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Steward Versus Roach, Will It Happen?

By Joey Liam

Adding more drama to the upcoming championship fight billed as Fire Power between WBO welterweight king Miguel Angel Cotto and pound for pound marquis Manny Pacquiao, International Hall of Fame Trainer Emanuel Steward expressed his desire to train the Puerto Rican gladiator. He even made a bold prediction that there is "no doubt that Miguel would knockout Pacquiao."

Steward's audacious prediction is not sweet-sounding to the ears of Pacquiao's chief handler, the three-time trainer of the year Freddie Roach and the thousands of Pacman fanatics. Essentially, Roach inferred that his fighter has the upper hand and would take the WBO welterweight crown from the champion Cotto similarly by knockout. It is difficult to argue with Roach because his last three predictions in favor of his ward were unnervingly accurate--Nostradamus-like prophecies.

This welterweight match-up would truly be interesting to watch if Steward only gets his wish granted; to be in Cotto's corner and guide the champion in destroying the world recognized King of Boxing Pacquiao. Imagine seeing Steward and Roach going head to head, brandishing their mastery of the Sweet Science over one another, while Pacquiao and Cotto awe the audience with their superior boxing skills.

Cotto has a greater chance to beat Pacquiao if he hires Steward as his coach for this historic fight, for the simple fact that Steward is a more skilled trainer than the champ's named coach Jose Santiago; the battle also offers a special opportunity for the entire boxing community to witness the marvelous display of genius coaching and tremendous obeisance between the tandems of Pacquiao/Roach and Cotto/Steward. Will it happen? Only time will tell and we can only hope.