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LAS VEGAS—THE BATTLE THAT has been brewing beneath the surface nearly exploded in the open Friday afternoon.
After behaving themselves during a press conference the other day, trainers Freddie Roach and Joe Santiago figured in a melee in front of a huge audience Friday after Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto made the 145-pound catch weight for his fight against Manny Pacquiao.
Cotto, who team Pacquiao suspected of struggling to make the weight, flexed his muscles in front of photographers at the MGM Grand’s Garden Arena and then turned to Team Pacquiao to show off his physique after his weight was announced.
A little later, there was confusion on the stage with cooler heads from both camps seen stepping in between the two trainers.
Roach confronted Santiago after the latter reportedly uttered an expletive-laced statement directed at the famed Pacquiao trainer.
“[Cotto] gets on the scale, he makes the weight and then his trainer says to me, ‘145 a******, 145,’” Roach later told journalists.
“I said to him ‘why’re you calling me an a******?” he added.
“Then he’s talking s***, I tell him to f*** off and Cotto’s looking at me like he’s going to beat me up,” Roach said. “But it’s OK. They told me to calm down so I calm down.
“[Santiago] is a young kid and we’re inside their heads,” Roach said. “We’ll watch them wrap their hands tomorrow and it’s going to be exciting.”
Pacquiao comfortably made the weight with a pound to spare. The Pacman came in at 144 lb amid cheers from Filipino supporters in the 7,000-strong audience.
From the looks of things though, Santiago may have gotten under Roach’s skin, too, with the supposedly inexperienced trainer completely disrespecting his highly regarded counterpart.
Since midway through camp, Roach has been verbally needling Team Cotto, particularly the 32-year-old Santiago, who is working just his second fight as a trainer for Cotto.
Roach initially ticked Santiago off when he predicted a first-round knockout by Pacquiao. Roach then belittled Santiago, saying Cotto was training himself for the mega-fight,
Witnesses on the stage said that Santiago repeatedly uttered “145” to Roach, who was approaching Santiago and gesturing him to bring it on before other team members from both camps stepped in between the two.
After behaving themselves during a press conference the other day, trainers Freddie Roach and Joe Santiago figured in a melee in front of a huge audience Friday after Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto made the 145-pound catch weight for his fight against Manny Pacquiao.
Cotto, who team Pacquiao suspected of struggling to make the weight, flexed his muscles in front of photographers at the MGM Grand’s Garden Arena and then turned to Team Pacquiao to show off his physique after his weight was announced.
A little later, there was confusion on the stage with cooler heads from both camps seen stepping in between the two trainers.
Roach confronted Santiago after the latter reportedly uttered an expletive-laced statement directed at the famed Pacquiao trainer.
“[Cotto] gets on the scale, he makes the weight and then his trainer says to me, ‘145 a******, 145,’” Roach later told journalists.
“I said to him ‘why’re you calling me an a******?” he added.
“Then he’s talking s***, I tell him to f*** off and Cotto’s looking at me like he’s going to beat me up,” Roach said. “But it’s OK. They told me to calm down so I calm down.
“[Santiago] is a young kid and we’re inside their heads,” Roach said. “We’ll watch them wrap their hands tomorrow and it’s going to be exciting.”
Pacquiao comfortably made the weight with a pound to spare. The Pacman came in at 144 lb amid cheers from Filipino supporters in the 7,000-strong audience.
From the looks of things though, Santiago may have gotten under Roach’s skin, too, with the supposedly inexperienced trainer completely disrespecting his highly regarded counterpart.
Since midway through camp, Roach has been verbally needling Team Cotto, particularly the 32-year-old Santiago, who is working just his second fight as a trainer for Cotto.
Roach initially ticked Santiago off when he predicted a first-round knockout by Pacquiao. Roach then belittled Santiago, saying Cotto was training himself for the mega-fight,
Witnesses on the stage said that Santiago repeatedly uttered “145” to Roach, who was approaching Santiago and gesturing him to bring it on before other team members from both camps stepped in between the two.
Seems like Joe got in his head and he can't stand it. I bet he will ***** about the way Cotto wraps his hands.
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