By Mark Vester
WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto refuses to engage Freddie Roach, trainer of Manny Pacquiao, in a war of words. Pacquiao challenges Cotto for the title on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Roach has made a variety of predictions, including that possibility that Pacquiao will win via first round knockout. Cotto doesn't care what Roach has to say.
"I'm going to make Freddie Roach eat his words. I can assure you that in the end I will be victorious," Cotto said to Primera Hora. "I don't care what Freddie Roach says. The best thing he can do is prepare Manny Pacquiao to be at his best."
"Roach is not going to get in my head. He talks a lot and think the same thing will happen when Pacquiao fought Hatton. We will not fall into that game. None of the stupid things he says is going to affect me and nothing he says will change the outcome of the fight."
Cotto said the fights are win in the gym with a good training camp, not by talking trash to the press. Cotto says that he is very close to the contracted catch-weight of 145-pounds.
"The fights are won in the gym and we are working at 100%. In addition, nutrition has helped a lot and so the mood I am in is very different from previous times. In fact, we are very close to the weight," Cotto said. "I've said from the beginning, Pacquiao is a great fighter, but he is a 126-pounder. Whether he is strong enough is one of the questions that he will have to answer when he steps into the ring with Miguel Cotto."
"We are prepared for everything that he brings. Pacquiao is not the first southpaw that I faced. I've already had fights with (Carlos) 'El Indio' Quintana, Zab Judah and (DeMarcus) Corley. I am well prepared for him. And if I catch him with hard shot, we will knock him out. "
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