By Jake Donovan

Way back in June ’05, Miguel Cotto sat ringside in Atlantic City and watched Floyd Mayweather Jr. tear apart Arturo Gatti en route to a 6th round stoppage as well as a major title in a third weight class.

Both Cotto and Mayweather Jr. were unbeaten and under the Top Rank banner at the time, of course raising the question of when they will collide. The fight never came about and instead served as the beginning of the end of the relationship between Mayweather Jr. and Top Rank.

The long awaited fight will now take place on May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, though not without a lot changing between then and now.

Neither fighter is any longer under promotional contract with Top Rank. Mayweather Jr. bolted for good after his April ’06 win over Zab Judah. Cotto’s legal obligation ended shortly after last December’s revenge-fueled win over Antonio Margarito, avenging a July ’08 defeat.

It was the Margarito rematch that allowed Cotto (37-2, 30KO) to truly move on with his career, physically and mentally. While a showdown with Mayweather (42-0, 26KO) might have been more appealing when both were undefeated, there is no time like the present as far as Cotto is concerned.

“Everything happens in life for a reason,” Cotto explains. “The fight could’ve happened 4, 5, 6 years ago, but it happens now. I feel better right now. I feel that after Margarito’s fight on December 3. I feel much better about myself. I think this is the right moment for this fight.”

Cotto doesn’t hesitate to admit he struggled to cope with the loss to Margarito, the first of his career. Compounding matters was the belief that his rival was caught with loaded hand wraps an hour or so before his Jan ’09 showdown with Shane Mosley.

The industry-wide belief is that Margarito’s history with tampered wraps runs deeper than the one time he was caught. Retroactively, this would suggest that not all was on the up-and-up when the disgraced former welterweight titlist faced Cotto four years ago.

The rematch – while a bit anti-climactic as Margarito was stopped upon advice from the ringside physician – gave Cotto the ability to truly move on with his career.

“I have everything from the Margarito victory that he stole from me. I have it back and feel much better about myself right now.”

Cotto had his choice of a showdown with Mayweather Jr. or a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, which would have kept him with Top Rank for at least one more fight. In the end, he chose the Mayweather Jr. fight, which comes with the fewest concessions as it comes at the 154 lb. weight limit that best suits where is now at in his career.

“I thank Mayweather for making the fight at my weight,” Cotto states. “If he wants my title, he has to come to my way and do it the correct way. I’m happy to get this fight in my weight class and prepare myself well enough for May 5.

“We have more than one reason for deciding to pick the Mayweather fight instead of the Pacquiao fight. I received a better benefit in making the decision to go with Mayweather.”

The decision delays his chance to avenge his other career loss – Cotto was stopped in the 12th round of his Nov. ’09 catchweight fight with Pacquiao. But he now has the chance to become the first fighter to hang a loss on Mayweather, Jr.

“Nobody is invincible in life. I know that because I passed through that point in my life. I’m ready for anything Floyd brings to me on May 5. The question is if he’s ready for anything Miguel Cotto can bring. I know he’s a hard worker but he’s going to have in front of him a hard worker like him. Trust me, I know what I have to do to get the victory on May 5.”

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter at twitter.com/JakeNDaBox or submit questions/comments to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com