Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto: On this day Pacquiao created history

On November 14, 2009, Manny Pacquiao made boxing history, becoming the first fighter to win a world title in seven different weight classes. Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto was the fight that gave “Pac Man” the opportunity to create history, and he grabbed it with both hands. Big Fight Weekend takes you back to fight night 17 years later.

Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto revisited 17 years later

It was a fairly quiet start to the fight, with Cotto arguably finding his range quicker than Pacquiao. This pattern from the opening round didn’t last long, and “Pac Man” quickly got into his groove, with his speed and accuracy causing Cotto no end of problems. A right hook in the third round knocked Cotto down, confirming the early dominance for the Filipino fighter. It wasn’t a heavy knockdown; it was all about the speed of the punch.

In the fourth round, Cotto continued to be brave, walk forward and throw combinations, but Pacquiao landed a sweet left uppercut, knocking Cotto down once again. “Pac Man” continued to pick his spots effectively as the rounds progressed, and enjoyed a dominant ninth round. The speed and movement of Pacquiao was just too much for the brave Cotto, who continued to try and drag himself back into the fight, but the onslaught continued, and the referee jumped in to wave the fight off in the twelfth and final round, crowning Pacquiao the new WBO welterweight champion. Pacquiao was way in front on all three scorecards, 109-99, 108-99, and 108-100.

The Big Fight Weekend verdict

Pacquiao dominated a great fighter like Cotto, and it showed just how good Pacquiao was. Winning seven world titles in seven different weight divisions added the cherry on top of this win. After the bout, Bob Arum said it best: “Pacquiao is the greatest boxer I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen them all, including Ali, Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard.” Whether you see Pacquiao that high is a matter of opinion, but he belongs in the conversation of the greatest boxers of all time.

“Pac Man” once again created history the following year, in 2010, when he dominated Antonio Margarito to win the WBC super welterweight title, becoming the first boxer to win a world title in eight different weight divisions. Manny Pacquiao belongs among the greats of the sweet science.

Featured Image Credit:

Ryan Hafey/
Premier Boxing Champions