-Photo Credit: Chris Robinson-

I was wrong about Manny Pacquiao... by Tony Montgomery
Leading up to the Miguel Cotto - Manny Pacquiao fight I went on record picking Miguel Cotto as the winner. I even went as far as saying Miguel Cotto would destroy Pacquiao. After the article was published I took a lot of heat from Pacquiao fans.
I was called an idiot and a poor journalist, among other things.. Many said that when, (not if, but when), Manny Pacquiao won I would go away never to be heard from again.
Well, dear fans, I assured you that if Manny Pacquiao were to win I would not go anywhere and I haven’t. I will admit I was wrong on the outcome of the fight; but let's not forget this is a sport and you don't always pick the right winner. Many of you took what I said to heart and I must tell you that even in victory you are poor sports.

Manny Pacquiao remains boxing's little big man... by Kenny Perrault
Years ago I wrote an article entitled "Boxing's little big men," which featured Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales. At the time Manny was still a rising star nowhere near where he is today. Since I've written that article, Pacquiao has become the biggest star in boxing and the P4P champion.

The first time I saw Manny Pacquiao fight was in 2001. I was covering the Oscar de la Hoya - Javier Castillejo fight ringside when this little guy with a huge smile made his way to the ring. Six rounds later he was the new IBF Super Bantamweight champion and he was wearing an even bigger smile as he left the ring.

Miguel Cotto Ready to Put Out his Fire Power... by Francisco Guzman
There is a reason why there is a 145 lbs. catch weight. Roach knows that his pupil is probably too small to face some of the bigger welterweights at the elite level. They would rather try to give Manny the advantage point by fighting at a weight that's comfortable for Manny, while making his opponent sacrifice weight in exchange. If Roach were truly confident, he would not have taken this fight at a catch weight, they would have challenged Miguel at the welterweight limit. Pacquiao is also given the chance to fight for the WBO welterweight title despite the catch weight issue. If he wins, he would be considered the WBO welterweight champ and would have broken the record with 7 world titles, without touching the welterweight division. That would be like David Haye, who scored a victory against Nikolai Valuev this past Saturday night, winning the heavyweight championship of the world, fighting at a catch weight 198 lbs., which is under the heavyweight limit. Should he be considered a heavyweight champion?

Shawn Porter to Walk Pacquiao into Ring Saturday Night!

2008 US Olympic alternate Shawn "Showtime" Porter will lead superstar Manny Pacquiao into the ring Saturday night for his showdown with WBO Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.

Porter, 10-0 (8 KOs), served as Pacquiao's primary sparring partner and played the role of Cotto during his six weeks in camp. While swapping punches with the best fighter in the world was often a grueling task, Porter was grateful for the opportunity.

Pacquiao and Cotto arrive at the MGM... Fans are welcome to attend...
This Tuesday, November 10th, boxing's No. 1 pound-for-pound king of the ring and the box office, and the reigning Fighter of the Year, Manny "Pacman" PACQUIAO, and the pride of Puerto Rico and three-time world champion Miguel COTTO, will make their MGM Grand Arrivals, officially kicking off "Fight Week for Fire Power"-- their sold out welterweight championship mega fight.
Pacquiao and Cotto will arrive at the MGM Grand's Front Lobby Porte Cochere at 11:00 a.m.and 12:30 p.m. PT respectively.

WAR! Pacquiao vs Cotto... by Jose Bordetas
Puerto Rico, the name conjures a mix of adjectives: beauty,  music, beaches and boxing. The tiny island, a Commonwealth of the United Sates measures 100 x 35 miles (roughly the size of Connecticut) and has boxing coursing through its veins. Yes, other sports are popular on the island as well.  Baseball, Basketball are played and followed with great passion, but nothing gets the blood of Boricuas going like a good fight.

Manny Pacquiao still the winner.... by Kenny Perrault

In our newest poll taken this week the percentages have changed once again. Surprisingly, the percentages for a Manny Pacquiao win have gotten smaller. 53% of the readers who took the poll still pick Manny to win while 47% are now going with Miguel Cotto. Why predictions change as much as they do? I don't know, I don't have the answer. But in my opinion many may have been influenced by what they have read or seen on TV about this mega fight. My prediction has stayed the same throughout and I will not be switching my pick at the last minute like so many others have.

"The Cotto-Pacman undercard match to watch"... by Ricky Ray Taylor/www.BoxerDRILLZ.com
On the undercard of perhaps the most evenly matched mega-fight showdown in recent history could be the barn-burner of the evening, Yuri Foreman vs Daniel Santos.

Before Manny Pacquiao - Part II of II... by Kenny Perrault
In the first segment of "Before Manny Pacquaio" we looked at the careers of Pancho Villa and Luisito Espinosa. We will once again look back at some of the great Filipino fighters that paved the way for Manny Pacquiao.
Gabriel "Flash" Elorde could easily be considered the most popular Filipino fighter of all time until Manny Pacquiao came around. Elorde, a southpaw,  began his career in 1951 with a victory over Kid Gonzaga. In just his 18th professional bout Elorde fought and defeated Tanny Campo for the Philippines Games & Amusement Board (GAB) Bantamweight title.

Before Manny Pacquiao - Part I of II... by Kenny Perrault
Manny Pacquiao is easily one of the most popular fighters in the world today but to the Filipino people he is so much more than a boxer. He is an idol to many and an inspiration to most. Every time Pacquiao enters a boxing ring he brings an entire nation with him. 
However, Manny Pacquiao is not the first Filipino boxer to reach greatness in the ring. He follows a long line of champions. This will mark part one of a two part series titled "Before Manny Pacquiao." 
Born Francisco Guilledo, but better known as "Pancho Villa," he is considered by some as the greatest Asian fighter ever. Though small in stature, (five feet, one inch), Villa was a relentless beast in the ring.

Manny Pacquiao Mailbag - Part II... by Tony Montgomery

Responses to my articles just keep coming in and I'm going to keep answering. However, I'm NOT going to spell check for you, so it's going up as you wrote it, people, and here we go:
     1) Written by Burnikz: (Sic) Your site name is just right for Cotto. Bragging rights coz he's bragging he lost only once and many 3x. Dont compare you braggard. Manny was beaten becoz of the judges. Cotto, He quitted be cause hes beaten to death. Dont blame the powder. Its weightless for gods sake.

Manny Pacquiao Mailbag - Part I... by Tony Montgomery
You keep leaving messages for me in our Forum so I'm going to try and answer all of them. However, I'm NOT going to spell check for you, so it's going up as you wrote it, people, and here we go:
     1) Written by Venus: (Sic) Who needs a pacquiao-mayweather fight? To suggest the idea is pathetic; the point of view is cross-eyed to say the least. To assume that the winner of the Cotto-Pacman fight to face Mayweather? What would both Miguel and Manny get out of Mayweather? Money?

Time is on Manny Pacquiao's side...

"I absolutely had no idea that when I started my career in boxing, to provide a better life for myself and my family, that I would now be where I am today and on the cover of TIME Magazine," said Pacquiao. "A fighter's dream is to win a world title and gain financial stability. But what is happening to me now is the most humbling experience of my life. It is a great honor for me to be the face of my people and to let everyone know we are a small but mighty country. I have great pride for all of the Filipinos living throughout the world and it is these people that I fight for each and every time I step into the ring."

Manny Pacquiao: A look ahead... by Kenny Perrault
With the big fight nearly a week away I find myself thinking of future opponents for Manny Pacquiao. I don't want to discredit Miguel Cotto and just assume a victory for Manny, but he has looked so impressive in his last two outings it's hard not to look ahead. The dismantling of Oscar de la Hoya and the absolute destruction of Ricky Hatton has made Pacquiao look damn near unbeatable.

Manny Pacquiao remains boxing's little big man... by Kenny Perrault
Years ago I wrote an article entitled "Boxing's little big men," which featured Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales. At the time Manny was still a rising star nowhere near where he is today. Since I've written that article, Pacquiao has become the biggest star in boxing and the P4P champion.

TEN ROUNDS, MANNY PACQUIAO EDITION... by Tony Montgomery
Round 3, Life outside the ring
"Pacquiao: The Movie" - A film based on his life came out in 2006. And if that's not enough Pacquiao himself is an action movie star in the Philippines. Heck, even Sylvester Stallone is planning to shoot a movie with him. In addition, Pacquiao was named one of the world's most influential persons in 2009 by Time magazine, and that's quite an honor, I may add. He has his own postage stamp and he even ran for a Congressional seat in 2007. About the only thing I think he can't do right now is beat Miguel Cotto. 

IS MIGUEL COTTO BEING OVERLOOKED?... by Tony Montgomery

As the Manny Pacquiao Miguel Cotto fight draws near I can’t help but think that Miguel Cotto is being overlooked. The visions of Manny Pacquiao's devastating left hand that dropped Ricky Hatton still lingers in the minds of the fans while the same can be said of the beating Miguel Cotto suffered at the hands of Antonio Margarito. It must be remembered, however, that the devastating left and the brutal beating are both part of the past. Manny Pacquiao is not going to dominate all his opponents in the same fashion and Miguel Cotto will not suffer such a harsh beating every time he enters the ring. 
I've been reading many predictions and I'm surprised when I see so many of them picking Pacquiao by early knockout. And I ask on what basis does anyone believe Manny will score such an early knockout?

MANNY PACQUIAO SCORES A KNOCKOUT... by Kenny Perrault
Pacman to score knockout - We polled our readers on what they thought the outcome of the upcoming Pacquiao-Cotto fight would be and wow did they speak volumes! No one thinks this fight will go the distance. 61% of our readers believe Manny Pacquaio will win by knockout, while 39% say Cotto will score the knockout victory.
I'm with the readers and believe this fight will end in a knockout and I agree it will be Manny Pacquiao scoring it in the 10th round. I'm really jacked for this fight and can not wait until fight night. 
 

MANNY PACQUIAO - MIGUEL COTTO IS WHAT BOXING NEEDS... by Tony Montgomery

As I looked through the upcoming boxing schedule I was blown away by two Pay Per View boxing cards that will take place within the next two weeks. On October 30th, on something called Latin Invasion 2, Hector Camacho Jr. will be fighting Yori Boy Campas as the main event of this PPV. You read it right...Camacho Jr. vs Campas is the main event of a PPV card.
This fight should have been scheduled for October 31st; just the thought of it is truly scary. Want to know what’s even more scary? This is the second time in less than five months that Campas has headlined a PPV! Are you’re wondering who he fought in the prior PPV, which was held this past May? Well, I'll tell you... He fought none other than Hector Camacho, Sr. What?!? you ask. Yes, you read it right, he fought Camacho Sr.

MANNY PACQUIAO FANS CHALLENGE OUR OWN TONY MONTGOMERY AND HE FIRES BACK...

Here is Montgomery's response to fan "My Paduan View:"
Sorry people, I am not going anywhere anytime soon. If Pacquiao does manage to win this fight, then I will admit the better man won. However, I am not very worried about eating my own words. And folks, I have something else to tell you...    It doesn't even matter who wins the Pacquiao-Cotto fight because neither one of them is getting past Floyd Mayweather."

MIGUEL COTTO WILL DESTROY MANNY PACQUIAO... by Tony Montgomery
So you're a Manny Pacquiao fan and you are 100% certain he's not just going to beat Miguel Cotto, but he is going to absolutely crush him! Well, Manny Pacquiao fans, I've got news for you. You're not just wrong, you are dead wrong! I realize that Manny Pacquiao is one of the most popular fighters on the planet, but after having spoken with plenty of his fans, I have realized that so many of you are Manny Pacquiao fans, but not fans of boxing. You only watch one fighter and only know what you read and believe what you want to believe.
However, before I start getting to the point of why I believe Cotto will win this fight let me give you a small run down of the Pacman's career.
 

WOULD MANNY PACQUIAO AGREE TO A TOURNAMENT?... by Kenny Perrault
A tournament of this nature would hold enough "Super Fights" to last a decade. The possibilities are endless. Mayweather-Cotto, Pacquiao-Mosley, oh, and how about Cintron-Cotto? That one would be huge in Puerto Rico. The best part would be having Mosley, Cotto, Mayweather, and Pacquiao all fighting each other and giving the fans what they want and deserve. This tournament would not be for a trophy or a diamond belt, it would truly be a tournament of bragging rights, it would end all discussion of who is the best P4P fighter in the world.
The sad part about everything I just wrote is that it's all a dream, and a big one at that. The amount of money it would take to get most of those fighters in such a tournament would be unreal. When you reach a certain level of stardom in boxing, a huge ego almost always comes with it and rightfully so, and many times it is the ego that stops a fight from ever taking place.

"FIREPOWER" IN LAS VEGAS, NOVEMBER 14TH, COTTO vs PACQUIAO... by Ricky Ray Taylor
Yesterday's presser took place in historic Yankee Stadium.  The spirit of Ali-Norton was force-fed to the media (as it blared through the amplifiers) as today's new legends stood at home plate for photos. 
Puerto Rico vs The Philippines; If there is one fight to watch this year - make it this one, Cotto-Pacquiao. 
The only unfortunate downside to a fight of this magnitude is that it doesn't happen often enough.  Manny Pacquiao versus Miguel Cotto  is a mega-fight, our first in a few years...
 

FANS WANT 50-50 SPLIT FOR MAYWEATHER vs PACQUIAO, AND MORE... by Kenny Perrault
If you are not a friend of ours on Facebook yet, you are missing out! Everyday we bring you new topics to discuss, and feature our best material from the website itself. So please stop by and become a friend by going to www.facebook.com/braggingrightscorner.
We asked who deserves a bigger piece of the pie if they were to fight, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd "Money" Mayweather, and once again we got great results. 56% of our readers said let's be fair and split it right down the middle. 11% percent said Manny deserves the bigger cut, and as for Floyd Mayweather, 11% percent said he should get the bigger share. However, I believe the people that got it right were the 22% who said they should split it 40/40 and give the winner of the bout the remaining 20%. Now, that's a new and interesting concept...

DO THE BOXING FANS WANT MOSLEY OVER PACQUIAO TO FACE MAYWEATHER?...by Kenny Perrault
Who is the biggest threat to Floyd Mayweather? Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, or Manny Pacquiao? This was the question of the week and it warranted a lot of attention. Surprisingly, 76% of the people felt Shane Mosley is the biggest threat to Mayweather,  while Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto each tied at 12%.
Why am I not surprised by this outcome? It's simple. Prior to the Mayweather-Marquez bout most fans seemed fixated on a bout between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Every day I heard arguments on why Pacquiao is the man that could finally put a loss on Mayweather's record. So what happened? I'll tell you what happened. The boxing world saw Shane Mosley get in Floyd's face and call him out; and by getting in his face in such a way, Sugar Shane stole "Money" Mayweather's thunder a little bit. 
Shane Mosley did his best version of Kanye West and it seemed to have worked, because Mayweather vs Mosley is the fight fans now want to see.

MANNY PACQUIAO AND FREDDIE ROACH GET THE VOTE... by Kenny Perrault
Braggingrightscorner.com FaceBook page had another great week with many fans participating in our daily polls and questions. (Remember you can always become a friend by going to.
"P4P Best fighter today?" - This question is still getting comments as I am typing this article, but as of right now the people have spoken and crowned Manny Pacquiao as the best fighter in the world today. Manny received 50% of the votes. Floyd Mayweather took second with 27%.

MANNY PACQUIAO - MIGUEL COTTO OFFICIALS NAMED....
For the Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto WBO welterweight title fight on November 14th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has selected Kenny Bayless as the referee and the judges selected are: Adelaide Byrd, Duane Ford and Dave Moretti, all from Las Vegas.

PACQUIAO - COTTO PRESS CONFERENCE HELD AT YANKEE STADIUM IN NEW YORK... An Exclusive Photo Gallery by Francisco Guzman
 

"FIREPOWER" IN LAS VEGAS, NOVEMBER 14TH, COTTO vs PACQUIAO... by Ricky Ray Taylor