Pacquiao-Cotto Weigh-In Recap

We had some technical difficulties getting linked up for the weigh-in festivities but we're ready to go now courtesy of HBO.com. We're still a few minutes away from seeing Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto step on the scales.

The MGM Grand looks to be pretty full for the weigh-in with fans supporting both boxers. Michael Buffer calls out to the Filipinos and Puerto Ricans in attendance. Buffer introduces New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, who gets a mixed reaction from the crowd.

Jacobs says it's going to be a great fight and shills a bit for Top Rank. His role seems to be simply to hype up the fans even more.

Buffer gets in one final plug for the pay-per-view broadcast and segues into a video package that's basically a commercial for the fight. But Bert Sugar is in it, so it's all good.

More stalling from the stage. Buffer calls out Jeremy Piven for a little HBO-centric promotion. He makes a few lame weight jokes but at least seems to know a bit about boxing, and his excitement comes off as genuine.

Now it's time to get down to business as Buffer brings out Pacquiao. Freddie Roach leads Pac Man onto the stage to raucous cheers from his fans. Cotto gets tons of love too as he climbs the stairs on the opposite side.

Buffer points out that Pacquiao is the challenger tomorrow night, so he strips down to his shorts and climbs on the scale. He's looking in great shape as always and weighs in at 144 pounds.

Cotto is up next and he looks ripped as well. He weighs in right on the button at 145 pounds.

The fighters do the usual side-by-side posing as Piven grabs a microphone. Asked about cutting weight, Cotto says he ate well for training and doesn't think it will affect his power. He handles Piven's other lame questions well and addresses his fans in Spanish.

Some soccer chants start rolling through the crowd for some reason. ESPN has been talking to Pacquiao, but Piven manages to wrangle him over. Asked how long he abstains from sex before fights, Manny busts Jeremy's chops a bit. Pac Man plugs a post-fight party at Mandalay Bay where he'll sing eight songs with his band. He gives a brief bilingual shout out to his fans as well.

Buffer urges folks to call their pay-per-view providers again, and the Top Rank team speaks with Jacobs again. The big back jokes that he got Bob Arum to arrange the fight during the Giants' bye week. Jacobs talks a little bit about his background in the sport and picks Cotto to win, saying he thinks Miguel will end it early.

We get a brief replay of the fighters on the scales with a brief discussion about Cotto and the contracted weight of 145 pounds. This blogger concurs that Cotto looked healthy enough cutting to that weight. Weigh-ins for Daniel Santos and Yuri Foreman are still going on in the background but the announcer talked through the actual weights.

Posted by The Franchise