Skip to main content

Mayweather v Cotto is next best thing to super-fight

Phil D. Jay 
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.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

The Tragedy of Billy Collins Jr.

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor  Collins after the fight Williams Ray Collins Jr. or Billy Collins Jr. as he became known, was born to a boxing father in Antioch, Tennessee in 1961. His father William Sr, once fought Welterweight Champion Curtis Cokes and wanted his boy to follow in his footsteps, so decided to train Billy himself. Collins Jr. turned pro in 1981, a welterweight, just like his father before him and impressively won his first 14 professional contests, 11 by knockout with eight inside the first three rounds. It was 1983 and Billy was matched up against Puerto Rican journeyman Luis Resto on the undercard of Roberto Duran v Davey Moore at Madison Square Garden in a ten rounder. Resto wasn’t known for his punching power but Billy took a sustained beating for the full ten rounds, his face, badly damaged and his eyes were almost shut. After the fight, which Resto won on decision, Billy’s father shook Resto’s hand and noticed there wasn’t much padding in his gl...
Read more

The Ring Magazine P4P Top 10 compared to WBN's P4P Top 10

World Boxing News pound for pound Top 10 (25/11/2011) 1. Manny Pacquaio (53-3-2) WBO Welterweight champion and WBC light-middleweight champion 2. Nonito Donaire (26-1) WBC and WBO bantamweight champion 3. Floyd Mayweather Jr (41-0) 4. Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2) WBC and IBO light-heavyweight champion 5. Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1) WBA and WBO lightweight champion 6. Miguel Cotto (36-2-0) WBA "Super" light-middleweight champion 7. Sergio Martinez (47-2-2) 8. Wladimir Klitschko (55-3-0) WBO and IBF heavyweight champion 9. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (80-3-1) WBC flyweight champion 10. Chris John (44-0-2) WBA “super” world featherweight champion Do you agree or disagree? Have your say on the WBN Facebook wall at  http://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Boxing-News/134654593225151
Read more

Derry Mathews willing to offer Scott Harrison title shot

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor British champion open to fight with former WBO title holder According to Scott Harrison’s manager Alex Morrison, the Scot has been offered the chance to fight British champion Derry Mathews later in the year. The possbile fight hinges on whether Mathews can come through a rematch with Gavin Rees next month at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield. Morrison is looking to fast-track his fighter to a world title shot in 2013 and sees the Lonsdale belt as an ideal stepping stone for Harrison as he makes his comeback from a seven-year absence. The 34 year-old fights Brahim Bariz in his first fight since 2005 at the end of the month at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow and wants to move as quickly as possible on to a potential shot at a world champion. Harrison held the WBO featherweight title on two occasions in the past and now campaigns at lightweight.
Read more