I always wanted this one. Floyd would have beat his ass and I think Cotto knew it. Neither side really went after it but I always liked the match up. Even though I'm confident in my prediction, I always wanted to see this fight.
I always wanted this one. Floyd would have beat his ass and I think Cotto knew it. Neither side really went after it but I always liked the match up. Even though I'm confident in my prediction, I always wanted to see this fight.
At one point... ALL fighters are "not ready" in the beginning. That said, Cotto has always been willing to fight Mayweather. It was Mayweather who felt he can make foolish statements "Cotto too green" "Cotto lives TOO FAR" and avoid the fights the public wanted to see. He is the only fighter in history who has shown this tendency over and over again. Please don't ever compare balls to ***** again.
Mayweather didn't say Cotto was too green until Arum said it.
You can attempt to re-write history, but I was an avid fan in that era, and I remember the facts. They are also well documented.
Floyd and Arum were involved in lawsuits post-Gatti. In fact, HBO helped facilitate Floyd's separation from Top Rank.
These are the kinds of matchups that occur when a television network gives a fighter a date and, in essence, tells him to find an acceptable opponent. The way to do it, if you have the fans in mind and want to show the best fights, is to make the match first, then assign a date.
But Mayweather, incredulously, is being blamed for having to fight Mitchell. After filleting Mitchell, which should take seven or eight rounds, Mayweather will have completed a year in which none of three fighters he faced -- Henry Bruseles, Arturo Gatti and Mitchell -- were any kind of a threat to him.
Few active fighters relish challenges more than Mayweather. Diego Corrales comes to mind, but the list of those who always want to fight the toughest fights possible is shorter than Verne Troyer's (aka Mini-Me's) inseam.
"I can't make these guys fight," said an exasperated Mayweather, who had hoped to face Wright in what would have been one of the year's most intriguing bouts instead of what will turn out to be nothing more than a glorified exhibition.
Former lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight champion Shane Mosley was offered a bout against Mayweather, but declined.
Mosley said he wanted a couple of tuneups, but said he'd fight Mayweather next year.
Kostya Tszyu isn't sure he'll fight again. His conqueror, Ricky Hatton, turned Mayweather down before money was even discussed.
Oscar De La Hoya has mentioned Mayweather, but said he won't consider him until late 2006.
That's around the time when Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said he'd be willing to put young and promising Miguel Cotto in against Mayweather.
There were others, including undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah, but they couldn't come close to contract terms.
And boxers know there are two ways to get out of a fight: simply by saying no, as Hatton did, or by asking for more money than promoters will be able to pay.
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