De la Hoya and Pacquiao in East L.A.

Following weeks of praises and analyses on how the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar de la Hoya may end up and the press releases from both camps on their respective fighters' trainings, a former champ has spoken for the first time against the December 6 megabuck welterweight super fight.

"This is the kind of fight where you realize how boxing has fallen. The sport is in this place because of fights like this, because of fighters like De La Hoya," former welterweight champion Miguel Cotto said in a report on Boxingscene.com.

De la Hoya is four inches taller than Pacquiao's 5' 6" frame.

Cotto decried de la Hoya's decision to face a smaller fighter like Pacquiao, who in June won the World Boxing Council lightweight belt from David Diaz.

"He avoids a fighter that represents danger to him, and instead he prefers to take on a fighter like Pacquiao, who instead of fighting for the second time at 135-pounds, will now move up to 147-pounds where he does not present any danger [to him]," Cotto said.

For the former champ, the sport needs more fighters that can put on a "good show" for the public by showing their best all the time.

"Back when Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard; when they were fighting each other. Those were some glorious years for the sport and that's what boxing needs right now," he said.

Cotto last fought Antonio Margarito for the World Boxing Association welterweight crown on July 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the same venue for the 147-lb non-title fight between Pacquiao and de la Hoya. Cotto lost to Margarito via technical knockout.

Cotto has a win-loss slate of 32-1 with 26 victories coming by way of knockout.