches: Pacquiao landed 336 out of 780 (43%), whereas Cotto landed 172 out of 597 (29%).
- Total jabs: Pacquiao landed 60 out of 220 (27%), whereas Cotto landed 79 out of 297 (27%).
- Total power punches: Pacquiao landed 276 out of 560 (49%), whereas Cotto landed 93 out of 300(31%).
Aftermath
With this victory, Pacquiao took the WBO World welterweight title (his seventh world championship), to become the first boxer in history to win seven world titlesSeptuple champion
In different sports when a sportsman wins seven crowns, titles, medals, belts or another distinctions is called a Septuple Champion.-Boxing:In boxing, a septuple champion is a boxer who has won world titles in seven different weight classes....
in seven different weight divisions. Pacquiao also won the special WBC
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...
Diamond Belt. After the fight, promoter Bob Arum
Bob Arum
Robert "Bob" Arum is the founder and CEO of Top Rank, a professional boxing promotion company based in Las Vegas. He also worked for the US Attorney's Office for the southern district of New York in the tax division....
stated: "Pacquiao is the greatest boxer I've ever seen, and I've seen them all, including Ali, Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard." Meanwhile, Cotto was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
The fight generated 1.25 million buys and 70 million dollars in domestic pay-per-view revenue, making it the most watched boxing event of 2009. Pacquiao earned around 22 million dollars for his part in the fight, whilst Cotto earned around 12 million dollars. Pacquiao–Cotto also generated a live gate of $8,847,550 from an official crowd of 15,930.
Pacquiao's victory sparked a media frenzy, concerning his latest achievement against Cotto, and a potential match-up with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr. is an American professional boxer. He is a five-division world champion, where he has won seven world titles, as well as the lineal championship in three different weight classes...
Televised
- Middleweight bout:
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. 
Troy Rowland
- Chavez Jr. defeated Rowland via unanimous decision (97-93, 98-92, 99-91).
- WBAWorld Boxing AssociationThe World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Super Welterweight Championship bout:
Yuri ForemanYuri ForemanYuri Foreman is a Belarusian-born Israeli-American professional boxer. He is a former World Boxing Association super welterweight champion...
vs.
Daniel SantosDaniel Santos (boxer)Daniel Santos is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. As an amateur Santos represented Puerto Rico in international events, including the 1990 and 1992 Junior World Championships, Pan American Boxing Tournament, Goodwill Games, 1995 Pan American Games and the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he won a...
- WBA
- Foreman defeated Santos via unanimous decision (117-109, 117-109, 116-110) to win the WBA World super welterweight title.
- Welterweight bout: Alfonso GomezAlfonso GomezAlfonso Salvador Gómez Becerra is a Mexican professional boxer. He was a competitor on the reality TV show The Contender, where he ended up ranked third out of sixteen fighters.-Personal life:...
vs. Jesus Soto KarassJesus Soto KarassJesús Soto Karass is a Mexican boxer in the Welterweight division. He is the former WBC Continental Americas and the NABF Welterweight Champion. Jesús is the older brother of boxer José Luis Soto Karass....
- Welterweight bout:
- Gomez defeated Soto Karass via technical decision (58-54, 57-55, 57-55) to win the vacant WBC Continental Americas welterweight title. The fight was stopped at 2:41 of round six, due to a cut on Gomez caused by an accidental headbutt.
Untelevised
- Super Welterweight bout: Rodrigo García vs. Martin Vierra
- Garcia defeated Vierra via unanimous decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36).
- Bantamweight bout:
Eden SonsonaEden SonsonaEden Sonsona , is a Filipino professional boxer. He is the cousin of fellow boxer Marvin Sonsona.Sonsona began his professional career on December 30, 2005, with a unanimous decision win over Brian Vicera...
vs. Eilon Kedem
- Bantamweight bout:
- Sonsona defeated Kedem via technical knockout in the second round.
- Middleweight bout:
Matt Korobov vs. James Winchester
- Middleweight bout:
- Korobov defeated Winchester via unanimous decision (60-54, 60-54, 60-54).
- Flyweight bout: Richie MepranumRichie MepranumRichie Mepranum is a Filipino professional boxer and current WBO Oriental flyweight champion.-Fighting style:...
vs. Ernie Marquez
- Flyweight bout:
- Mepranum defeated Marquez via split decision (56-57, 57-56, 58-55).
- Lightweight bout: Abner CottoAbner CottoAbner Cotto Román is a Puerto Rican professional boxer who currently competes in the lightweight division. He is a member of the Cotto family, which has produced a professional world champion and multiple amateur medalists. As an amateur, Cotto represented Puerto Rico in international competition...
vs. Guadalupe Guzman
- Lightweight bout:
- Cotto defeated Guzman via unanimous decision (60-54, 60-54, 59-55).