MIGUEL COTTO

Ever the psy-war master, trainer Freddie Roach wants prized ward Manny Pacquiao to make Miguel Cotto remember the Puerto Rican’s solitary but stinging loss once they square off on Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Interviewed by the Bulletin, Roach said Cotto is still in a process of fully regaining whatever the Caguas-native fighter lost in that brutal defeat at the hands of Mexican superstar Antonio Margarito.

“If we give him confidence the first round, he’ll get bigger and stronger. If we take the first few rounds, make him remember the Margarito fight, we'll have an easy night,” said Roach.

Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), who turned 29 last month, reached the superstar status after scoring a close but deserving 12-round verdict over longtime pound-for-pound entrant Shane Mosley in a WBA title defense in November of 2007 at the Madison Square Garden in New York.

After beating all top contenders of the welterweight clash, Cotto’s celebrity status came to a screeching halt after he was beaten to a pulp by Margarito via an 11th round stoppage in July 2007 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Since the Margarito setback, Cotto scored back-to-back wins this year, beating Michael Jennings for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown and Joshua Clottey in a defense of the same belt which will be staked in tomorrow's match.

“This could be a tough fight because after he got beat by Margarito, it was devastating to him. His first fight back he looked terrible which was expected,” said Roach. “The second fight he got much of his confidence back and so he’s now looking to grow with this fight with Manny.”

Aside from those twin wins, what probably jumpstarted Cotto’s aim of regaining his lofty position was the issue that befell Margarito, caught red-handed of using plaster-like substance on his hand wraps moments before the Mexican’s eventual defeat to Mosley early this year in Los Angeles.

Margarito was slapped with a one-year suspension for t he offense.

The 30-year-old Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) may also get inadvertent help at least in their “Remember Margarito” ploy as the Mexican will be on hand to watch tomorrow’s bout.

“He’s on his way now and is just enjoying the scene because our schedule with the Commission is still next year,” said Margarito’s manager Sergio Diaz in separate interview.

And if Margarito’s presence won’t be enough for Roach, this will be the first time for Cotto to return to the MGM Grand since that humiliating defeat.

Meantime, all eyes will be on the defending champion Cotto as the official weigh-in of this 12-round encounter happens today at the fight’s venue.

Cotto’s camp has been warding off hints about a supposed struggle to meet their agreed catch weight of 145lbs.

“We’re three pounds over and Manny has been eating lately but there’s no problem with it,” said Pacquiao’s conditioning coach Alex Ariza.

Pressed to comment on Cotto’s condition based on what he’s been seeing lately, Ariza sounded tactful in describing their opponent.

“I’m not the guy there, I don’t know Phil Landman but he seems to be a very capable strength and conditioning coach (for Cotto),” said Ariza. “I can only tell what I see in pictures and my assessment is that he may be having trouble making weight.”

There have been heavy discussions about Cotto’s weight mainly because the Puerto Rican will be compelled to pay a hefty $1 million for every excess pound.