ARUM HAS HIGH HOPES FOR COTTO.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES Boxing

Bob Arum, like any promoter, has been known to engage in a little hyperbole during his many years in boxing. He does have a product to sell.

But when Arum speaks in fantastic tones about Miguel Cotto, he might not be overstating a thing.

Cotto, the WBO junior welterweight champion from Puerto Rico, will defend his belt for the first time Saturday when he faces former champion Randall Bailey (28-4, 27 knockouts) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The fight will be the semi-main event to the WBC heavyweight title bout between champion Vitali Klitschko and Danny Williams. The card will be available on HBO pay-per-view.

Cotto is 21-0 with 17 knockouts. He turned pro in February 2001 and has looked good all the way through. But he went from good to perhaps great in his last fight Sept. 11 in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico.

Cotto squared off with Kelson Pinto, another fine young fighter. Their fight for the vacant WBO belt was expected to be hotly contested. But Cotto floored Pinto in the second, fifth and sixth rounds, stopping him at 32 seconds of the sixth.

It was a tremendous performance against a quality opponent. Pinto came in 20-0. It didn't appear that anyone could take him apart like that. Cotto did.

``I think he can be one of the best fighters of our time,'' Arum told the Daily News on Sunday. ``I think he has all the qualities, all the attributes, to be a star, to be the best fighter of our era.

``Now is the time, with the competition we are putting him in with, where he is proving himself. We feel he is the best out there in the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions, and the next two years will be proof in the pudding.''

Arum must think Cotto is either better or is going to be better than Floyd Mayweather Jr., another Arum fighter. Arum wouldn't come right out and cop to that when asked about it directly.

``That is going to be decided in the ring,'' said Arum, who said he ``absolutely'' would pit two of his star fighters against each other. ``That is going to be a huge, huge fight, probably sometime in `06.''

Mayweather is trained by his uncle, Roger Mayweather.

``Roger said that, by far, a fight with Cotto would be Floyd's toughest fight,'' Arum said.

Mayweather is 32-0, including 13-0 in title bouts, with 21 knockouts. He has won championships in the super featherweight and lightweight divisions. He recently moved up to junior welterweight and currently does not hold a title, but he is considered by most one of the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Mayweather is tentatively scheduled to fight Henry Bruseles on Jan. 22, probably in Miami, Arum said.

As for Cotto's near future, Arum said that if he gets by Bailey, he will next put Cotto in with DeMarcus ``Chop Chop'' Corley, another former champion. Arum also would like Cotto to get a chance at IBF champion Kostya Tszyu.

A stumbling block could be the fact that Tszyu currently fights for Showtime, and Cotto is an HBO fighter. Arum said that Cotto's contract with HBO lasts only through next year.

``I'm not going to let that fight be blocked,'' Arum said. ``I'm going to find a way where the fight is free to be made.''

--Corrales next for Castillo? Arum also promotes Jose Luis Castillo, who successfully defended his WBC lightweight belt with a split-decision victory over Joel Casamayor on Saturday at Mandalay Bay.

Arum said Castillo could next fight WBO champion Diego Corrales in a title unification bout, probably in May at Mandalay Bay. If not, Arum said Castillo could move up to junior welterweight and challenge Tszyu, a fight that Showtime would televise.

--No move for Morales: Erik Morales is another Arum fighter. After Morales lost to Marco Antonio Barrera on Nov. 27 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Morales said he might move from super featherweight to lightweight and test the waters there.

Arum on Sunday said that will not happen.

``He will be fighting at 130 (super featherweight),'' Arum said. ``We will be sorting out his next opponent this week. Don't be surprised if it is Casamayor.''

Arum said Casamayor, a former super featherweight, would move back down to fight Morales. Arum also said if that fight isn't made, Morales could fight a rematch with Carlos ``Famous'' Hernandez or challenge WBO 130-pound champion ``Mighty'' Mike Anchondo of La Puente.

Morales' next fight would be in February or March, Arum said.

--Williams forced to fight: Williams, Klitschko's opponent on Saturday, said he was forced to take up boxing at the age of 8 by his father, Agustus.

``I didn't want to do it,'' said Williams, from Brixton in south London. ``He forced me into it. My dad was real strict. I was 8 years old, and I wanted to hang out with my friends and eat chocolate biscuits.

``It took me a few years to get used to it.''

Williams, who stopped Mike Tyson in the fourth round last July 30, is 32-3 with 27 knockouts. Klitschko is 34-2 with 33 knockouts and will defend his title for the first time.

--Jirov-Moorer: Former cruiserweight champion Vassiliy Jirov will take on former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer in the 12-round heavyweight main event Thursday at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula.

Jirov is 33-2 with 29 knockouts. Moorer is 46-4-1 with 36 knockouts. FSN will televise the card.

--Rematch nearly set: The rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez is, in Arum's words, ``a done deal,'' but it hasn't yet been signed. It would take place Feb. 26 somewhere in Nevada, and Marquez's IBF and WBA featherweight belts would be on the line.

Pacquiao first must get by Fahsan Por Thawatchai in an IBF title-elimination fight Saturday in Pacquiao's native Philippines.

Marquez and Pacquiao fought last May 8 at MGM Grand. Pacquiao knocked down Marquez three times in the first round, but in a show of rare courage, Marquez fought gallantly over the next 11 rounds to earn a draw and retain his titles.

Robert Morales, [phone], Ext. 2213

robert.morales(at)sgvn.com

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