Tweet
link:http://sports.espn.go.com/sportsnati...e=Rafael090731
and I got this from leo_cebu of PACLAND:
Dan Rafael (12:02 PM)
Not at all. As long as it's over 140 and no more than 147 the belt can be (and should be) up. If the fight was at 139 or 148, fine no belt. There are many fights in which catch weights are used within a division and the title is still at stake. This is Cotto being petty.
Sean Davidson (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK)
Dan the man, simple question regarding the Cotto/Pac/WBO mess. If Cotto is WBO welterweight champ, and he decides to fight within the welterweight limits, then regardless of him agreeing to a catchweight, shouldn't he be obligated to defend his belt?
Dan Rafael (12:11 PM)
100 percent. At the end of the day, the title will be on the line I believe. No way is Arum going to miss out on the promotional aspect of Manny going for a record seventh title. As much as I ***** about titles and such in this specific instance, the title should be at stake because there is more meaning to it than a normal fight. Nobody every won titles in seven divisions. If Manny wins, he deserves the belt. If it was so easy to win all those titles, somebody else would have already done it.
Ty (Philly)
I'm surprised to hear you call Cotto petty, don't you think as the champ he's entitled to some stipulations going his way?
Dan Rafael (1:29 PM)
Well he got the two extra pounds he wanted when Pacquaio wanted the fight at 143. To me, if a fight is in the welterweight division and one fighter holds the tile, the title should be up, end of story.
Rags (NYC)
Does the RING Magazine title require a sanctioning fee? Could Arum pursue that "title" to make everyone happy with Cotto-PacMan?
Dan Rafael (1:57 PM)
No, there is no fee for a Ring title. Plus, the rules on how you can fight for one are very, very explicit. Cotto-Pac can't be for the title based on their rules since Mosley is ranked 1 and you can't fill a vacant title without the No. 1 fighter in the fight.
Dylan (Austin, TX)
I kind of understand Cotto's reluctance to not want to make it a title fight... I think that if it should be a title bout then there should be a max weight limit of 147, no catch weight. If you want to fight for a title, let there be no handicaps.
Dan Rafael (2:08 PM)
Here's the bottom line: If you are a champion in any division other than heavy (which has no upper limi) and you fight under that division limit you're title is at stake. Look at all the nontitle fights over the years. I can't think of a single one in which the champion fought a nontitle fight in which he weighed somewhere within the division. It's just that simple unless Cotto wants to vacate. In that case, nothing would stop the WBO from allowing Pacquiao to fight for the vacant title.
Angel (Orlando, FL)
Hey Dan! I understand what you mean by the weight limit in a certain division, but with Pacquiao demanding that Cotto not be allowed to reach the maximum weight limit in the welterweight division, then Cotto should have the right to say well then you can't fight for my title, and from what I've read, Cotto has stated he will vacate the title and Pacquiao can fight for a vacant title. No big deal, he still gets to fight for the title, but Cotto chose to give it up since he's being handicapped by not being allowed to reach the MAXIMUM weight limit in HIS WEIGHT CLASS...So Pacquiao gets to fight for a vacant title....
Dan Rafael (2:20 PM)
It doesn't matter WHY a guy isn't at the upper limit. It only matters that the fight is IN the division. This is getting old. Do you not understand English?
IT'S WHAT PACFANS HAVE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG!!!
LOL! LET'S SEE WHAT COTTO STANS HAVE TO SAY
and I got this from leo_cebu of PACLAND:
Dan Rafael (12:02 PM)
Not at all. As long as it's over 140 and no more than 147 the belt can be (and should be) up. If the fight was at 139 or 148, fine no belt. There are many fights in which catch weights are used within a division and the title is still at stake. This is Cotto being petty.
Sean Davidson (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK)
Dan the man, simple question regarding the Cotto/Pac/WBO mess. If Cotto is WBO welterweight champ, and he decides to fight within the welterweight limits, then regardless of him agreeing to a catchweight, shouldn't he be obligated to defend his belt?
Dan Rafael (12:11 PM)
100 percent. At the end of the day, the title will be on the line I believe. No way is Arum going to miss out on the promotional aspect of Manny going for a record seventh title. As much as I ***** about titles and such in this specific instance, the title should be at stake because there is more meaning to it than a normal fight. Nobody every won titles in seven divisions. If Manny wins, he deserves the belt. If it was so easy to win all those titles, somebody else would have already done it.
Ty (Philly)
I'm surprised to hear you call Cotto petty, don't you think as the champ he's entitled to some stipulations going his way?
Dan Rafael (1:29 PM)
Well he got the two extra pounds he wanted when Pacquaio wanted the fight at 143. To me, if a fight is in the welterweight division and one fighter holds the tile, the title should be up, end of story.
Rags (NYC)
Does the RING Magazine title require a sanctioning fee? Could Arum pursue that "title" to make everyone happy with Cotto-PacMan?
Dan Rafael (1:57 PM)
No, there is no fee for a Ring title. Plus, the rules on how you can fight for one are very, very explicit. Cotto-Pac can't be for the title based on their rules since Mosley is ranked 1 and you can't fill a vacant title without the No. 1 fighter in the fight.
Dylan (Austin, TX)
I kind of understand Cotto's reluctance to not want to make it a title fight... I think that if it should be a title bout then there should be a max weight limit of 147, no catch weight. If you want to fight for a title, let there be no handicaps.
Dan Rafael (2:08 PM)
Here's the bottom line: If you are a champion in any division other than heavy (which has no upper limi) and you fight under that division limit you're title is at stake. Look at all the nontitle fights over the years. I can't think of a single one in which the champion fought a nontitle fight in which he weighed somewhere within the division. It's just that simple unless Cotto wants to vacate. In that case, nothing would stop the WBO from allowing Pacquiao to fight for the vacant title.
Angel (Orlando, FL)
Hey Dan! I understand what you mean by the weight limit in a certain division, but with Pacquiao demanding that Cotto not be allowed to reach the maximum weight limit in the welterweight division, then Cotto should have the right to say well then you can't fight for my title, and from what I've read, Cotto has stated he will vacate the title and Pacquiao can fight for a vacant title. No big deal, he still gets to fight for the title, but Cotto chose to give it up since he's being handicapped by not being allowed to reach the MAXIMUM weight limit in HIS WEIGHT CLASS...So Pacquiao gets to fight for a vacant title....
Dan Rafael (2:20 PM)
It doesn't matter WHY a guy isn't at the upper limit. It only matters that the fight is IN the division. This is getting old. Do you not understand English?
IT'S WHAT PACFANS HAVE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG!!!
LOL! LET'S SEE WHAT COTTO STANS HAVE TO SAY
Comment