Las Vegas -- Manny Pacauiao quickly erased all questions about fighting a naturally larger man by dominating and dethroning former WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.








 

 

 

 
Pacquiao, whose mug recently graced the cover of Time magazine, took his seventh title belt in his seventh different weight class. Forget about the challenge of moving up to welterweight division after fighting as a super featherweight just two years ago. Talk of Cotto being the natural welterweight and the bigger man became ancient history at some point in round three when Pacquiao knocked Cotto down with right hook which landed flush on Cotto's face. Pac-man deposited Cotto onto the canvas again in round four.

On several occasions Pacquiao laughed off Cotto's punches and even encouraged Cotto to keep hitting him. Cotto, on the other hand found himself on the retreat for eleven rounds, valiently, but often unsuccessfully trying to counterpunch.

Though Cotto was being beaten to the punch and knocked down through the first eight rounds, the Puerto Rican champion managed to score on Pacquiao at different moments during each round. Cotto even managed to stun Pacquiao momentarily in round five. Still, Pac-Man seemed largely unfazed by anything Cotto could deliver. Conversely, Pacquiao's assault proved overwhelming for Cotto. Regardless of the hand or the angle from which it arrived, Pacquiao's punches were just too fast and too accurate for Cotto to handle.

From round 9 on, the fight was a one-sided affair, with Cotto trying to merely survive. He wasn't even looking to land a desperation knockout shot.

In the corner after round eleven, Cotto's father wanted the fight stopped but the rest of Cotto's convinced Cotto to go out for the final round. Miguel found himself unable to elude Manny's onslaught for three final minutes. Referee Kenny Bayless put a halt to the battering at of the 12th round.