Mayweather In For Tough Test Against Cotto In Las Vegas

ByIain Langmaid

Unbeaten American five weight world Champion Floyd Mayweather Jnr will be fighting Puerto Rican icon and three weight world champion Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas on the 5th May at the MGM Grand in a challenge for Cotto’s WBA “Super” title at Light-Middleweight.

Mayweather’s decision to fight Cotto puts back even further any possibility whatsoever to fight current Pound for Pound King and eight weight world champion Manny Pacquiao until November at the earliest as Mayweather has yet to serve his 90 day prison sentence for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Josie Harris back in May 2010.

For Cotto, this also puts on ice speculated talks about a potential unification match with the big hitting Mexican starlet Saul Alavrez for the WBC’s title at 11 stone (154 lb).

Alvarez is regarded as the second best fighter at Light-Middleweight behind Cotto, according to Boxrec and The Ring.

Mayweather revealed the news on Twitter that he was to face Cotto after the Nevada State Athletic Commission voted 5-0 in Mayweather’s favour to give him a license to fight in their jurisdiction, despite his recent conviction.

While some fans will be disappointed yet again that Mayweather and Pacquiao have not found an agreement to fight each other, there will be others that will be pleased Mayweather will fight Cotto, a man widely regarded as one of the game’s biggest punchers and entertaining fighters.

Cotto has always been willing on take all comers from Light-Welter to Light Middleweight and has fought such opponents as Sugar Shane Mosley, who he defeated on points to retain the WBA Welterweight title which he would later lose to the now disgraced Antonio Margarito in May 2008 after being stopped in 11 rounds.

However, Cotto has since gained his retribution in his most recent fight with a 10th round retirement of Margarito in the defence of his WBA “Super” 11 stone title at Madison Square Garden in front of his fans.

Other victories for Cotto include a 11th round stoppage of former undisputed Welterweight Champion Zab Judah and boxing’s resident mad man, Ricardo Mayorga.

For Mayweather, the self proclaimed “biggest cash cow” in boxing, he has finally decided to fight a man who many feel he has avoided for too long. Mayweather’s own record is packed with a who’s who, holding wins over Mosley, Oscar De La Hoya in one of the biggest grossing fights of all time, Judah, Juan Manuel Marquez and Jose Luis Castillo over the course of a 16 year professional career.

Mayweather has the edge in height, standing 5’8 to Cotto’s 5’7 and also possesses a five inch reach advantage along with the slicker footwork and boxing brain.

Cotto has the superior power in comparison to Mayweather, having scored 30 knockouts during his 37 wins in comparison to Mayweather’s 26 knockouts in 42 victories, which makes it a potentially very tough fight for Mayweather along with it being a tough one to call for the odds makers.