He’s the current World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight Champion, he boasts an outstanding record, (34-1-27 KOs) and yet Puerto Rican pugilist Miguel Cotto is a 3-1 underdog heading into tomorrow night’s superfight against the irresistible force known as Manny Pacquiao. Since the inception of the fight, many observers have written Cotto off.

 At just 29 -years- old  many believe that Cotto is a shot fighter, among those is Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach- who earlier this month predicted that his pupil would knock Cotto out in one round. Whether or not Roach’s prediction was a way to get under Cotto’s skin and into his mind,  there is no doubt that  Antonio Margarito has long lingered inside the Puerto Rican’s head.  Since his brutal first loss last year at the hands of Margarito, Cotto has suffered a case of paranormal activity- as he has been unable to shake the ghost of his Mexican nemesis. He showed signs of progress in his last fight against the highly respected Joshua Clottey. In that fight Cotto showed true grit, as he battled through  most of the fight with a nasty gash over his left eye. Despite winning the bout, as in the Margarito fight- Cotto suffered severe punishment.

 In contrast, his opponent Manny Pacquiao has been able to avoid such punishment. Pacquiao’s last bout against Ricky Hatton only lasted two rounds. According to Compubox, Manny was only hit a total of 18 times. In a staggering fact, Miguel Cotto was hit more times in his last fight against Joshua Clottey, (222) then Manny Pacquiao has been hit in his last three fights combined. (191 ) Many may see that statistic as Cotto’s downfall. But is it? Or does it mean that Cotto is battle tested, and  better suited to battle through adversity. Watching Pacquiao as of late, one has to wonder if he has been tested enough. He  breezed through his past three opponents David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton without breaking a sweat. Needless to say his road to this fight has been much easier than Cotto’s.

 In assessing tomorrow night’s fight, one must take into account that Cotto’s level of opposition has been much greater than Pacquiao’s. Through the years, Cotto has faced some of the heaviest hitters in the welterweight division, names such as Zab Judah, Antonio Margarito, and Shane Mosley. In the Mosley fight, many predicted that Mosley’s speed would be too much for Cotto, but what we saw was a brilliant display of timing and counterpunching on Miguel’s part. In that fight, Cotto was  able to offset Mosley’s speed by utilizing his two best punches, his jab, and his left hook which is what he must do against the Pac-Man.

Boxing News: JOHN MOLINA, JR. MAKES MAIN EVENT DEBUT NOV. 28 AT PECHANGA

 Undefeated knockout artist John Molina, Jr. (18-0, 14 KO), of nearby Covina, CA, will battle Mexico’s Martin Honorio (26-4-1, 14 KO) in the scheduled 10-round headliner of the ShoBox: The New Generation telecast on SHOWTIME. Tickets priced at $65 Ringside, $50 VIP and $35 General Admission are available at the Pechanga Box Office from 10am to 10pm or by calling 1-877-2WIN and press 2.  Doors open at 5:00 PM.  First Bout is at 6:00 PM.