Mayweather vs.. Cotto – The Night It All Ends?

The ratings have been wrong before, and they will be wrong again, sooner than most people are willing to face up to. But the big question is, are the ratings right or wrong to put Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. at the top of the rankings as the #1 pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, over the likes of Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiaio, or even Mayweather’s opponent in this Cinco de Mayo night?

It was going to be Pac-Man – oh, how the world wanted that fight – but talks fell through between the two top ranked fighters in the boxing world for the umpteenth time half as many years and they both settled to fight ohter fighters, respectable guys in their own right.

It would seem a walk over for Mayweather Jr., especially considering his unbeaten record after more than 40 fights, but folks really have to face up to the truth of the fact that he isn’t a kid anymore at 35 years old! At that age, even Muhammad Ali had started to lose a couple of fights and was no longer in his prime. There are some sports or activities in life that you get better at with age, but boxing is not one of them. In boxing once you’re past the 30 mark, it’s like someone turns off the tap and the flow starts to petter out. Honest, I know – I turned 30 and my martial arts career went out the window.

But then again, I’m no Floyd Mayweather Jr.; I’ve never been in a boxing ring, and I’ve never been rated by any sports magazine or organization… not in any category nearly as high-profile as Mayweather pulls. However, the flipside is that Miguel Cotto is no walk-over either. Ranked #1 light-middleweight in the world, you don’t just walk into the ring and all over this guy. He’s put away some fine names in the business too, such as Ricardo Mayorga, Shane Mosley, and Zab Judah; even going the distance with Manny Pacquiaio, to be stopped in the 12th by TKO. In addition, Cotto is a four-time world champion in three weight divisions; plus, he’s only 31 while Pretty Boy Floyd is already over 35.

Naaa, both fighters have their fight cut out for them and it is likely to be a brawl of sorts. Mayweather hopes to keep his record clean and Cotto wishes to up his own value by damaging the older fighter’s score. Mayweather is widely conceded to be the best defensive fighter ever, which added to his speed and skill make him nearly an evil opponent to face in the ring; but Cotto’s got something to prove and he means to prove it – and he’s got speed and accuracy, and won WBA Boxer fo the Year sometime in the past too.

So, is this the night that big-mouth Floyd Mayweather Jr. gets beaten and Cotto steps up into the arena of all-time greats, or is it the night that Money Mayweathers ups his record to 42 and 0 while dashing the younger man’s hopes? There’s only one way to find out – watch the match.