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Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37
“Pac-Man” is the world’s No.1 pound-for-pound boxer, and he’s looking to join Thomas Hearns, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather as the only boxers to hold belts in five different weight classes. He’d also like to join De La Hoya, who is the only man to hold six different titles, and he dropped his idol in the eighth round of their 2008 fight. Pacquiao’s last fight didn’t even go that long as he knocked out Ricky Hatton in the second round of their fight back in May. Pacquiao may have the quickest hands of anyone in boxing, and he’s surprisingly strong for such a small man.
Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27
Cotto knows he’s a huge online betting underdog, but that probably won’t make him change his style. Cotto will stand in there and slug it out with anyone, which usually makes it interesting for the fans and PPV customers. Cotto is coming off an entertaining split-decision win over Josh Clottey back in June to retain the WBO welterweight title that he won over Michael Jennings in February.
Sportsbook odds have Pacquiao as a -270 favorite in this contest, and this is his third straight fight at the MGM Grand. Cotto would like some redemption as the MGM Grand is the site of his lone loss, a controversial 11th-round knockout at the hands of Antonio Margarito, who is suspected to have put plaster on his hands for more power back in July 2008. This should be the Fight of the Year as neither fighter will back down from a toe-to-toe brawl, but they’re going to have to show some technique at some point, and Pacquiao has the edge in that, as well as elusiveness. In a fight that should go the distance, take the favored Manny Pacquiao in your sports picks.