Pacquiao-Cotto Preview: A Genuine Display of Respect

When you have two elite boxers trying to hype up an upcoming fight, trash-talking, name-calling, and other verbal insults are surely flying around nonstop.

You have Muhammad Ali calling Joe Frazier an ugly bear, to which of course Frazier responded with a rain of punches. The Mayweathers also are not lost when it comes to belittling their opponents before a fight. Floyd Mayweather Senior blasted fellow trainer Freddie Roach with titles such as “cockroach” and “the joke Coach.” The younger Mayweather, at a press conference, brought a chicken to cement his description of Oscar Dela Hoya.

So it’s quite refreshing to see two of the best P4P fighters smiling at each other as if they have no intentions of reconfiguring each other’s faces and perhaps careers.

Manny Pacquiao, the current pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, and Miguel Cotto, ranked 8th best pound-for-pound boxer and current WBO welterweight champ, are all smiles in their mini-interview with boxing analyst Max Kellerman. Both fighters handed each other praises and credit for their respective careers and in the truest sense of the word, mutual respect is visible between these guys.

Both Pacquiao and Cotto acknowledged the skills of the other and also talked about their motivation why they fight – family, honor, and country. But make no mistake. No matter how genuine these guys are, no matter how friendly they seem outside the ring, once they become boxers, they will try to get the other’s lights out.

Pacquiao-Cotto with Max Kellerman here.
Pacquiao and Cotto on the reason why they fight here.