Everything But Poker

Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto weighed in today in front of approximately 7,000 fans in Las Vegas, according to the Associated Press. Cotto hit the contract weight of 145 lbs. exactly, and Pacquiao weighed in at 144, his heaviest fight weight ever. As the anticipation grows for what is considered the biggest fight of the year, and undoubtedly the biggest of either fighter's careers, Vegas has set the betting line at 2 1/2 to 1 in Pacquiao's favor.

"This fight is so special to me because I will attempt to make history as the first fighter to win seven world titles in seven different divisions,” Pacquiao said at the weigh-in. “People will always remember the first person to do that wasn't just Manny Pacquiao, but Filipino Manny Pacquiao.”

Fighting to defend his welterweight title, Cotto is sure that his strength and ability to make adjustments during the course of a fight will help him prevail. “If he thinks he is going to win seven titles in seven weight divisions now, he has picked the wrong moment, the wrong fighter and the wrong opponent,” Cotto told the AP. “If he thinks he is going to win the seventh title against Miguel Cotto, he is very wrong."

Much of the debate as to what the outcome will be Saturday night centers around whether Cotto has fully recovered from a defeat to Antonio Margarito last year, a fight in which Cotto was knocked out in the 11th round and for which Margarito has since been suspected of wearing illegal hand wraps. Pacquiao, for one, does not doubt that Cotto is in top form for this fight.

“Cotto's size and power need to be respected, but I will leverage his size against him,” he said. “We have numerous plans to do this depending on the style of fight he presents on Saturday night. We are prepared. As important as it is to have advantages, knowing how to use them is even more crucial.”

Another key variable in the fight will be the effect of trainer experience, as Pacquiao’s corner man, Freddie Roach, is a two-time Trainer of the Year winner, while Joe Santiago will be in Cotto’s corner for only the second fight. "We had such great communication in our camp,” Santiago said, emphasizing the relationship between him and Cotto. “Miguel worked so hard every day. He is totally focused."

The clear difference is in the swagger of each camp. Cotto and his men speak softly but with stern conviction; Pacquiao’s people know they are the best and demand that everyone knows it.

"Manny is a carrier of the M1P1 Virus. M1P1 stands for Middleweight Power,” Roach said, clarifying so as not to alarm the CDC. “I honestly don't know where Cotto can go to escape Manny's onslaught…Manny has promised me to stay off the ropes in this fight, and he hates to disappoint me.”

The war of words has just about concluded, and all that is left is an epic battle. For last-minute updates on how each camp prepared in the final week before the fight, watch the finale of HBO’s 24/7 tonight at 9:30 EST, and to watch the fight tomorrow night, call your cable provide to order it on Pay-Per-View. You will not regret it.