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by David P. Greisman - The best boxer in the world today became the richest fighter ever, remaining a huge attraction in part because he never lost. Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez don’t have Floyd Mayweather’s fortune, nor are they as fortunate.
They cannot make tens of millions no matter the level of opponent, like Mayweather will do in four weeks when he faces Andre Berto on pay-per-view in what purportedly will be Mayweather’s final fight. That’s not a consequence of the losses on their records, but rather a reflection of the kind of mainstream appeal Mayweather has achieved but which has eluded nearly all since the Sweet Science became a niche sport in the United States.
They are still stars. And that stature has endured despite their defeats.
Cotto came into prominence as a 140-pound titleholder, drawing crowds in Puerto Rico as well as in New Jersey and New York, states with sizable populations of people of Puerto Rican descent. He was not anywhere near as beloved as Felix Trinidad, but he was a suitable hero in the wake of Tito’s retirement.
They continued to support him even after he could take no more from Antonio Margarito, and again after Manny Pacquiao broke him down. They celebrated with heavily invested emotion when Cotto avenged his loss to Margarito. And they stuck around even when Cotto had dropped two in a row, excusably to Mayweather and then more disturbingly to Austin Trout. He resuscitated his career once more, going on to take out middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, and they rose and roared their approval. [Click Here To Read More]
They cannot make tens of millions no matter the level of opponent, like Mayweather will do in four weeks when he faces Andre Berto on pay-per-view in what purportedly will be Mayweather’s final fight. That’s not a consequence of the losses on their records, but rather a reflection of the kind of mainstream appeal Mayweather has achieved but which has eluded nearly all since the Sweet Science became a niche sport in the United States.
They are still stars. And that stature has endured despite their defeats.
Cotto came into prominence as a 140-pound titleholder, drawing crowds in Puerto Rico as well as in New Jersey and New York, states with sizable populations of people of Puerto Rican descent. He was not anywhere near as beloved as Felix Trinidad, but he was a suitable hero in the wake of Tito’s retirement.
They continued to support him even after he could take no more from Antonio Margarito, and again after Manny Pacquiao broke him down. They celebrated with heavily invested emotion when Cotto avenged his loss to Margarito. And they stuck around even when Cotto had dropped two in a row, excusably to Mayweather and then more disturbingly to Austin Trout. He resuscitated his career once more, going on to take out middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, and they rose and roared their approval. [Click Here To Read More]
but that was a good win, as noted by the writer. Trout had the WBA JrMW belt, undefeated and coming off a win over Cotto. That was Trouts standing going into the Canelo fight. Lets not confuse that with his current standing. Who am i kidding? Thats a good win whether you admit it or not.
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