By Mark Vester

WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto is ready for a war when he steps in the ring next Saturday night against Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Cotto is not paying attention to all of the people who are overlooking him. Cotto has not stepped in the ring but half of the boxing fans are already talking about a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Cotto says Pacquiao is going to lose next Saturday and then the Filipino fighter is welcome to fight Mayweather as many times as he wants.

"He can fight Mayweather as many times as he wants after I beat him," Cotto said. "He has earned everything he has. Manny looked good against Oscar De La Hoya and (Ricky) Hatton. But I'm not Oscar or Hatton. Manny chose the right time to fight Oscar."

A lot of people are focusing on Cotto's lone loss against Antonio Margarito from last July, and his struggles against Joshua Clottey from June. Cotto has his own outlook on both fights. Cotto was asked whether or not his confidence has been broken.

"Why don't you ask Manny that question because he has had three losses I have just one. My commitment is with myself. In my last fight (Joshua Clottey) I could have stopped the fight (cuts) but I decided to stay in the ring because of my commitment to myself and my family," Cotto said.

"A loss is a loss. Nobody knows for sure if he used [an illegal substance in his gloves] with me, or not, just Margarito and his team. But it makes me feel better (about the loss). Boxing fans are knowledgeable. They are the judges. Sometimes when you lose you win. Since Margarito great things have come to my career. Where is Margarito right now and where is Miguel Cotto?"

Cotto also mocked Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach, who made numerous predictions over the last few months - including a Pacquiao win by way of a first round knockout.

"This is the problem," Cotto said. "Freddie Roach is not the guy who is going to climb into the ring. If he prepares Manny for just nine rounds then he has three more rounds. He (Roach) can say whatever he wants. One day he says the first round and the next day he says round seven. I'm preparing for 12 rounds and nobody is going to know what will happen until the night of the 14th."

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingvestre@gmail.com