MANILA, Philippines - May tsansa pa rin na maitaya ni Puerto Rican world welterweight champion Miguel Angel Cotto ang kanyang korona laban kay Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.
Sa panayam ng Philboxing.com kahapon kay World Boxing Organization (WBO) president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, sinabi nitong sina Pacquiao at Bob Arum ng Top Rank Promotions ang dapat kumilos.
“Manny has to write the WBO a letter of request. Then he talks to Bob Arum and Bob will inform me,” ani Valcarcel. “Now after that, we can push Miguel Cotto to do it. I talked to Arum before in New York and he wants to do it. I will talk to Arum again and we will tell Cotto to do it.”
Matatandaang hindi pumayag ang 28-anyos na si Cotto na itaya ang kanyang suot na WBO welterweight belt sa kanilang laban ng 30-anyos na si Pacquiao sa Nobyembre 14 sa MGM Grand Garden Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Idinagdag pa ni Valcarcel na kung hindi man itaya ni Cotto ang kanyang korona ay titiyakin pa rin niyang makukuha ito ni Pacquiao sakaling manalo sa Puerto Rican.
“Let Manny fight for the title and if he wins, he will get the title as WBO welterweight champion of the world,” sabi ni Valcarcel.
Ibinabandera ni Pacquiao, ang tanging Asian fighter na naghari sa limang magkakaibang weight division, ang 49-3-2 win-loss-draw ring record kasama ang 37 KOs, habang dala ni Cotto ang 34-1-0 (27 KOs) slate.
Pinagharian na ni “Pacman” ang flyweight, super bantamweight, super featherweight, lightweight at light welterweight divisions ng magkakaibang boxing organizations.
Noong Setyembre ng 2004, naglaban sina Oscar Dela Hoya at Bernard Hopkins sa catchweight na 158 pounds na mas mababa sa 160 (middleweight) na timbang ni “Golden Boy”.
“I remember that fight. It was also for a WBO middleweight division title even though it was a catch weight bout. They fought for a title,” wika ni Valcarcel.
Maglalaban sina Pacquiao at Cotto sa catchweight na 145 pounds.