Cotto wants fight with Pacquiao at 147lbs

Miguel Cotto is willing to stake his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Manny Pacquiao.

With one major condition of course, that the fight has to be at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.

“If Pacquiao wants a title for the fight, it will have to be at 147," Cotto declared from his hometown in Puerto Rico.

His offer is the latest plot twist in his scheduled November 14 showdown against the reigning pound-for-pound king and the six-division title holder Pacquiao.

The 12-round Pacquiao-Cotto match, which will be held in Las Vegas, is considered by many as the biggest bout in the final half of 2009.

Originally set at a catch weight of 145 pounds, Cotto was forced to set his own condition this time after Pacquiao insisted that the Puerto Rican’s WBO crown be put on the table.

Pacquiao’s suggestion was even backed by no less than WBO president Francisco Valcarcel, who was more than willing to sanction the match.

But Cotto, in an interview with Puerto Rican newspaper Primerahora, stressed the catch weight of 145 pounds doesn’t fall under any category in boxing. “The weight of 145 pounds is not a category."

He said since he won the title at 147 pounds, then Pacquiao should agree going up in weight if he wants the WBO title at stake.

Cotto acknowledged, however, that as the sanctioning boxing body, the WBO can strip him of his title if he refused to defend it.

“The WBO has the legal authority to dismiss me as champion. I have no problem with that," said the world champion, who is busy promoting his new line of clothing in Puerto Rico.

This developed as Cotto revealed he’s planning to go back to the gym next week and start to do some light work out.