Three years ago, boxing betting fans could only fantasize about having Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto inside the same ring.

Pacquiao was a dominant champion at 130 pounds and below, while Miguel Cotto appeared to be an immovable object at 147. Both men had easily defeated future hall of famers, and seemingly had no obstacles in sight.

Fast forward to 2009.

The two men may have taken entirely different paths, but ultimately have remained in the forefront of the boxing world. Cotto was exposed by Antonio Margarito in a bloody war that was the highlight of an exciting 2008 in boxing. The lankier Margarito not only created distance at will, but closed the gap just as easily, pressuring Cotto with flying fists until he finally took a knee for good in the 11th round.

Cotto has since bounced back, but was tested once again by Joshua Clottey, who nearly defeated him in front of a heavily Puerto Rican crowd (on the day of the Puerto Rican Day Parade). However, the human element has kept Cotto ultra popular. Those who follow boxing lines are aware that while Cotto can be beaten, he stills risks it all with an exciting style in the ring. He is aware of his mortality, and fights despite it.

In Pacquiao's case however, his allure lies within his immortality. Since ruling at 130 and below, Pacquiao has meteorically risen to a comfortable 147 pounds, dominating kingpins Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton in the process. In doing so, Pacquiao has become the consensus number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and has achieved iconic status.

What the fighters do have in common is their straight-ahead, all-action style. Make no mistake, both are very competent boxers, however bettors should have a look at the under on boxing odds in terms of round totals. Pacquiao and Cotto are murderous punchers who are constantly looking for a way to end the fight immediately.

Cotto presents perhaps Pacquiao's biggest challenge—at least in terms of size. It is quite likely that by the time the bell rings on Saturday night, Cotto will weigh upwards of 170 pounds. However, Cotto may present Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach with his simplest task yet. Margarito drew the blueprint for the gameplan against Cotto, and Roach will simply make adjustments. In Cotto's corner is longtime friend Joe Santiago, a rookie trainer who appears well out of his league going head to head against Roach.

If the Puerto Rican warrior has any chance of winning this bout, and proving the boxing lines wrong, he will need to be a much more complicated fighter. He punches straight and moves laterally, however he is very poor offensively when moving backwards, and his movements are often tipped.

Those on the BetUS sportsbook should stick with their gameplan and pick the favorite, Manny Pacquiao to capture the WBO welterweight title.