Everything But Poker

After watching two episodes of the HBO series 24/7 Pacquiao-Cotto, two questions linger in my head while the fighters prepare for their media day interviews this week: Is Manny Pacquiao focused enough to win this fight? And is Miguel Cotto too big for Pacquiao to bring down? Whether it’s just the way the show has been put together – which is stunning, in terms of the storytelling – or it is in fact reality, 24/7 portrays the Cotto camp as a much more regimented, determined assembly than that of Manny Pacquiao.



Both camps designate times for strenuous work and times for lighthearted play, but there are countless distractions facing Pacquiao that Cotto seems to have deliberately avoided by restricting the number of people that accompany him and by choosing an isolated location for his training. From the typhoons devastating his native Philippines and Manny’s refusal to evacuate immediately, to the presence of so-called “advisors” that appear to add little, if anything, to the camp’s productivity, the concerns of trainer Freddy Roach appear as legitimate as any: Manny’s not mentally prepared for this fight. At the end of the second episode, the Pacquiao camp arrives in Los Angeles and trains like we would expect him to have been training from the beginning. But there certainly is a lot of room for doubt about whether the lost time in Baguio, Philippines will cost Manny come Nov. 14.

The second question left unsettled after the most recent episode of 24/7 is whether Pacquiao will be able to bring down Cotto, the famously durable champ that will fight in his natural weight class to defend his title. According to the show, Cotto is in the midst of a grueling training regimen that is perfectly designed for the test that he faces: a lightning-fast lefty with a surprisingly powerful knockout punch. Cotto is noticeably bigger than Pacquiao and his determination seems unwavering, but a slight tremble in his voice shows a very solemn respect for Manny’s power and skill. Critics and writers have even more confidence in Pacquiao, asserting that fighting in a higher weight class is what he has made built his career on, and something that will propel him even further.



Thanks to HBO for providing additional 24/7 footage.