By Mark Vester
During the final press conference for Saturday's battle between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank took plenty of shots at the recently retired Floyd Mayweather Jr. Arum feels that the pending pressure from fans and media to face Cotto, forced Mayweather to call it quits. He said Mayweather will return to the sport, but not against Cotto or Margarito.
"Miguel would run him out of the ring," Arum was quoted as saying by the Las Vegas Review Journal. "He has nothing to hurt Miguel with. Miguel drove him into retirement. (Cotto) is a true champion. There is no baloney, no nonsense, no going into nightclubs and making it rain money."
"I'm so proud of these two young men. There wasn't one bit of trash-talking or endless promotion. I'm sick and tired of fighters trash-talking and then getting into the ring thinking they're 'Dancing with the Stars.' Other welterweights didn't want to fight (Margarito). It was a no-win proposition. Name fighters. Marquee fighters did everything possible to avoid him. They ducked him. I think Floyd will come back. But not against either of these guys, especially Cotto."
Cotto was more laid back than his promoter. He says that Mayweather will have to one day answer the public on why a fight between them never happened.
"I can't force anyone to fight," Cotto said. "He can choose whatever he wants, but in eight to 10 years, when the press and people see him and ask him to give them one reason why he wouldn't fight Cotto, he will have to answer."
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