By Mark Vester
After Manny Pacquiao stopped Oscar De La Hoya on December 6 in Las Vegas, many began to ponder how Pacquiao would do against some of the top welterweights in the division. One name the continues to come up is former two division champion Miguel Cotto. Cotto is considered a small welterweight and moved up from 140-pounds, where Pacquiao will now campaign. The two fighters are similiar in height and share the same reach at 67-inches. Both fighters are also under contract with the same promotional company, Top Rank.
Evangelista Cotto, trainer and uncle of Miguel, does not think the idea is absurd and doesn't rule it out as a possible fight for 2009. Pacquiao is scheduled to face Ricky Hatton on May 2. Should Pacquiao come off with a win, the "mega-fight" options are not exactly stacked. If Floyd Mayweather Jr. unretires, then Pacquiao has another mega-fight, but if Floyd decides to stay away from the sport - the options come down to a trilogy with Juan Manuel Marquez or someone along the lines of a Miguel Cotto.
Cotto has a fight scheduled against Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO welterweight title on February 21 in New York. He then has a June rematch with Antonio Margarito [unless plans change]. Evangelista plans to sit back with Miguel and see how things progress before they rule out the possibility of a Pacquiao encounter.
"I wouldn't doubt it [the fight happening]. Anything is possible. We are going to have to see what happens," Evangelista told ESTO.
Meanwhile Cotto is preparing for his fight with Jennings and plans to kick his camp into high gear next week.
"I am back to my usual work. I had a problem in my back, but that is something temporary that comes and goes. Everything is going good. The fight date is February 21 and there is sufficient time. We are working well to get there in perfect condition," Cotto said.
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