Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico, who knocked out Delvin Rodriguez on Saturday night in Orlando, Florida, will never face his old tormentor, former pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao said new trainer Freddie Roach.
Dan Rafael of ESPN.com reports that Roach has shut down any chances that the two prized fighters will meet again in the ring after their classic welterweight title showdown in 2009 wherein Pacquiao won a referee-stopped fight over the Puerto Rican boxing legend in the 12th round.
Roach told Rafael: "I talked to Manny about it a little bit because Manny asked me if he could watch Miguel work out, and I said 'of course you can.' So Manny came to watch," Roach said of one his training sessions with Cotto. "They shook hands and they are friends. Manny and Miguel will never fight each other [again]. They have had their fight and it's over. Miguel is a 154-pounder and Manny is 147. They are friends now, and once Manny becomes friends with someone he will never fight them. They won't fight, and I guarantee you that."
Even Cotto has ruled out the possibility of him going back to the 147 pound weight limit to fight the Filipino boxing superstar. "I don't look forward to fighting anyone at 147. I don't think Manny is looking forward to fighting anyone at 154," Cotto told ESPN. "I think we both have our own careers and that's the way it will stay."
With the Pacquiao-Cotto rematch unlikely, Cotto may have to look elsewhere for big-money fights, possibly against Canelo Alvarez of Mexico or a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. .
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