do you think cotto regrets agreeing to come in at 142?

esolis,

I think Cotto probably regrets going into this fight with the cards stacked against him. His promoter (Bob Arum) was obviously working more for the other fighter's interest and not his. His belt went on the line. Yet, this challenger picked the weight they'd fight at. Since he was the champion the belt should not have been on the line unless they were fighting at a full 147. Kobra, says that anything below 147 is Welterweight...that is SORTA true. You can come in below it but for a guy like Cotto who was a big Welterweight ...this saps your energy and slow you down. He was already at a speed disadvantage. this also weakened his punches, which we saw in the fight. He couldn't hurt Pacquiao. Now with the new controversy revolving around Manny's reluctance to take drug tests , Cotto's gotta feel horrible. This promoter, Bob Arum, already stood by the other fighter with a victory over Cotto (Antonio Margarito), who we all now believe probably cheated Cotto in that brutal beating.Cotto should have had the choice of weight. He should have asked for a blood test. Just like his people should have checked Margarito's gloves. I am sure Cotto has many regrets now...asking a lot of "What ifs"...

@Peter H, so many of you say it's legacy over money when we are talking about Mayweather but now we are talking about Cotto...trading his legacy for a huge payday is ok...?

Cotto made a huge payday, more than he probably would have made fighting 2 other top 147 combined, so I don't think he regrets taking the fight in that sense. But I do think he may feel that he wasn't physically able to give his best performance because of the weight loss (as minimal as it may seem). He did seem to fade down the stretch, which is not a characteristic he has ever shown at 147 (other than when he was getting his paster of paris filled gloves).

I don't think this puts Cotto out of the 147 picture, I think after a tune-up he could challenge either Mosely or Margarito in rematches, Clottey too - all depending on how the Mayweather/PacMan sweepstakes plays out over the next 18 months or so. There are a number of big name fights out there for him, and he is still a big name fighter in the sport. The question I have now is what does he have left - he has been in 3 very tough fights over a short span, fights where he has been cut, and absorbed a lot of shots - there may be a chance that he is in decline based on the types and level of fighters he has taken on during his career.

- Sean G, just answering the question about regret. And I don't think Cotto hurt his "legacy" because he took the fight with PacMan, that is part of his legacy, that he fights anyone around him. Cotto went for the money, sure, but it was to make the fight everyone wanted from him - have you ever heard anyone accuse Cotto of ducking someone? The knock on Floyd is that he "claims" there is more money in fighting a guy like Marquez or Baldomir than a Cotto, Mosley, Williams, whoever. Like I've said to you before, I'm a fan of Floyd, but his post Gatti career is suspect, its very hard to defend his opponent choices with the huge amount of talent he avoids.

And to the other guy above (teodor?), Cotto has wins over 2 of the top 5 147 pounders in the world, how has he lost credibility at 147?

I think so. It's a pity he was forced to give concession to Pacquiao most probably under pressure from their common promoter Bob Arum when he was the defending champion. Cotto had never been forced to weigh in or come into a fight at below 146 or 147 lbs. for years. But he decided to drain himself out rather than pay the "fine". Now he has not only lost his title but his credibility and marketability as a high level fighter. The best thing for him is go up to the jr. middle and try to regain what he has irreparably lost in the welters.

Hey Pal, where did you get that 142 lbs.? Is it a wild guess? Or you heard from another wanna be boxing fan? The catch weight is 145 lbs and the limit for welterweight is 147 lbs. Either weight, Pacquiao will beat Cotto anyways.

It was 145lbs., not 142lbs., and welterweight is considered anything from 140lbs., to 147lbs., meaning a 140lbs. jr welterweight fighter can conceivably fight for the 147lbs. welterweight title as long as he is granted the opportunity, it's the same division. It wouldn't of mattered what weight hhe came in at though.

Nah, I think its the other way