Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
WBN Editor
Five-weight champion proves he takes on the best
Like him or loathe him, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the best
fighter of his generation and aims to prove it once again on May 5th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas against two-weight and current world title holder
at 154lbs, Miguel Angel Cotto.
The 42-0 fighting legend, who tops the WBN Pound for pound
rankings, wanted desperately to secure a fight with eight-time champion and
main rival Manny Pacquiao but has now chosen the next best option in the Puerto
Rican.
Of all the fighters around Mayweather’s weight-class, only three
seemed worthy challengers – Saul Alvarez, Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez, whom
Mayweather has already convincingly beaten in 2009 and is now past his best.
For Mexican superstar Alvarez, who holds the WBC
light-middleweight belt, it is maybe a year or two too early at 21 for a crack
at ‘Money’ and maybe the only reason his name was put forward was the fact
that the fight lands on Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo.
31 year-old Cotto, on the back of his dominant vengeance win
over Antonio Margarito seems at the peak of his powers and will represent the
Mayweather’s toughest test since the great Oscar De La Hoya ran him close on ironically, the same date in 2007.
Since moving up to 154lbs, Cotto looks bigger and stronger
than ever and has stopped all three of his opponents since moving up, with every one of them a world champion at some stage. ‘Junito’ now faces what is his
defining test and has much to prove after failing miserably against Manny
Pacquiao in 2009 at welterweight.
The fight represents the next best thing to a Mayweather v
Pacquiao clash and boxing fans seem to have embraced the spring battle with
open arms after becoming frustrated with negotiations between two world’s top
two fighters.
Pacquiao, 32, is expected to announce his opponent for an
early June bout and looks ready to sign on to face Top Rank stablemate
Timothy Bradley, who is an undefeated two-time unified light-welterweight
champion but largely untested at the very highest level.