Pacquiao out punched Cotto from the fourth round on, and like he has done with previous opponents he used speed and power to his advantage/. Pacquiao also becomes the first seven-time division champion and up next is a potential lucrative pay day with the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“The strategy of the fight was to take time and not hurry,” said Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38KO’s). “We were very careful in the early rounds,” he said as Cotto tried all he could to use his devastating left hook that had little impact on Pacquiao.  “Im trying to test his power in the early rounds that’s why I wanted to get hit in the body and the head,” he said.

Pacquiao also used good strategy against Cotto that his trainer Freddie Roach preached in their intense training camp. “I was looking for a knockdown shot, he said. “That’s why I didn’t throw a lot of punches. That’s why in the last seconds, I threw the good right hook.   I kept pressuring him and was very careful of his counter.”

But the counter never seemed to work for Cotto. After the fourth round it was all Pacquiao who knocked down Cotto with a left hook in the third round, and he knocked Cotto down again late in the fourth round as Cotto advanced to him.

The first four rounds reminded many about the Hagler-Hearns wars of the 1980’s with Cotto and Pacquiao trading and taking some punches, but Pacquiao was able to do more and took command of the fight after that. It was all Pacquiao, who led on all of the judges scorecards as it appeared Cotto took the first round and he barely won the fifth with some good counter punching.

“We were trying our best to try and knock him out because that is what my trainer said,” commented Pacquiao. But Cotto with a swollen face and blood flowing form his nose, with cuts showed his pride and determination by refusing to quit. His trainer Joe Santiago thought about stopping the fight earlier but saw that his fighter had the ability to continue,

“I thought in the 11th round they were going to stop the fight.  I was surprised,” said Pacquiao about the fight not being stopped sooner. Pacquiao also said that he would not consider moving up in weight class again. “154 is too big for me,” he said.

On a possible fight with Mayweather, a name the sold old crowd at the MGM Arena started to chant, Pacquiao said “My job is to fight in the ring and that depends on my promoter Arum (Bob) to negotiate that fight.”It was a hard fight. Cotto is a tough opponent,” he said.,

A battered and defeated Cotto (34-2 27 Ko’s) will take some time and think about his options. His last fight back in June he barley defeated Joshua Clottey at Madison Square Garden in New York City. “You don’t have to tell me anything,” he said, “Its part of my job. I’m pretty proud of what I have done in the ring.”

He added, “ I did not protect myself from the punches   I fought everybody  Miguel Cotto came to fight all the big names and Manny is one of the best of all time.”   And about his trainer stopping the fight earlier, Cotto said, “I told Joe to stop the right when the round was over,,” he commented about the 11^th,” but I think better it was my decision.   I will continue fighting.”

Now fight fans await the negotiations. Roach wants Mayweather and Arum will have a rough time at the table because Mayweather is an adversary. “I said we were going to break him down and we did,” said Roach about Cotto.” Manny put pressure down and early in the fight he was assessing Miguel’s power.”

MORE TO COME     e-mail Rich Mancuso Ring786@aol.com

NEW YORK – There was Miguel Cotto the WBO welterweight champion at Madison Square Garden Tuesday afternoon but there was something noticeably different. Cotto was very quiet and not saying much about his headlining a boxing card at the Garden for the fourth time in five years on the eve of New York’s National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

He is scheduled to defend his title and unify the championship against IBF champion Joshua Clottey at the Garden Saturday evening June 13 televised on HBO. The one who was talking more was Clottey who is finally getting his opportunity and a long awaited championship bout at the Garden.

And Clottey, (35-2, 21KO’s) a native of Accra Ghana now residing in the Bronx, New York, may have an advantage. Cotto is in the mist of controversy, without a trainer after throwing punches last week at his uncle Evangelista at a gym in Puerto Rico.

Was Cotto bringing his fight outside the ring?

Sources said it was an ugly incident that resulted in police being called and possible assault charges being filed by Evangelista, Cotto’s longtime manager and trainer. Cotto on Monday was in Puerto Rico, and before leaving for New York said that the incident would not lead to assault charges against him and the incident was history.

An incident that could have ramifications because Cotto is without a trainer and though he refused to comment, a source from his promotion at Top Rank said, “His association with Evangelista is over.” Cotto quickly departed to Tampa Florida for an intense training camp in preparation for Clottey.

This wasn’t the same and cooperative Cotto that the media has become accustomed to know. He loves fighting at the Garden, kept his commitment to meet the media on Tuesday and had little to offer about the incident. “It’s over,’ he said, “and all I want to do is focus on this fight.”

The slugfest with Cotto and his uncle last week was over a dispute that has been going on for the past few years.  A difference of training philosophy and Cotto wanting Evangelista to train him down in Tampa, however, Evangelista, with commitments to train other fighters in Puerto Rico would not budge.

“It was ugly and Miguel has become very hard to deal with,” said the source who, is around the fighter constantly. “There are problems,” he said, adding that Cotto, who turned down six other possible replacements for Evangelista, “Is going into a significant fight without a trainer.”

But many times, another former champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr. went without a trainer for significant fights. So with the Cotto work ethic, and with his disposition as it is, not having someone by his side could work for or against him.

It is an important fight against Clottey for many reasons. Cotto has never lost a fight at the Garden since his debut there in 2005 and has sold more tickets than any other fighter at the Mecca of Boxing this millennium. Added to the drama is Mayweather, unofficially out of retirement and training again. And a big money fight with another Top Rank fighter, champion Manny Pacquaio could be next.

And there has been increasing talk that Cotto, signed through 2010 with Top Rank, is looking to get out of his contract. The source said Cotto was not happy that he lost the WBA title to the Mexican Antonio Margarito last year who is also another Top Rank fighter.

That fight, controversial, revealed afterwards that Margarito fought with tainted hand wraps. Margarito is now on suspension for a year as ordered by the California State Athletic Commission and the suspension is in the appeal process that was filed by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

Cotto wanted to fight Margaritio again, instead of Clottey at the Garden, which also put him in more disfavor with his promoters. All Cotto would say, “I am training hard, will continue to train hard and go back to Puerto Rico with the title.”

Clottey is hoping to spoil all of those plans and is destined to take on Mayweather or Pacquiao and isn’t concerned that Cotto may have distractions. He has been looking for this fight and taking on some of the other elite fighters in the division. The contract with Cotto was signed Tuesday morning leading to more speculation that Cotto may have wanted to change direction as to fighting at the Garden again in June.

Without a trainer Cotto hopes to show Victory posture against Clottey.

Last June Cotto missed his annual New York Garden engagement due to his fight schedule. The three fight-a-year schedule, which has been a Cotto trademark since gaining championship status, did not fit in with a fight in April and obviously June left minimal time for preparation.

“Guys don’t want to fight me and I thank Miguel for giving me the chance,” said Clottey. “I will run after him and when he comes to me I will give it to him. Cotto (33-1, 27KO’s) is a three-time champion in two different divisions and Clottey had his biggest career victory, a 10-round technical decision over former three-time world champion Zab Judah on August 2.

In addition Clottey, an aggressive puncher with power is on a two-year five-bout winning streak. He also has wins over the late Diego Corrales the two division champion, undefeated contender Shamone Alvarez and two-time world title challenger Felix Flores.

As for fighting Cotto at the Garden, where there will no doubt be overwhelming support from the Puerto Rican crowd. Clottey said that is not an issue. He has fought in front of hostile crowds in the past and the ultimate goal was to be in the ring at the Garden.

“I fought Corrales in Missouri in front of his fans and it didn’t bother me,” said Clottey. The question now is, will Cotto be able to settle his issues and be focused when he gets in the ring with Clottey? That remains to be determined in what certainly will be an interesting night at the Garden.

DE LA HOYA HANGS UP THE GLOVES: A true boxing legend and future Hall of Famer, Oscar De La Hoya, officially told the public that it is over. Tuesday afternoon at a press conference in Los Angeles, “The Golden Boy: with his wife, father, family and friends present fought back tears and told the story.

“Boxing has been the single most consistent part of my life and although I miss the ring I know that is a time for me to step away from the sport competitively and become more active in the other aspects of it that are already in place and ready for me to pursue,” he said.

De La Hoya, retired from the ring with a 39-6, 30 KO record and will not doubt be remembered for his great fights with Felix Trinidad and Mayweather. There were also the classic and gracious remarks after every fight and his willingness to never offer excuses, even after a controversial loss to Trinidad.

Most of all, De La Hoya was always thankful to the fans who came out to support him at arenas and who watched on pay-per-view. He along with Mayweather hold the highest rated grossing pay-per-view records in boxing. “Most importantly I deeply appreciate all of my fans who showered me with their cheers and support,” he said.

De La Hoya won’t disappear. He is a main promoter with “Golden Boy Promotions” which has quickly become one of the top reputed organizations in the boxing industry. The 10-time world champion was pounded in his last fight back in December and calls for his retirement came after losing by TKO to Manny Pacquaio.

But something says, De La Hoya, who won his championships in every division from 130 to 160, will step in the ring again. Mayweather coming back and a return bout with De La Hoya could set a new pay-per-view record.

Because as we all know, more than one champion has called it quits in the past and soon returned to the ring.

E-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com