Salud picks Cotto for Pacquiao

Former WBC secretary-general Rudy Salud said yesterday he prefers Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent to be WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, not Sugar Shane Mosley, because the Puerto Rican will provide a more exciting fight for the Filipino icon.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto, is working out a package suitable to the fighters and has tentatively marked Nov. 14 as D-Day (Demolition Day) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

In November 2007, Cotto beat Mosley via a 12-round unanimous decision to retain the WBA welterweight title that he later lost to Antonio Margarito. The outcome should settle the debate on who has preemptive rights as Pacquiao’s next foe.

Salud described Mosley as “an unexciting fighter” whose predictable style is all about hit-and-clinch. Mosley, 37, has been desperately baiting Pacquiao to face him, even using media to issue a dare. But neither Pacquiao nor Arum is biting. Mosley can’t wait for too long because he’s not getting any younger.

“I prefer Cotto to Mosley,” said Salud. “I think a compromise can be reached on a catchweight limit. I hear Cotto is agreeable to 145 although 144 would be ideal. It will be an exciting fight. Manny’s style makes every one of his fights exciting. Cotto is wily. He knows how to evade punches. Manny, however, is too fast for him and no matter how good Cotto is in bobbing and weaving, in time, he’ll get hit because nobody can stay away from Manny for long.”

Salud said it won’t be an early ending like Pacquiao’s second round disposal of Ricky Hatton last May.

“This will last longer than the Hatton fight, maybe six rounds,” said Salud. “In the end, Cotto will go down. He already has a crack in his jaw. Manny’s the type who doesn’t want to hold and won’t let you hold him. He talks with his fists and that’s why he’s such an exciting and explosive fighter.”

Salud said one of Cotto’s weaknesses is he throws slapping blows. “With (Muhammad) Ali, 75 percent of his punches were knuckle punches and 25 percent, slaps,” noted Salud. “It’s the other way around for Cotto.”

But what makes Cotto a dangerous opponent is his hunger. He’s driven and highly motivated.

“From what I know, Cotto’s never been in a pay-per-view show,” continued Salud. “Not even his fight against Margarito was on pay-per-view. Cotto’s fights are just sold country to country and shown on free TV. So if he fights Manny, he’ll be happy with 25 percent of the pay-per-view sales. A 30 or 35 percent share will be manna from heaven. Cotto will also be happy if he gets 25 to 30 to 35 percent of the total purse.”

Because Cotto isn’t expected to hold out for a big slice of the money pie, the fight could provide a potential windfall for Pacquiao.

Since losing to Margarito last year, Cotto has won twice, halting Michael Jennings and outpointing Joshua Clottey to raise his record to 34-1, with 27 KOs. Pacquiao’s record is 49-3-2, with 37 KOs.

Cotto, 28, has fought his last eight weighing at least 146 pounds. Three years ago, he weighed 138 1/4 in decisioning Paulie Malignaggi in New York. A former WBO lightwelterweight titlist, Cotto shouldn’t find it difficult to make 144 or 145. He tipped the scales at 146 for Clottey.

Boxing Digest writer Kenneth Bouhairie said Cotto’s strength is his offense, “a versatile attack focused on the body but capable of damage upstairs.” In beating Mosley, Cotto proved he can be a skilful boxer, too, not just a power puncher. The jab he showed in neutralizing Mosley was “a revelation that may hold the key to solving styles that pressure and power-punching alone would never crack,” said Ring Magazine editor Nigel Collins.

TV commentator Jim Lampley said Cotto’s courage is unmistakable. “He knows how to fight and he certainly isn’t afraid of combat,” said Lampley, quoted by writer William Dettloff. “He has heart and once you feel his left hook to the liver or kidney, the amount of time you want to spend fighting him is going to diminish. And the more he lands it, the less time you will want to continue to fight him.”