SUPER-MANNY

Hey Dougie,
Wow! I never would have thought Manny Pacquio would be the bigger puncher and that he could take everything Miguel Cotto had. Un-freakin-believable. He's Superman!

Now Floyd Mayweather has an easy way to shut up all of his critics and make some money: beat Manny. If he KO's Manny will you cut off your ponytail? Barring a Floyd fight Manny could take on Yuri Foreman for another weight division belt. That would be nuts… — Stephen, Montreal

There’s no interest in Pacquiao fighting Foreman. The fight to be made is Pacquiao-Mayweather. People who don’t even follow boxing know that.

It’s still a very close fight. Mayweather will be much harder for Pac to nail clean and he’ll frustrate the southpaw warrior. Floyd has the ability to outbox Pacquiao, but knock him out? No way. I’ll shave my head if Mayweather KOs the Pac-monster.

STILL IN AWE

Hey Dougie,
Wow… That's all I can think to say right off. I'm sitting here the morning after the fight, which I had to stay up til 6 a.m. to watch here in Helsinki (I'm Irish, but here for a woman) and thinking of a better description but what else is there to say? So I'll keep it short and sweet. I had Cotto to win that fight because of his power but when Manny just shook off that huge uppercut early in the fight (not sure which round) I knew it was gonna be his night. Manny, for me, is now an all-time great and let’s just pray to the boxing gods that Floyd will get down from his high horse and give us the fight every fight fan wants to see.

All the best. Keep up the good work. — Sean Doyle

“Wow” is what every boxing writer sitting in press row either said or thought midway through Saturday’s big fight. Pacquiao has now proven himself above 130 pounds to the degree that any further analysis or skepticism is just a waste of time. Now is the time to simply shrug our shoulders and say “Manny is the man.” Anyone who still thinks Mayweather is the man is kidding themselves. If Mayweather wants to be the man he has to beat the man. It’s as simple as that.

I think the uppercut you referenced was the left uppercut Cotto landed late in the third round after he got up from the earlier knockdown with guns blazing. I thought Pacquiao would beat Cotto, but I figured it would be a much tougher fight than it turned out. Like you, I know Pacquiao would outclass Cotto after he absorbed those big shots in the second and third round without ever being rocked.

MANNY CROSSES OVER

Hello,
I am a big fight fan & can't say I've been more impressed with a fighter then I am with Pac-Man right now. I honestly thought Cotto had the size and skill to make it very tough to the point where I even bet on Cotto (odds seemed too lopsided) but never again will I doubt him & Freddie Roach.

Also, working in the sports industry that I do I have already gotten tons of e-mails and tweets about the fight from hundreds of non-hardcore people who have Manny fever. He has crossed over to at LEAST PBF's level here in America & I will never forgive Floyd & Bob Arum if they don't make that fight next. I could show u dozen of e-mails already beating the drum for this fight. I don't want to see Floyd in with Mosley, I don't want to see Manny in with JMM. I want to see Floyd v Pac Man this May no matter what. It is a huge event for boxing and the fighters could make $50 million each if promoted properly. Anything less from these guys is robbing the fans of a type event that could spring boxing back onto network TV. — Tyrone

I agree with everything you stated, Tyrone. It’s foolish to doubt Coach Freddie (when Pacquiao is concerned), the PacMan has indeed crossed over, and three years after the so-called ‘Fight to Save Boxing’ (De La Hoya-Mayweather) turned out to be a dud once the bell rang the sport could host a real fight that might rival the Super Bowl. Let’s hope Richard Schaefer and the good folks at HBO can talk some sense into Mayweather and Arum and the biggest fight that should happen gets done.

NO MORE EXCUSES

Whaddap Doug!
Maybe now the wins over Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya will garner a little more respect. While DLH wasn't in his prime, he repeatedly stated during his training that he felt great at the lower weight. As for Hatton, he's been the last man standing in numerous wars, and only lost to the two P4P champs. Saying he was overrated was a bit much.

Manny Pacquiao broke down a prime Miguel Cotto. I wonder what excuses some bloggers will come up with now. I respect Cotto to the fullest as a fighter. For Manny to take all his best shots like that and still hunt him down is just plain SICK! Against his opponents, the trend is there. He attacks to the point that his opponents no longer know what to do or how to run away. Cotto and DLH decided to survive. David Diaz and Hatton decided to go down throwing and we all know what happened there. Manny is on another level. Like he said in the post-fight conference, he wanted to prove his strength to Cotto mano y mano. Laying on the ropes, he basically told Cotto forget strategy, I'll go toe to toe with you right here right now so give me your best shot. It goes back to the most basic aspect of fighting: Standing your ground. What surprises the hell outta me though is how Pacquiao not only stood his ground against the hard hitting Cotto, he walked through a lot of his shots!

Btw, that undercard was whack! It almost killed the party I was hosting. I do see what Bob Arum is doing though. Another site stated that if Floyd dodges Manny, Arum could have Manny fight the feather-fisted Yuri Foreman for an 8th weight-class title! It's definitely not the fight I want to watch, but I'll see it! — Chris from Austin, TX

I care nothing for Pacquiao-Foreman. And I cared close to nothing for Arum’s doo-doo PPV undercard on Saturday. Ironically, the most interesting fight on the undercard, in my opinion, was Santos-Foreman. Gomez-Soto-Karass was an ugly, bloody foul-filled mess. Chavez-Rowland was the mind-numbingly boring bout most thought Santos-Foreman would be. However, I liked what I saw from Yuri against Santos. I’d like to see him in against the better 154 pounders, not the P4P King.

I think Pacquiao has made believers out of most boxing fans (and writers and bloggers).

WOW

Now I know what Larry Merchant meant when he said he was humbled during Gatti-Ward; last night's fight was beautiful and truly awe inspiring; I can't pinpoint it, but that fight leaves no doubt why I LOVE boxing. — Eric V.

I know the feeling. I had it after Corrales-Castillo I and Vazquez-Marquez III.

I wasn’t left with it after Saturday’s fight because it evolved into a rout after the fifth round but I was definitely feelin’ it during the first four rounds.

BEAUTIFUL COTTO ARTICLE

This is one of those fights I wished could have two winners. I have tons of respect for both men and love to watch both fight. Mayweather, massively talented though he is, isn't half the mensch either of these guys are. You're article caught what makes Cotto a fan favorite. Thanks. — C

Cotto has long been one of my favorite fighters, not just for the skill and will he exhibits in the ring, but also because of the dignified manner in which he’s always carried himself outside of the ring and immediately after his fights. Because of this admiration the final rounds of Saturday’s fight were hard for me to witness. The post-fight column on his professionalism was easy. All I did was tell the truth. Thanks for the kind words on the article.

PACTACULAR

Hi Dougie,
Tremendous fight, my brain was with Pacquiao and my heart with Cotto. Being from PR, I can tell you that PR fans reacted with pride and respect towards Cotto's effort, warrior mentality, and professionalism. He's a great champion!

I think Pacquiao has completely peaked and I feel honored to have watched his career development and all his major fights after the first Barrera fight. It's the feeling you get watching an athlete make history, like watching Michael Jordan play basketball in the 90's.

In any case, I think Manny made the Floyd vs Pacquiao too huge for Floyd to duck him. The fans are demanding it and the money will be too huge for Floyd to pass up. Unfortunately, I think Floyd has the perfect style to beat Pacquiao, even if he stinks out the joint, he will find a way to beat the Filipino Monster. In that fight, my heart will be with Manny, but my brain with Floyd. I hope it does not end like it ended last night for Cotto.

By the way, I think Cotto is still game and has 2-3 fights left in him. — Formby

I know Cotto is still game but I wonder how much is left physically. There are big fights out there for him, the Mosley-Berto winner in particular, but I hope he takes his time coming back. He needs some time to heal and one or two “gimme” fights before taking on a top welterweight.

Jordan in the ’90s is a good comparison to late-decade version of Pacquiao. Fans and trainers once said that of Mayweather, who might find a way to outpoint Pacquiao if they fight but there’s no way Money “beats” the PacMan or does what the southpaw buzzsaw did to Cotto.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR COTO?

Hey Doug,
Hope I make the mailbag. Just writing to make a few points on the big fight.

Pacquiao-Cotto was an extremely competitive fight early on, but the mistakes Roach knew Cotto would make with such an inexperienced trainer meant it was only a matter of time before the sensational whirlwind Pac-man ground Cotto down. Really, Cotto should not have been allowed to fight the tenth round and the referee and Cotto's corner should be questioned about this as it was a very dangerous thing to do to a fighter who was taking such a beating.

Looking forward, the Pac-man Mayweather fight will not just decide the best fighter of this decade and will also define both fighter's legacies. If the fight doesn't get made, it could be devastating for boxing as a mainstream sport.

I wanted to ask you where does Cotto go from here? like Ricky Hatton and Jermain Taylor, when you lose so devastatingly, it takes something out of you but is it too premature for him to consider his future in the fight game?

P.S., I saw this happen on Friday – simultaneous knockdowns – have you ever seen anything like it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omHPMZAga0k — Thanks, Simon, Hull, UK

I heard about this double knockdown on the Ndou-Hatton undercard. Thanks for the link. Yes, I have seen it before at club shows with preliminary ham-and-eggers and on TV once with the Sechew Powell-Cornelius Bundrage fight in 2005.

I agree that Saturday’s fight could have been and probably should have been stopped earlier than it was. I think after the ninth round, which could have been scored a 10-8 round for Pacquiao, was the perfect time to end it.

MANNY WALKS THE WALK

Hey Doug,
What an event! I envy you being there. The atmosphere must have been electric to say the least. Manny did what was expected. He turned in a performance that made it impossible for Mayweather to ignore, although he was probably making excuses why not to fight Manny before the first bell rang. I loved Dan Rafael's comments on ESPN afterward that while other fighters TALK about why they are the greatest, Manny proves it by going out and beating the best fighters. My wife was saying as the fight progressed, “Poor guy!” as Cotto continued to take more and more punishment. I like Cotto, but I think he is damaged goods now and should retire and spend time with his family and enjoy his money.

My only negative was the undercard. It was dreadful to say the least. A total waste of time. I would just as soon pay the PPV price and see the main event than sit through 2 hours of BS fights trying to stay awake. $65 for the HD broadcast IS pretty steep and is why I don't do many PPVs (I just couldn't miss this one though.) Boxing could take a cue from MMA as they are successful in the PPV arena because the cards are stacked with good matchups.

Finally, I can see that dream match with Manny & Floyd on the horizon (as Rugged Man's rant plays over and over in my head… DAMN that was good BTW). I just want to be there when Manny stuffs a 12 oz. Everlast gloves in PBF's face. End of rant. Take care Bro'. — David, Nashville

If Pacquiao-Mayweather happens, and it should, I’m also going to look forward to that moment in the fight when Floyd can no longer avoid PacMan’s patient pressure and dynamic offense.

Cotto might be damaged goods but if he wants to continue fighting I wish him luck. He’s earned the right to give it one more shot and I think he’s smart enough to get out of the game if he finds out that he can no longer compete at the world-class level.

MORE M&Ms (MANNY, MIGUEL & MAYWEATHER)

Hey Doug,
Pacman proved me wrong and answered all the questions I had about him fighting a real welterweight. He can take a punch and he can damn sure punch like a welterweight or should I say jr middleweight. I thought Cotto looked good early on till he got caught with that second knockdown.

Manny to me at this point is an official Legend! I personally would like to see him fight Mayweather. How big would that fight be? I’m not trying to be funny here but I have a vision of 3 million PPV buy's LOL. The funny thing is now it seems Manny does not really have to fight Floyd (he should of course). It seems like Floyd NEEDS to fight Manny. Think about it. Who is Mayweather going to fight next? (I am still trying to figure that out myself.) Anybody got a problem seeing Manny fight Marquez again. Not me! I think Floyd is a phenomenal fighter but if he does not try to make this fight and tries to fight these other names I don’t even want to mention (Salita, Alvarez) I think he tarnishes his legacy forever. By the way how big of a factor will Arum and Haymon play in this fight not getting made? Thanks. — Rio

If it was only up to Arum and Haymon to make the fight Pacquiao-Mayweather wouldn’t happen, but they (thankfully) aren’t the only people involved in making the showdown a reality, there’s Richard Schaefer, Todd duBoef, Ross Greenburg and company at HBO, and others.

Unless Pacquiao wants to take an easy bout next spring his next bout should be Mayweather.

PRETTY BOY-COTT

Dear Dougie,
The PPV public should boycott Mayweather's next fight if it is anyone other than Pacquaio. What say you to this? — Rob, UK

I think Floyd has the right to fight whoever he wants but if the powers that be try to make Mayweather vs. Saul Alvarez or Dmitriy Salita into a “PPV event” I think fans should definitely do the right thing and ignore it.

THE GREAT PACMAN & EL TERRIBLE

Doug,
We know Erik Morales is a surefire Hall of Famer, but I just wonder if Pacman's performances after his loss to El terrible would have sort of contribute to Morales' legacy since he was the “only” fighter to officially beat a Prime Manny Pacquiao, not a dehydrated greenhorn version beaten by Rustico Torrecampo and Medgeon Singsurat.

I'm just curious, has there been any fighter in his prime in any era whose legacy was already talked about even though he's still light years away from retirement? If there are, are their legacy talks comparable to the same degree being attributed to Pacquiao? Thank you and God Bless. — Adrian the Ace, Philippines

I recall the same things being said now about Pacquiao were said about Julio Cesar Chavez and Roy Jones Jr. when those two former P4P kings were still in their primed. Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Robinson were considered great when they were still in their prime. There have been others, but it doesn’t happen often.

Of course El Terrible’s unanimous decision over Pacquiao enhances his legacy. It was his last great victory and Pacquiao’s done nothing but kick ass ever since. However, while I agree the version of the PacMan that Morales beat was not the “dehydrated greenhorn version beaten by Rustico Torrecampo and Medgeon Singsurat” I don’t believe Pacquiao was as complete a fighter that he evolved to this year and last.

PAC DON'T NEED MONEY

Hi Doug,
You've probably got about a million Pac-related emails by now, so I'll keep this short.

Manny Pacquiao doesn't need Floyd Mayweather, he's already a Great. Mayweather needs him. And if Mayweather won't fight him, he's an even bigger little b_tch than many of us thought.

Stay good. — Tom, Oxford, England

OK. I think the fans have spoken.