MIGUEL Cotto celebrated his 29th birthday last October 29, but there was no lavish party for the Puerto Rican boxing sensation.

Instead, the birthday boy spent the day training hard before droves of fans and sports journalists at the Fight Factory in Tampa, Florida.

Cotto, who just turned 29, held his last open workout before he and his entourage head to Las Vegas for his showdown with Filipino punching machine Manny Pacquiao for the world welterweight crown on November 14 (November 15 in Manila) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

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His trainers are impressed with Cotto's condition and that the Puerto Rican is ready to face Pacquiao in the 12-round championship bout dubbed "Firepower."

"We've had the perfect camp. Miguel is focused and determined," Jose Santiago, Cotto'e chief trainer, told Fightnews.com.

"We're about to head out for Las Vegas," Santiago added.

Cotto reportedly plans to arrive in Vegas Sunday afternoon and will immediately resume training except on Nov. 3 when he will be in Los Angeles, where Pacquiao is on final stages of his own rehearsal for the big showdown.

Pacquiao spent more than 30 days of his training first in the Philippines amid two devastating typhoons that hit the country.

His camp in Baguio was also partially hit that forced him to miss jogging for several days and instead hitting the pool as ordered by American trainer Freddie Roach.

Pacquiao even missed the gym for hours during training days as he joined relief operations for the typhoon victims, a show of compassion for his beloved countrymen.

Despite the little distractions, Pacquiao is motivated to become the only boxer in history to win a seventh world title in seven different weight divisions.

"I feel I am one hundred percent conditioned for the fight and I can't wait for November 14th," Pacquiao said in a recent conference call.

Roach said Cotto, who will be stepping into as the bigger and younger fighter, cannot handle Pacquiao's speed and this will work as a big advantage for his fighter.

"Working the mitts with Manny at this weight, he is punching so much harder than he ever has. He is very used to it now. He is punching fast and hard now that I don't think Cotto as enough," Roach said.

With both the Pacquiao and Cotto camps exuding confidence with only days leading to the fight, a war is expected between these two ring gladiators.

Cotto is strong, bigger and the younger fighter.

Pacquiao is faster, equally strong and hungry, greatly motivated by the fact that he is fighting for history. All he needs is one more smashing performance. (CRAM)