With the training camps of Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao overlapping, and the two pugilists sharing a trainer in Freddie Roach, there were high hopes among boxing observers that the two legendary fighters would get into some sparring, and Roach initially said there was a chance.
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"They're good friends now, so I'm not sure how hard they'll go," Roach said months ago. Now, the differing styles and sizes of each man relative to their upcoming opponent is rendering a sparring session useless according to Bryan Perez, the Executive Director of Cotto Promotions.
"Manny is a southpaw, and Miguel does not have the style of Bradley," Perez said. "That wouldn't do anything to help Manny, but our team is giving them support."
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While Pacquiao is a southpaw, it stands to reason that his frenetic offensive style could still help prepare Cotto for the quick hands of Sergio Martinez, even in Pacquiao is a much smaller fighter, but the differences between Cotto and Bradley could make the session a net negative.
In addition, with Pacquiao's bout set to happen on Saturday, Cotto is a risky sparring partner due to his combination of power, size and skill for Pacman to be stepping in the ring with so close to fight night. If Manny and Roach are to be believed, his training camp was exceptionally hard and he won't need the extra session regardless.
Cotto, on the other hand, may be in for his most difficult fight since Floyd Mayweather Jr. He's never fought a middleweight before, and though he's been a powerful fighter his whole career it's unclear whether that pop will translate to 159 pounds. Those questions didn't stop Roach from predicting a knockout though, in response to Martinez's ninth-round KO vow.
"Yeah, we'll knock him out in eight."
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