They are not exactly Manny Pacquiao clones, but Puerto Rican Frankie Figueroa and American Fred Tukes – and a pair of two unidentified lefties – hold the key to Miguel Cotto’s November 14 showdown with the Filipino ring icon.

Reports from Tampa, Florida, reveal that Cotto has been spending some quality time working with Figueroa and Tukes as he and his trainers attempt to figure out why the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton were unsuccessful in beating Pacquiao.

Chief trainer Joe Santiago said sparring sessions with these left-handers will help them device a plan aimed at nullifying Pacquiao's strong points.

“(Sparring) is the closest thing you'll get to the (actual) fight,” Santiago told the newspaper El Nuevo Dia. “It’s during (sparring) that you come up with a strategy for the fight. (Pacquiao is a fighter with) great handspeed.”

Figueroa, from Bronx, New York, and Tukes, from Georgia, have been helping out Team Cotto at the Fight Factory gym during Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Santiago said all is well with Cotto, who did what was expected of him the past three weeks.

“We accomplished the things that we intended to do the last three weeks. Miguel is in high spirits and that is important,” said Santiago, who will only be working the corner of Cotto the second straight time after the fighter and his long-time cornerman, and uncle, Evangelista parted ways early this year.

Before being promoted to the role of head trainer, Santiago had worked as one of Cotto’s assistant trainers.

Santiago is also being aided in the training of Cotto by Los Angeles-based South African Phil Landman, a topnotch conditioning coach.

Team Cotto plans to uproot its camp in Tampa for Las Vegas two weeks before the fight.