Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao

According to the spanish printed newspaper Vocero de Puerto Rico, Bob Arum will not change his mind and least of all because Miguel Cotto does not agree with Arum’s belief that Antonio Margarito is innocent of using illegal hand wraps.

Arum also believes that disagreement will not play in the renegiotiation of Cotto’s contract which ends at the end of the year.

Arum has stated that a way that he can calm Cotto’s insecurities is by offering a mega payday in June against Manny Pacquiao.  But before making the declaration, Arum reminded the assembled press at the final press conference for this Saturday’s bout between Miguel Cotto and Michael Jennings for the WBO welterweight title, that he will continue his campaign for the CSAC to lift Margarito’s one year suspension and to change that of his trainer, Javier Capetillo, for life.

“We have different thoughts regarding Margarito’s case, but I am sorry for Miguel,” Arum stated.  “To me, Margarito is innocent and the one that they should ban for life is his  trainer, and I say this as a lawyer and not a promoter.  For me, the law is the most important thing.  I am very sorry if Cotto doesn’t see it that way but  have to follow what I believe and not what somebody else does,” he indicated.

“We can not talk about a rematch between Margarito and Cotto until Margarito’s suspension is lifted.  But whatever Miguel says, I follow my beliefs.  I know that he has a year left in his contract with us but we have a year to talk about future plans,” Arum confirmed.

To what that future hold, Arum is referring to the fact that Cotto could win a career high payday in facing Pacquiao who is coming off his destruction of the Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya.

Cotto stated that he will not waste energies speaking to Arum personally about his doubts of Margarito.  He will leave that to after his bout with Jennings.

“Margarito has to finish off his suspension and after that we will talk about a rematch.  It doesn’t matter what comission lifts his suspension, as far as for me, he will continue to be suspended.  Bob has to realize that he is dealing with human beings and Margarito risked the well being of a fellow human being.  He has to see that Margarito and Cotto are not his only boxers.  If the comission sanctioned Margarito, then he must comply,” Cotto stated emphatically.

Cotto reiterated that after his bout with Jennings, he will analyze his future and the many alternatives that are on the table so that he may decide after his contract with Top Rank is satisfied.  Some of those options are free agency or going to another promoter, “this is business and these are things we must think about and see what is most beneficial,” he concluded.

(AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)