Freddie Roach "I want Cotto at 143 lbs"

Freddie Roach told Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum he wants a catch weight of 143 lbs for the proposed Nov. 14 super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. "I spoke with Bob and I told him I want it at 143 lbs," Roach told BULLETIN-TEMPO Friday night (yesterday morning in Manila). "The lower I can get him (Cotto), the better." Roach’s desire to force Cotto to get down to as low as 143 is a sure sign the celebrated trainer is very wary of the Puerto Rican puncher. Despite Cotto’s struggle against Joshua Clottey last week in New York, Roach remains a believer that Cotto is not over-the-hill. "Cotto is still a great fighter. Very strong, and very dangerous," said the 48-year-old Roach, the heart and soul of the fabled Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood. Roach said those who predict that Pacquiao would bowl over Cotto with ease "are not so bright." "He’s a champion," said Roach. "No way (he’s past his prime). (Manny’s going to have a) hard, hard fight." Reminded that Cotto seems to be not elusive and willing to take punches to land one of his own, Roach agreed but cautioned diehard Pacquiao fans that "he gets back as hard." Roach added that once Pacquiao reports for training camp two months before the fight, help will come from conditioning coach Alex Ariza and the rest of Pacquiao’s all-Filipino training team. So, where’s Michael Moorer, the former heavyweight champion who was part of Pacquiao’s training camp for Ricky Hatton last May? "Michael’s on leave to attend to his kids in Florida," added Roach. Arum, meanwhile, has been informed of what both camps want and Pacquiao insists the catch weight should be 144 lbs and Cotto wants it at 145. Cotto’s World Boxing Organization welterweight (147 lbs) crown will be on the line in the scheduled 12-rounder being pencield for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mike Koncz, Pacquiao’s Los Angeles-based Canadian adviser, is on his way to the US for a meeting with Arum on Sunday in Las Vegas.