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[iKeNjiro]

Have been busy lately with my family and all....but I was on this site looking for new boxing videos to watch online while on the train
and saw this article on the side with the link and decide to read it. It dates back to February but I was wondering you guys thoughts on this article, seems interesting and definitely a good read.

Look forward to the feedback...


Is Floyd Mayweather Being Forced To Fight Miguel Cotto?
February 28th, 2012


By: Scoop Malinowski

Floyd Mayweather did not want to fight Miguel Cotto in 2008, when it was prime time for the two unbeaten welterweights to meet in a unification clash of titans.
Mayweather evaded the fight by blaming Cotto’s pay-per-view numbers, claiming Cotto “knows he can’t beat me” while mocking him as a “punching bag.” When Larry Merchant asked Floyd on HBO about fighting Cotto, Floyd responded strangely, saying, “I will retire from boxing, boxing won’t retire me.” On top of that, a prominent HBO employee told me in 2008, with clear frustration that Floyd would never fight Cotto and there was no chance of the superfight ever happening. It was obvious to me, the source was annoyed by Mayweather’s reluctance and the protective guardianship and influence of his advisor Al Haymon over HBO.
Fast forward to 2012. At Monday’s Puerto Rico press conference announcing the Mayweather-Cotto fight, Mayweather is singing a different tune now. There was no mention about Cotto’s pay-per-view numbers or disdainfully calling Cotto a “punching bag.” Instead, Floyd praised the WBA Super Welterweight champion: “He’s a solid and strong champion. He has been at the top for a long time. Cotto is a solid middleweight who knows the sport of boxing. I also know boxing. I always try to face the best (LOL). And he is one of the best in the sport.”
But there was something about Cotto that intimidated Floyd to avoid him in 2008. Despite his two losses to Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, Cotto is still a formidable, physical and very intelligent threat. Could it be possible that Floyd has been railroaded into fighting Cotto now?
Entirely so. Cotto left Top Rank and Bob Arum after beating Margarito in the rematch last December and is now a Golden Boy controlled fighter (We never heard Floyd ever mention Cotto as a possible opponent when Cotto was with Top Rank). Additionally, it’s widely believed that Golden Boy suffered poor numbers from the Mayweather-Ortiz fiasco fight, both at the live gate and pay-per-view totals which were never officially released by HBO. Arum said the numbers mentioned by Floyd via Fight hype and Golden Boy were fake and that he knows the real numbers.
Clearly, Golden Boy understands and accepts that Mayweather is now a declining attraction at age 35. And set-up fights against the likes of Victor Ortiz, Robert Guerrero or Erik Morales have the potential to be massive, colossal failures, not only in terms of money loss but also loss of the goodwill and credibility associated with the Golden Boy name and image. So Golden Boy needed to match Mayweather with a real threat this time (Martinez wouldn’t do because Sergio is too explosive, a lefty, and most importantly, Sergio is promoted by an outsider, Lou DiBella).
Of course, Golden Boy and Floyd’s advisor Al Haymon, who it is believed have a working business alliance, do not want to risk losing the luster and shine of Mayweather in a loss to a fighter they can’t control (Manny Pacquiao). That wouldn’t be a very smart business decision. When you own a fading, declining, aging “name” fighter, the objective is to keep all his fights in the family and when the defeat happens, it happens to one of your own, and thus all the starpower, prestige and prominence are transferred. This is what Don King did in the 90′s with Mike Tyson and why Evander Holyfield became the king of the sport when he KOed Tyson in 1996.
Mayweather’s demeaner at the Monday press conference in Puerto Rico seemed tired and passionless. There was a hollowness to his words, not the cocky, arrogant defiance we are accustomed to seeing. You got the sense Mayweather is simply a tool now, being used by the powers that be. He’s at the mercy of what they want to do with him. With his declining drawing powers, Floyd is no longer in position to handpick senior circuit set ups like Marquez, Mosley, Baldomir. The public just won’t buy it anymore, not in this down economy.
I don’t get the sense Floyd really wants to fight Cotto, he’s only there because he has to be. There’s no personal grudge by Floyd against Cotto, who is nothing short of a complete gentleman.
It’s the first time, Floyd seems to be getting tired of it all (“I don’t love boxing anymore because it’s not real like it used to be.”) He has to be weary of living the lie of maintaining the charade of ducking Pacquiao. Tired of behaving like an imbecile and making shock statements to get attention. The end seems near for Floyd Money Mayweather. I think Floyd Mayweather is about ready to exit this phase of his life and release the burden off his shoulders, so he can just be the simple and regular Floyd Mayweather Jr., who really isn’t a bad guy (fame and fortune can deform anybody). It’s not easy being the villain, having to deal with all the controversy and drama, just ask Mike Tyson who is at peace now and doesn’t have to live up to that image of being “The baddest man on the planet”).
And Golden Boy, which is going to control American boxing someday soon, is in prime position to prosper. If Cotto beats Floyd on May 5 in Las Vegas, all of Floyd’s starpower shifts to Cotto. And Golden Boy, in my opinion, will feel a lot more confident about risking Cotto vs. Pacquiao then Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. Cotto is confident and actually believes he can win the rematch vs. Manny. Golden Boy knows Cotto will never makes excuses to duck and dodge Pacquiao, like Mayweather has done for over two years. And Cotto is younger than Pacquiao. Most of all, in his mind, Cotto is not scared or afraid to suffer another loss, Cotto is every eager to inflict revenge on his former conqueror (Team Cotto sources have told me this).
With Floyd on the verge of losing the defamation lawsuit to Pacquiao, and unable to pay back his reported six figure debt to Don King, you get the sense Mayweather is not nearly as wealthy as he claims to be. Why would Mayweather need a go-to-guy like Al Haymon if he was his own man like he always says? Why would Floyd need to brag about his NBA and NFL winning wagers?
A former WBO Heavyweight champ once told me something I will never ever forget: “Boxing is 90% bluffs.”
With that bit of wisdom in mind, and all the other examples of circumstantial evidence, I believe Mayweather has been forced to fight Cotto by the powers that be and it’s very possible Cotto could prevail. And that a Cotto-Pacquiao rematch will be on the horizon for November 2012.
Let the criticism of this opinion begin!