BY JUN MEDINA SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

History is replete with big upsets scored by Puerto Rican fighters, a tiny nation of about four million, which has produced the most number of boxing champions in the world, per capita, according to a briefer from Top Rank Promotions.
Miguel Cotto Sr., Cotto’s father and manager, said that the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion’s being the underdog gives his son the “extra motivation” because they want to beat the odds and prove the experts wrong.

In the case of Cotto, an upset over Pacquiao would open the door to even bigger fights, plus the honor of succeeding his favored Filipino foe from his throne as the world’s mythical champion, pound-for-pound.

Pacquiao, 30, fit and highly motivated has a date with destiny, and an unprecedented seventh world title could very well bolster his bid to win a seat in Congress in May.

Cotto, who just turned 29 on October 29, is just as motivated because a win against the acknowledged king of the ring will erase the stigma of his lone loss by technical knockout in the 11th round against Mexican rival Antonio Margarito in 2008.

That controversial loss is now considered suspect though in light of the illegal hand wraps scandal that led to Margarito’s suspension for at least a year by the California State Athletic Commission.

For the record, here are the biggest Puerto Rican spoilers in the history of the Sweet Science:

On March 30, 1965, Olympic silver medalist Jose Torres knocked out Willie Pastrano in the ninth round to win the world heavyweight title at the Madison Square Garden (MSG) in a stunning upset that made the 28-year-old Torres an instant hero.

Trained by the legendary Cus D’Amato (best remembered by fans as Mike Tyson’s mentor), Torres dropped the heavily favored Pastrano, 29, in the sixth before stopping him in the ninth. Pastrano retired from boxing after that fight.

On November 13 of the same year, Carlos Ortiz upset Panamanian Ismael Laguna during a rematch in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to avenge Ortiz’s loss seven months earlier, to reclaim the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title. Ortiz again defeated the speedy Laguna in a rubber match in New York City in 1967.

Ortiz is remembered by Filipinos for frustrating boxing Hall of Famer Gabriel “Flash” Elorde in two brutal wars when the legendary junior lightweight champion tried, moved up in weight, but failed to win a second world title.

And on October 28, 1978, super bantamweight champion Wilfredo Gomez, 21, shocked the boxing world by crushing reigning bantamweight titlist Carlos Zarate with a fifth round knockout.

Zarate, one of the best all-time fighters from Mexico, came into that fight the heavy favorite on account of his unbeaten record in 52 fights, winning all but one inside the distance.

Both fighters had a problem making weight, but Zarate, who needed four trips to the scales to make weight, was clearly drained by the effort to make 122 pounds.

On September 26, 1986, Edwin Rosario stopped the favored Livingstone Bramble in the second round to win the WBA lightweight plum in Miami Beach.

Rosario, 23, flaunted his knockout power against the 26-year-old Bramble who was coming off two consecutive wins against former title-holder Ray Mancini and Tyrone Crawley.

But one of the biggest recent upsets by any Puerto Rican fighter was perhaps the unanimous decision victory of Felix Trinidad in his welterweight title unification clash with Oscar De La Hoya on September 18, 1999.

In the highly anticipated matchup between two unbeaten champions, Trinidad rallied in the late rounds to edge out then boxing’s Golden Boy in a controversial majority decision.

Will Cotto follow in the footsteps of Trinidad, Benitez, Gomez and others—and spoil Pacquiao’s planned victory concert in Mandalay Bay for his fans right after the main event at the nearby MGM Grand Arena?

Puerto Rican underdogs have a history of beating the odds. And that element of surprise only adds to the thrills of the much-anticipated clash between two of the most exciting boxers in the world today.