Simply too much Manny!

By Matt Stolow – While the first four rounds alone were worth the price tag for this fight, Miguel Cotto just couldn’t keep up with Manny Pacquiao as the Filipino superstar shifted into higher gears that the Puerto Rican champion couldn’t reach on his best day.

The third round knockdown was legitimate, but Cotto wasn’t really hurt. However the fourth round knockdown was “Premium Pacquiao” on this his biggest stage ever, and at this point Cotto knew he was in for a long night. and the route was on.

This fight opened with serious anticipation of Pacquiao having a world class, competitive opponent in front of him who was even bigger, stronger and younger, with one punch knockout power, poise, pride, international respect and the World Boxing Organization welterweight (147) title.

But by round five, this fight was simply target practice for Pacquiao. To be fair, Cotto was the best challenge in years to Manny Pacquiao and he couldn’t hang with him.

I’m one that thought the Cotto fight’s with Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey damaged Cotto. Trust me, Between rounds five through eight, Pacquiao wrecked Cotto worse than those two fights combined.

Why the Cotto corner, which included his father, didn’t stop the brutality between rounds five through eight but let it go into the 12Th, when referee Kenny Bayless mercifully stopped it, was cruel and unusual punishment of their own fighter and is why many fighters end up punch drunk and penniless.

Let’s hope that corner doesn’t have blood on its hands later on. But that doesn’t lesson what Manny Pacquaio did Saturday night at the MGM Grand Casino.

It was one for the ages.

While Pacquiao’s boxing greatness cannot be denied, still many believe the seven world titles in seven different weight divisions is still gimmicky. That a magazine title and a Mickey Mouse sanctioning body outside the Big Four shouldn’t count toward his seven.

I say Manny, tell them all to kiss your backside!

Source: examiner.com