Despite the recent revelation from Manny Pacquiao that he prefers his proposed bout with Miguel Cotto to take place closer to 143 pounds, Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels insists that a disagreement over weight will not stop the fight from happening. "A pound or two will not stop this fight. We'll be able to tweak things out," Samuels stated over the weekend. "This is the money fight for Pacquiao and Cotto and the things that we are having right now like (stalled) negotiations is just normal." Although hiccups in negotations are normal when it comes to mega-fights, the timing of recent events seems odd and adds speculation over whether or not a bout between Cotto and Pacquiao really will take place.
While Bob Arum was away in Europe on a well-deserved vacation, Oscar De La Hoya took the opportunity to play a friendly round of golf with Cotto at the majestic Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico last week. "It was a very casual and fun meeting between us in which we only played golf. We did not discuss anything about the sport [boxing]," Cotto revealed to Primera Hora. Didn't discuss anything about the sport? Yeah right! The local press isn't buying it and neither am I.
It's common knowledge that Cotto's contract with Top Rank expires on December 31st. Earlier this year, Cotto had a falling out of sorts with Bob Arum after the promoter quickly came to the defense Antonio Margarito, who handed Cotto his first loss and later had his boxing license revoked for one year after a plaster-like substance was found in his hand wraps prior to his title fight with Shane Mosley. "I find it unbelievable that a company like Top Rank would put money ahead of the well-being of a human. [Top Rank] knows that Margarito and his group knew what they were putting on the hands," Cotto stated in disgust back in February.
Cotto also revealed his intent to explore other options once his contract with Top Rank expired. "I'm just going to stay with them until the contract is finished. After that, we're going to sit with the company and talk," he stated. Those other options undoubtedly include Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya has previously expressed an interest to sign the Puerto Rican superstar. It's hard to believe that two boxers - one active, one retired, both promoters (albeit Cotto is still relatively new when it comes to promoting) - would just happen to run into each other on the golf course, play 18 holes and not utter one word of boxing to each other.
Sources tell me that although there may not have been any discussions about a possible move to Golden Boy Promotions, the topic of Manny Pacquiao was indeed brought up. Details are sketcy, but it's rumored that Cotto may have been warned about some of the hardball tactics that Pacquiao would use at the negotiating table and that his own best interests would not be a priority for his current promoter. In fact, upon hearing Pacquiao's desire to fight closer to 143 pounds, Cotto countered, remaining steadfast on his own demand that he can get any lower than 145 pounds. "My request is the same, no change," Cotto told Hiram Alberto Torraca of El Nuevo Dia.
Although it's admirable that Cotto is staying firm in his stance on the weight, even De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton eventually gave in to Pacquiao before letting the big payday slip through their fingers. It's hard to imagine that an agreement won't be reached over a difference of two pounds, but will Golden Boy Promotions play a role in Cotto's decision at the negotiating table? While there's certainly a lot of money for Cotto to make in a bout with Pacquiao, there's also a lot of money for him to make against Shane Mosley, RickY Hatton or even Floyd Mayweather Jr., who's made it clear that he's not eager to work with any fighter promoted by Bob Arum. For a fighter who's nearing the end of his contract, those factors certainly have to be taken into consideration, especially if you're concerned that your current promoter isn't catering to your needs and you're thinking about making a switch to a new promoter who just might be hinting that they will.
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