Team Pacquiao member: Pacquiao by KO inside 5

Veteran boxing expert Moy Lainez has known boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao like the palm of his hands. So when he says the "Pacman" is going to win his 12-round fight against Miguel Cotto for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title two weeks from now, there’s little room left to doubt the man. “Ako tingin ko talaga mananalo si Manny. Kung ako ang pupusta, within rounds 1 to 5, baka diyan bumagsak si Cotto," he said.

Pacquiao is no stranger to Lainez, who, along with the late Rod Nazario and Lito Mondejar, formed part of the original Team Pacquiao. It was in the weekly boxing show “Blow By Blow," produced by Nazario, Lainez and Mondejar, where the then gangling Pacquiao had his humble beginning. It was also through them that Pacquiao won his first world title (World Boxing Council flyweight crown) in Thailand 11 years ago, and subsequently, his first foray in the rich American boxing circuit in 2001. So familiar he is with the boxer he already considers as his son that Lainez wouldn’t dispute what trainer Freddie Roach said in passing that Pacquiao may even knock Cotto out in the first round of their November 14 showdown. Like Hatton “Naniniwala ako na may posibilidad pa yun. Hindi malayong maging Hatton yan," he said. Pacquiao’s former handler was obviously referring to the vicious second-round demolition suffered by Briton Ricky Hatton at the hands of Pacquiao when they clashed for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) light-welterweight title six months ago. Like Hatton, Lainez said Cotto does have the size and strength factor going his way. But as past opponents of Pacquiao would later admit, including Hatton, former world lightweight champion David Diaz and the legendary Oscar De La Hoya, it’s the speed of the current pound-for-pound king that blew them away. Cotto would be no exception. “Malaking factor `yung bilis ng kamay at suntok ni Pacquiao. Bibitaw yan, 1-2-3-4. Bago maka-react si Cotto, wala na agad si Manny. “At tsaka sa welterweight, sa tingin ko mabagal si Cotto," he said of the 28-year-old warrior from Caguas, Puerto Rico, whose World Boxing Organization (WBO) title will be at stake. Not the same after loss to Margarito Lainez also pointed out what other boxing expert had been saying – Cotto has never been the same fighter he once was after suffering his first career loss to Mexican Antonio Margarito last year. Margarito stopped Cotto in the 11th round of their action-packed welterweight clash, a result that later would be held under suspicion after the Mexican was caught applying illegal hand-wraps during his fight with Sugar Shane Mosley. “Sabihin na nating kargado si Margarito, pero si Cotto nag-deteriorate na after nung laban na yun. Parang takot ng matamaan," Lainez said, even pointing to the outcome of Cotto’s last fight against Joshua Clottey, which the Puerto Rican won by split decision. “Tingin ko nga panalo pa si Clottey doon. Binigay na lang kay Cotto dahil nga para maikasa itong laban kay Pacquiao," he added. And should Pacquiao fail to score a knockout and the fight goes the full route, the Filipino has all the more chance of winning. “Pacquiao pa rin. Mas marami siyang sumuntok kaysa kay Cotto, eh." said Lainez. Only one way would Cotto be able to pull off an upset, according to the man behind the weekly boxing show "Rod Nazario’s In This Corner." “Sa boxing meron tayong lucky punch. Ang panalo lang ni Cotto knockout." – GMANews.TV