By Edgar Perez: If you are a fan of boxing, you always want to see the best matchups possible. What fans often get is matchups between boxers in one promoter’s stable of boxers because that’s a situation in which promoter can make all the money. It’s smart business but smart fans know when they are getting the bait and switch. This does not produce the best matchups.
If you are a fan of Mayweather, and you think he is the best, it would stand to reason that you would welcome any challenge, especially one from a boxer as accomplished as Cotto. Say what you will about what an actual matchup would look like but Cotto brings a solid record into the ring against the likes of a Mayweather and would be still be an achievement worthy of mention were Mayweather to defeat Cotto. Mayweather gets the added benefit that Cotto brings the fan hype necessary to sell a fight so that Mayweather can get paid the kind of money he’s looking for. No other fighter besides Pacquiao can claim that. Just like it was for Pacquiao it would be for Mayweather, a low risk and high reward fight.
If you are a fan of Cotto, you want to see how your favorite fighter stacks ups against the best. If fighting Pacquiao was a big deal for Cotto fans then fighting Mayweather tops that by far. It’s a matchup Cotto fans have wanted to see for a while, although back when this fight was first talked about, Cotto was more of a seek and destroy type of puncher-boxer. Regardless of what happened against Manny Pacquiao, this fight against Mayweather is the most important of Cotto’s career. Cotto is one of the Elder statesman of the sport, figuratively speaking, and should be fighting guys with something to offer, especially a guy like Mayweather who has the most to offer.
Perhaps some of the anticipation for this fight has faded because with Cotto having changed into more of a stick and move boxer, the thinking is that he could never beat Mayweather at his own game. This is true except that Mayweather presents a totally different challenge than most of the boxers that Cotto has faced lately, who are the reason Cotto had to change his style. Mayweather is not a big welterweight like the welterweights and 154lbers that Cotto has faced recently and is not going to grind Cotto into a pulp like some of them have done. The challenge Mayweather presents to Cotto is more like when Cotto faced Pacquiao, Mayweather’s dominant speed and skill are likely to overwhelm Cotto in that very same way. Cotto does not possess any dominant physical traits. Not speed…not endurance…not punching power….not chin. He has flawed technique, especially defensively. He is a jack of all trades but a master of none.
Why then should we want to see this match? Because fights aren’t fought on paper and there is the possibility that after having faced someone like Pacquiao, that Cotto realizes he has to raise his game in this type of fight. Cotto is hard worker with a lot of heart, which is something to always admire in a brutal sport such as this, but what makes him an interesting matchup with Mayweather is that he brings some of the counter-punching ability similar to Marquez with a bit more natural size. Cotto is actually a little bigger than Mayweather at this time but as we saw against Pacquiao size isn’t everything. Cotto also has a little more speed and movement than say a Victor Ortiz but that won’t be enough either. Where the intrigue lies, is in the fact that because they never faced each other before, you can never account for everything. There are intangibles in this fight that could have enough of an impact to make this fight interesting. At age 35 will Mayweather be the same boxer we have seen the last few years? Which fighter makes the most adjustments? Quite honestly, Mayweather has to be given his proper due, he has chosen a tougher fighter than he has in a while. With no disrespect to Mayweather’s last three opponents, Cotto is simply a better choice than the fans have gotten from Mayweather in years. He’s better than previous choice of a blown up lightweight like Marquez. He’s better than previous choice of a blown up Jr. Welterweight like Victor Ortiz. He’s not old like Mosley. It may not be Pacquiao, but considering all factors, it is the next best thing. It’s a matchup that makes sense for both boxers and the fans.
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