Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto
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| Date | November 14, 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) on the line | World Boxing Organization welterweight championship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pacquiao via 12th round TKO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxer | Manny Pacquiao | Miguel Cotto | |
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| Nickname | Pac-Man | Junito | |
| Hometown | General Santos City, Philippines | Caguas, Puerto Rico | |
| Pre-fight record | 49-3 (37 KO) | 34-1 (27 KO) | |
| Height | 5 feet, 5.5 inches | 5 feet, 7 inches | |
| Weight | 144 pounds | 145 pounds | |
| Recognition | The Ring and Lineal light welterweight champion | WBO welterweight champion |
Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto, billed as Firepower, was a boxing match for the WBO 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.
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-view buys, compared to Cotto's 35% share.
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.
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.
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 titles 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.
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