Pacquiao-Cotto Corner Preview

While it will be a slugfest between the Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, another battle will be fought and this is one does not need any punching power and blazing hand speed to seal the victory. Each boxer’s corner will be crucial to their victories. But who will prevail in this war of encouragement?

Both fighters will get 1-minute rest period in between rounds, where the fighter get a new set of instructions, a bag of heartening words, or a heed of warning. And the one with best people on the corner has the huge advantage to rake a win.

Manny Pacquiao has Freddie Roach, Buboy Fernandez, and Alex Ariza on his side. Miguel Cotto, will have Joe Santiago, Philip Landman, and Joe Chavez. So who has the best team come fight night?

Experience wise, Team Pacquiao has the advantage with Freddie Roach parading above the rest. The 49-year old boxing trainer was a former contender himself. He has produced several champions and will probably manufacture a lot more. He has gathered a lot of accolades, including a Hall of Fame nod and the Trainer of The Year thrice.

Opposite Freddie Roach is Joe Santiago. A nutritionist who got promoted to chief trainer, Santiago never fought in the ring and his first fight as a chief trainer was the Joshua Clottey bout. But what Santiago lacks for experience, he makes up for the strong bond he shares with his fighter. Then again, Roach and Pacquiao also has this mystical connection that transcends the usual boxer-trainer relationship.

Camaraderie goes to the Cotto camp. Everybody is at ease with everybody. No issues or signs of discord whatsoever. Team Pacquiao, on the other hand, has a rising dissent in within their ranks where an adviser to Pacman wants to take charge of the boxer’s affairs and running over the other members of the team in the process.

Buboy Fernandez, Pacquiao's assistant trainer, also happens to be the boxer's best friend. If there is someone who know Pacquiao better than Roach, it's Buboy. And that knowledge will really come into play, whether Pacquiao needs some word of encouragement or a wake-up call.

Joe Chavez, a veteran cutman, is perhaps the most experienced individual in the Cotto corner. If there is someone who can tell Cotto what are the best things to do when the fight comes, Joe is certainly the man. But then, that is Joe Santiago's job.

So who has the best corner? Too early to say for certain. But it would be interesting to see who prevails come fight night.

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