By Glenn Wilson
The big fight hype machine is up and running and we are still a month away from Pacquiao-Cotto. This is the part of the fight game where the promoters and backers of the fighters work overtime to spew superlatives about their fighters.
Apparently, Manny Pacquiao is getting so fast that last night he cut the light out in his bedroom and was asleep before the room got dark. ( With respect to Ali). Rumors are leaking out that when hitting the speedbag, Manny’s hands worked at such a high rate of speed that a sonic boom was heard over the Pacific.
Of course the Cotto camp is also leaking out some news. Miguel has been obliterating heavy bags at an alarming pace. Team Cotto has recently begun filling their heavy bags with cement, unfortunately Miguel has jackhammered those into mere dust.
Reports have surfaced that King Kong was brought in as a sparring partner and quit after one round. “I was shot at by planes and fell off of the Empire State building, and let me tell you, that was like landing on a bed of feathers compared to being hit by Cotto”, said Kong.
Now lets deal in reality. Pacquiao probably looks great and so does Cotto. They are at the top of their games and nothing less should be expected.
Jose Luis Castillo was brought in to be one of Manny’s sparring partners. He was a great champion at one time, but the key word is “was”. Castillo is 4 and 0 this year against guys that have a combined record of 118-91. Not exactly world class competition. Castillo’s last major fight saw him stopped by Ricky Hatton in four rounds by a bodyshot.
Cotto also looks in the best shape of his life. Even if there was a problem, it would not find it’s way out to the media. Sparring partners will be asked at fight time about the shots they took, of course they will say they have never been hit so hard before.
Sparring partners are paid to take a beating. It helps the main fighter work on things and also builds his ego. Freddie Roach recently said that when Pacquiao knocked down a sparring partner that it meant nothing. That is so true.
Pacquiao’s sparring partner was not named Cotto and Cotto doesn’t have a sparring partner named Manny Pacquiao. That is the reason these great fighters are working so hard. Because in November they wont wear headgear or big gloves. Thank goodness for that.
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Glenn grew up in local boxing gyms and still worked out and sparred as recently as 2004.
Follow Glenn Wilson at Norfolk-Boxing-Examiner