Pacquiao eager to win WBO, WBC belts vs Cotto

source: gmanews.tv

Manny Pacquiao drools at the prospect of winning not just one but two world titles if he beats Puerto Rican bomber Miguel Cotto in their “Firepower" showdown on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.

Cotto’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweighttitle would be on the line in the bout set at a catchweight of 145-lbs (two lbs under the regular welterweight limit) and to make the stakes even higher, the World Boxing Council announced it would stake the new WBC Diamond Belt, too.

The twin titles would help Pacquiao realize his goal to win an unprecedented world crown in a seventh weight division after conquests at flyweight (WBC), super-bantamweight (International Boxing Federation), featherweight (Ring Magazine), super-featherweight (WBC), lightweight (WBC), and light welterweight (International Boxing Organization and Ring Magazine).

“Dahil ang WBC ay isa sa pinaka-prestihiyosong world governing boxing body gaya ng WBO, isang malaking pagkakataon ito upang makamit nating lahat muli ang isa sa mga pinakamadalang at pinakamataas na parangal sa sport na ito," Pacquiao wrote in his Kumbinasyon column for Abante on Sunday.

“Kung tayo ay papalarin, ito na ang ikapitong titulo sa ikapitong weight class, at malalampasan na natin ang record ni Oscar Dela Hoya na may anim," the “Pacman" added.

De La Hoya, whom Pacquiao stunned via a nine-round TKO last December 2008, had won titles at super featherweight, lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight, and middleweight.

According to WBC president Jose Sulaiman, the WBC Diamond Belt was created as an “honorary championship exclusively for fights between elite fighters such as Pacquiao and Cotto." The belt is handcrafted by an artisan in Mexico City with 18 carat gold fusion and has about 800 diamonds, emeralds and rubies, as well as 150 Swarovsky semiprecious stones.

“Kung papalarin mang maging kampeon ng WBO at WBC, isusuot ko ang korona at ang mga sinturon at bibigyan ng pagpapahalaga ang mga ito gaya ng ibang mga sinturon na aking nakamit sa loob ng aking career," Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound king, promised.

Pacquiao is currently completing his non-boxing commitments, including his movie Wapakman and new sitcom for GMA Network, Show Me Da Manny, before getting down to serious business at the gym by next month.