MANILA – Canadian adviser Mike Koncz has joined American trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza in declaring that Manny Pacquiao will certainly knockout WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in the “Firepower” bout on November 14 in Las Vegas.
Koncz, however, thinks the KO will not come soon in the fight, contrary to what Roach has predicted.
“I believe it will happen but I don’t believe it will happen as quickly as in the [Ricky] Hatton fight,” Koncz told abs-cbnNEWS.com last week.
Pacquiao became the IBO/Ring Magazine light welterweight champion in May after stunning Britain’s Hatton with a 2nd round KO in the “Battle of the East and West.”
Roach told PhilBoxing.com that Pacquiao would KO Cotto in Round 1 if the Puerto Rican “doesn’t run.” Ariza, meantime, said the Filipino boxing superstar can KO Cotto “if he lands a shot” because of the immense power of Pacquiao’s punch.
“You know Cotto's a fighter in his prime. He's one of the best body punchers in the business, very strong,” Koncz said of the WBO welterweight champ.
“Certainly I believe Manny will prevail in the fight because his foot speed and his hand speed are just gonna be too much for Cotto,” he continued.
“But the knockout, I think so but I don’t think so [it will happen] until the later rounds.”
Pacquiao went to the United States Saturday night to wrap up his training there. Koncz said the pound-for-pound king will train in Los Angeles, California for two weeks.
Team Pacquiao will proceed to Las Vegas, Nevada on the Sunday before the fight to continue training.
A “very hectic schedule” awaits Pacquiao in Las Vegas, Koncz noted, as he is set to fulfill “contractual obligations” such as promoting the bout.
Source: Ma. Rosanna Mina, abs-cbnNEWS.com
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