Pacquiao’s Choice Should Be a Real "Welterweight" Fight

[MJ406]

If it is only for Pacquiao, he would fight Cotto at 147. The people inisisting about the catchweight are his handlers. Don't you criticize Pacquiao about catchweight because this is a regular thing in today's boxing because of the day in advance weigh-ins. A lot of catchweight fight happened lately. Even Juan Diaz Vs. Paul Malignaggi on August will be fought at a catchweight of 138 Lbs. Oscar De La Hoya's middleweight championship fight against Bernard Hopkins was fought at a catchweight of 156 Lbs which is closer to junior middleweight which is 154 Lbs than the middleweight limit of 160 Lbs. However, in this fight all the middleweight belts were at stake even if they are fighting at a catchweight of 156 Lbs. This is the reason why De La Hoya lost his WBO middleweight belt because even at 156 Lbs which is a catchweight it is still within the limit of middleweight which is 160 Lbs. With this happening, Hopkins took De La Hoya's WBO middleweight belt to add to his WBA, WBC, and IBF versions of the middleweight title. Going back to Pacquiao, the only reason he is entertaining a fight out of his junior welterweight territory is to give a better entertainment to the fans. Would you rather have Pacquiao fighting Timothy Bradley than welterweight superstars like Mayweather, Mosley, and Cotto? It just makes sense to entertain us all!

IMO catchweights becoming a "regular thing" don't help the sport, and somewhat hurt its credibility, especially with the abundance of weight classes, and the examples don't really help your case.

and no, Diaz-Malignaggi WON'T be at 138, it's actually 138.5, and I ask what's the point, Juan Diaz who fought most of his career at 135, doesn't even want to go up fully (5 pounds) to the next division to take on Paulie, 138.5 is still Light Welter, but in that case why make your opponent cut weight to make the weight? I thought boxing was a competitive combat sport, however the catchweights are turning into a game of how much can be milked out of the opponent

same goes for the DLH at Middleweight example. why fight the Middleweight champ below 160? yes Oscar's the bigger name, but if he wants to weigh in under the MW limit why doesn't he himself do it and not B-Hop. True Hopkins still defended his belts, but I don't see the point of making the champ drop under the Middleweight limit .... what's the point of having weight divisions with all these Catchweight bouts?

and regarding Cotto/Pac if a concern on the fight is that Cotto will come in the ring weighing 155 or more, well how will making Cotto weight 2 or 3 pounds less at the weigh in change that?

"There's nothing for either fighter to gain legacy-wise by making a catchweight fight."

I think the above quote should apply to all catchweight fights, as I have yet to see the argument FOR a catchweight.

**and even if Cotto does come into the ring weighing say 15-20 pounds more than Pacquiao that doesn't automatically mean he'll beat him

[deejd]

You want Cotto who weighs at 160 at the night of the fight to fight Pac who weighs 148? It's a mismatch. Cotto is just too big.

Weight drain only happens only to undiciplined fighters who do not prepare well ahead of the fight and try to cut weight only few days before a fight. De La Hoya prepared very well by weighing 150 months before the fight. He is NOT weight drained. He and his fans are just making that as an excuse AFTER the loss. Just ask Dundee.

Catch weight is a way to level the playing field by meeting at the middle.

I'm far from a DLH fan, but he was dead in that fight against Pacquiao. It's not even an excuse, Roach has gone on record in plenty of articles and interviews (including his appearance on FNF) and said that DLH was weight drained. Even during 24/7 he said that on fight night as they were given the final instructions in the ring, he saw the I.V. marks on DLH arm. Roach, Roach, said this himself.

[Dave Rado]

I'm far from a DLH fan, but he was dead in that fight against Pacquiao. It's not even an excuse, Roach has gone on record in plenty of articles and interviews (including his appearance on FNF) and said that DLH was weight drained. Even during 24/7 he said that on fight night as they were given the final instructions in the ring, he saw the I.V. marks on DLH arm. Roach, Roach, said this himself.

And because of that, Pac gets very little credit for that win. Which is the whole point of this article. He will get no credit if he beats a weight drained Cotto. So if he lets Roach and his handlers insist on catchweight (and don't pretend Pac isn't the one who makes the decisions, he is) - then he will be cutting off his nose to spite his face. That's what everyone who says they want it to be at catchweight is missing - it's not in Pac's interests.

[Deja_Vous]

Im not a fan of catchweight buts this is an exception to the rule. We're all in agreement that pac is not a ww. his max weigh in is 142. considering the weight he's moved up in his career i think its fine to give him a couple pounds. If this fight is at 144 145 considering cotto weighed 146 on saturday is that really going to change the outcome of the fight? I'm sorry but a 28 year old fighter does not let 2 pounds change the outcome of the fight. Leveling the playing field in this instance is fair. A lot of us on here prior to oscar and hatton thought pac would get killed by cotto. 2 pounds arent what's changed our view, it's what we've seen in the ring.

Cool...let the lil ***** fight the Jr WW's..since he's such a huge draw..he can make the same money.

[crold1]

You want Cotto who weighs at 160 at the night of the fight to fight Pac who weighs 148? It's a mismatch. Cotto is just too big.

Weight drain only happens only to undiciplined fighters who do not prepare well ahead of the fight and try to cut weight only few days before a fight. De La Hoya prepared very well by weighing 150 months before the fight. He is NOT weight drained. He and his fans are just making that as an excuse AFTER the loss. Just ask Dundee.

Catch weight is a way to level the playing field by meeting at the middle.

So let me get this right...if Cotto rehydrates to only 158 then it's a fair fight? Ot is it more likely he struggles to rehydrate? As noted in the piece, the great ones whooped ass because they were great in circumstances which look like mismatches on paper. I think pac is capable either way; why run the risk of watering down big things?

[ShoguNinja]

This article is a bait for Pacquiao to go up in full welterweight to overextend himself. Haha! Spare the history lessons. Catchweight or not, either a Pacquiao, Mosley or a Cotto win will etched their name in Boxing ATG just by making the fight happened. Let's not put a high risk on Pacquiao's health and performance being the smaller guy by overextending himself. Cotto or Mosley are "Professionals and Disciplined Fighter's" they will find the right way to go down in weight not looking dehydrated like oscar did coz they are the one's who will gain alot in fighting and winning againts Pacquiao. "Cherry-picking" is for the Bigger Guy choosing to fight a Smaller Guys and not the other way around.

Pacquiao is the Biggest Draw now in Boxing. That being said, he has the right to dictate terms in any of his fights that will be suitable for him just like any Top P4P Boxer before him did?!

[DeepSleep]

Cotto should fight a WW, not PacMan.
Floyd should fight a LWW, not JMM.
PacMan should fight a LWW/LW, not a WW at a catchweight.



This is getting absolutely out of control... Soon were going to see PacMan vs. Klitschko at 173.75 lbs marketed as a fight. The weight classes are there for a reason.

[hemichromis]

Cotto should fight a WW, not PacMan.
Floyd should fight a LWW, not JMM.
PacMan should fight a LWW/LW, not a WW at a catchweight.



This is getting absolutely out of control... Soon were going to see PacMan vs. Klitschko at 173.75 lbs marketed as a fight. The weight classes are there for a reason.

if that's the case Pacquiao should just stay where he is! noone can beat him at that weight! wouldn't fans love that?!

if fighters stayed within their weight classes we would never have had:

leonard - duran
leonard - hagler
hearns - hagler
hearns - duran
holyfield - tyson
holyfield - lewis
benn - eubank
mosley - de la hoya
the list goes on and ON

there are so many weight classes that fighters have to move to find real competition. it is absolutely understandable that they should find a compromise between the two weights.

[deejd]

Cotto should fight a WW, not PacMan.
Floyd should fight a LWW, not JMM.
PacMan should fight a LWW/LW, not a WW at a catchweight.



This is getting absolutely out of control... Soon were going to see PacMan vs. Klitschko at 173.75 lbs marketed as a fight. The weight classes are there for a reason.

EXACTLY!

Stop fighting at catchweights. IF not, just abolish weight classes altogether. I'm not saying that Pac has to go up to '47... the guy can keep weighing in between '42-'45 for WW contests, but stop trying to talk your opponents into weighing in at that weight when they can barely make '47. He let DLH get to '47, let the rest of the welters come in at '47 too, otherwise, stop naming them.

The really sad part is that a live champ called Roach's bluff and said he'd take a 40% cut, go down to '44, and provide a rematch clause should Pac lose and Team Pac still backed out. Stop naming names and go play in the sandbox if you really don't want to fight at WW.

[Natainos]

I am with Cotto on this 1, Fight no lower than 145!!! The real story is how Roach is trying to perseve Pac while calling him the best, makes no scense. Fight Cotto at 145-147, **** you faught ODLH at 147 just for money, if you want to call yourself the best fight Cotto at his best, not a drained Cotto, WHATIS THE POINT????