Pacquiao-Cotto eyed as WBO title tiff

MANILA, Philippines – The president of the World Boxing Organization wants the projected Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight to be a showdown for the WBO welterweight crown being held by the Puerto Rican.

Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, WBO president, said making the fight which is scheduled for Nov. 14 a WBO title fight is part of the ongoing negotiations between the two boxers who are both under Top Rank.

Valcarcel, according to boxingscene.com, has asked the WBO board to make Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound champion, on top of the list of contenders for Cotto’s 147 lb title, and “sanction it” as a title fight.

The report said issues may arise if the WBO does this because there are the other contenders. But Valcarcel said it shouldn’t be a problem because if Pacquiao wins, the Filipino icon may go back to 140 lb.

If that happens, then the next two contenders can square off for the vacant title. Pacquiao had said before he’s more comfortable at 140 lb.

“I’ve already spoken with Bob Arum (Top Rank president) for the fight to be a title fight,” Valcarcel was quoted by Primera Hora as saying.

It was Gabriel Penagaricano, Cotto’s legal adviser, who said that making the fight, set at the MGM Grand, a title fight is part of the ongoing negotiations.

Pacquiao’s own lawyer, Franklin Gacal, said there’s nothing final yet as Pacquiao is just all set to review the fight proposal which Arum presented to Mike Koncz two weeks ago in Las Vegas.

Koncz is back in the Philippines, and it’s now up to Pacquiao whether he would sign the contract and make a counter-proposal.

On top of the discussions is the weight issue, whether the fight would be held at 142, 143 or 145 lb, and the purse sharing, whether Pacquiao would get 65 or 70 percent of everything.

“Nothing is final yet,” said Gacal yesterday.

If the fight with Cotto becomes a title fight, then Pacquiao will get a shot at a seventh world title in different weight classes even if some dispute the fact that the light-welterweight crown which the Pinoy icon won over Ricky Hatton last May was only his fifth.

There’s the flyweight, super-bantam, featherweight, super-featherweight, lightweight and light-welterweight titles Pacquiao had tucked under his belt. The featherweight crown was the Ring Magazine.