Manny Pacquiao trainer warns that Miguel Cotto will fight dirty

Manny Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach will demand referees impose automatic disqualification for any deliberate low blow landed during the Filipino's challenge for Miguel Cotto's WBO welterweight title.

Puerto Rican Cotto was docked a point for low blows in his successful defence against Zab Judah in 2007, but maintained the blows had been accidental.

"Cotto tends to get dirty when the going gets tough in most of his fights and I don’t want that to happen," Roach told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "I will make sure the referee will be very strict about it.

"Cotto stops his opponents' momentum with that kind of blow. In that Judah fight he had five low blows."

Roach also exprssed concerns about Joe Cortez being chosen as one of the referees and said he would raise the issue at a rules meeting before the Nov 14 showdown in Las Vegas.

"Joe Cortez is Puerto Rican and he’s in the running as one of the referees. I don’t want him letting Cotto get away with stuff like that. We’re going to make an issue out of it first,” Roach added.

The highly anticipated bout pits Pacquiao, widely regarded the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, against Cotto, who retained his WBO title in June with a split decision over Ghana's Joshua Clottey.

Source: miguel-cotto-news.newslib.com