Details below from New York Times

LAS VEGAS — Late Saturday night, Miguel Cotto did to Floyd Mayweather Jr. what opponents rarely, if ever, do to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Cotto made him bleed.

It started when Cotto landed a quick, direct left hand square on Mayweather’s nose. Blood trickled down his chin and announced to the crowd at the Grand Garden Arena that Mayweather, the self-proclaimed best boxer in history, had himself a fight.

More telling was what happened next. As Mayweather wiped the blood with a red glove, he turned to Cotto and actually smiled. Like a vampire, re-energized, ready to go to work, in this case at the MGM Grand in front of another sold-out crowd pleading for Cotto to hand Mayweather his first defeat.

Cotto gave Mayweather a fight beyond expectation, a close fight, a tough fight, an instant classic. In the end, it was not enough. Mayweather triumphed in a unanimous decision and blew kisses to the crowd, which, naturally, booed him.

“You’re the toughest guy I ever fought,” Mayweather said to Cotto.

In victory, Mayweather added to his copious belt collection the W.B.A. super welterweight belt and the vacant W.B.C. one. On this night, it seemed as if the fight that happened was more interesting than the one that did not. On this night, it did not matter if Mayweather was not fighting Manny Pacquiao.

On this night, Cotto did some damage. The more Cotto landed right hooks to the body, the more he pinned Mayweather in corners, the more the crowd rose and cheered him on. The more they cheered for him, the more Mayweather shook his head.

By the ninth round, it was fair to consider whether Cotto could, you know, actually win, whether he could knock Mayweather from the ranks of the undefeated. Before the round, when Mayweather’s picture flashed across the big screen, his lip busted, his face bloody, the crowd erupted in applause.

As the bell for the 12th round sounded, the bout was too close for an obvious call. Again, Cotto pinned Mayweather in the corner. Again, they traded blows. With two minutes left, the crowd stood on its feet, chanting Cotto’s name. Mayweather landed one combination, then another. When the final bell sounded, the fighters hugged.

Cotto (37-3) had come close. But Mayweather (43-0) had done enough. On Saturday, Mayweather did what Mayweather does best. He put on a show, the usual mixture of sports and entertainment, another series of moments best summarized with “only Mayweather.”

If the lights that flashed and the crowd that booed served as a distraction, the din would fade by Sunday morning. Once the fight finished, another date of utmost importance loomed large. On June 1 Mayweather is scheduled to report to prison for misdemeanor domestic violence and harassment charges reached in a plea bargain.

For Mayweather, the superstar with the 18-room mansion, a 10-by-6-foot cell awaited.

Mayweather sauntered into the ring flanked by Justin Bieber and 50 Cent, with celebrities as divergent as Sean Combs and Triple H in the stands. Because he is Mayweather, he wore what looked like red leather shorts.

Early on, it appeared Cotto wanted to force the action, to steer Mayweather, the most brilliant technical boxer of his generation, toward a brawl. Cotto was the aggressor, even if he wore pink socks. In the second round, he lifted Mayweather off the canvas in a bear hug.

At the very least, Cotto made Mayweather look uncomfortable, forced him to fight in tight quarters and bounce around the ring. Mayweather spent much of the early rounds with his back against the ropes.

In the fourth, Mayweather landed a series of stinging right hands. The first snapped Cotto’s head back. So did the fourth, and the fifth, until it was as if Mayweather controlled Cotto’s head like a puppet master, snapping it back and forth.

But Cotto remained patient. He stalked Mayweather into corners, kept aiming for the body, both hands pummeling Mayweather’s ribs. After one furious exchange in the fifth round, Mayweather emerged from the corner and shook his head, as if to say that did not hurt.

Mayweather entered the Cotto fight as a heavy favorite, the odds as tilted as high as 7 to 1 early in the week. His favored status ended there, though. The crowd at the weigh-in showered him with boos, as did the crowd assembled at Grand Garden Arena.

Not that Mayweather showed an ounce of concern about the growing villain status he has helped to perpetuate. “We want to see the Floyd Mayweather with the flashy money,” he said earlier in training. “We want to see Floyd Mayweather with a diamond necklace. We want to see Floyd Mayweather with the nice cars.”

Mayweather essentially paid himself $32 million guaranteed for the fight, a record for the sport certain to increase when other revenue streams come in. At the weigh-in, the fighters conducted the usual staring contest as if attempting a world record. It lasted for maybe 20 seconds, which seemed like 20 minutes, with Mayweather furiously chewing gum less than an inch from Cotto’s face.

On the surface, Cotto provided respectable opposition. His two losses came against Antonio Margarito, who was later caught with hardened hand wraps, and to Manny Pacquiao, who fought — and decimated — Cotto. In his last fight, Cotto avenged his loss to Margarito.

Cotto, no less an authority than Oscar De La Hoya said, “should be undefeated.”

Mayweather fought Cotto at super welterweight, only Mayweather’s second venture into that division. Cotto weighed in at 154 pounds, the maximum.

his last fight before going to prison

@poster did u watch d fight @ all or u lifted ds from smwher,Mayweather won almost all d rounds,so wat do u mean @ d 12th round d bout was too close too call.

Floyd is a wuss. He's running scared of the pac-man, thats the fight we want.

@ ayo jango

Yeah i paid for and watched the fight with my credit card on pay per view. Just so you can correct your statement here's a link where you can watch the full fight free of charge. You can thank me later.

http://www.allthebestfights.com/floyd-mayweather-jr-vs-miguel-cotto-full-fight-video-pelea-2012/#more-13282

hustla242: Floyd is a wuss. He's running scared of the pac-man, thats the fight we want.

Stop hating a great fighter.

@ hustla242

Not true,both fighters want to protect their legacy,however if you remember last time it was the Pacman who ran from Mayweather because he refused to submit to the blood testing regime recommended at the time.

Krucifax: @ hustla242

Not true,both fighters want to protect their legacy,however if you remember last time it was the Pacman who ran from Mayweather because he refused to submit to the blood testing regime recommended at the time.

Agree with you. One is either running from the other.

ayo jango: @poster did u watch d fight @ all or u lifted ds from smwher,Mayweather won almost all d rounds,so wat do u mean @ d 12th round d bout was too close too call.

It was a great fight no doubt but Floyd didnt start dominating the fight until the latter rounds.....Also smiles to d bank with $32M

A fight between him and pac-man is what we want to see though.......

I'm looking forward to this match.

No matter what people think about Mayweather outside the Ring, inside the Ring he is a Great Fighter.

I wonder what some people are basing their analysis by saying Cotto won most of the early rounds. Though Cotton gave a good account of himself,Mayweather won round 1,2,3,4,7,9,10 and 12,while Cotto won Round 5,6,8 and 11. The results are 117-111,117-111 and 118-110.

I watched the fight, Mayweather was on top in almost all the rounds.

Some thought the impending jail sentence might be a distraction, but he was typically brilliant against Cotto.


Mayweather had a 179-105 edge in punches landed, according to CompuBox. More significantly, Mayweather landed the harder shots and seemed to have Cotto in trouble in several rounds.

Floyd woulda sent him to the canvass in the 12th round if Cotto hadn't held on to him.But Cotto is some fighter mahn,i doff my hat

ayo jango: @poster did u watch d fight @ all or u lifted ds from smwher,Mayweather won almost all d rounds,so wat do u mean @ d 12th round d bout was too close too call.

I doubt if the poster saw the fight too.
Cotto was outboxed and out classed by
Momoney Floyd all through the fight.

can anybody pls and explain why mayweather and klitchko brothers can not fight together....

Floyd is a wuss. He's running scared of the pac-man, thats the fight we want.

Tell Pac man to do the test!!!

Mayweather is the best!

Tell Pacroids to take the damn test!

omodoagba: can anybody pls and explain why mayweather and klitchko brothers can not fight together....

no way.the Klishko's are not in the same weight as Floyd

He's such a complete pound for pound fighter.
Now he's going to the slammer for 90days.

Fynist: no way.the Klishko's are not in the same weight as Floyd

how?who is senior and who got more power?

[size=14pt]Floyd is a beast. He is the only niqqa I know that can fight in a phone booth. I prolly need a stadium to knock myself out. Lol. Cotto put on a great show I respect but Floyd dominated most of the fight. He held down round 1-5 and the last 3 rounds was my best. He was close to knocking Cotto out if dude wasn't holding him. Floyd was in a rage mode at the last 2 rounds. Cotto gave Floyd a run for his knuckle but Floyd uppercut and that "right" hand gave him the his win. [/size]

Floyd Mayweather#Moneyteam#

Amir KING Khan vs Lamont Peterson rematch on 19th May,2012. I am really looking forward to watch this fight! Amir Khan,will win,Insha Allah.

omodoagba: can anybody pls and explain why mayweather and klitchko brothers can not fight together....

Because Mayweather will be dead in 2 rounds. They aren't even close to being in the same weight class. The Klitchkos would have at the least a 60lb or 24kg weight advantage, likely more.

Both Mayweather and Pacquiao need to make this fight happen before people and events make it lose flavor. Why should Mayweather be asking for drug tests that are even more stringent than Olympic standards. Its an unnecessarily petty move to ask an accomplished boxer to subject himself to such (a multi champion for that matter). Pacquiao should also realise that he can't split the purse evenly for such a fight, as Mayweather is the bigger draw whether he likes it or not.

Money May all the way.
IMO he is the best pound for pound fighter out there (no disrespect to Pac-man)
The guy is a beast, his defense is impregnable

Floyd Mayweather remains one of the best ever in the boxing ring. No loss, no draw, please tell me a better boxer with a better record.

tyson55: I watched the fight, Mayweather was on top in almost all the rounds.

Some thought the impending jail sentence might be a distraction, but he was typically brilliant against Cotto.


Mayweather had a 179-105 edge in punches landed, according to CompuBox. More significantly, Mayweather landed the harder shots and seemed to have Cotto in trouble in several rounds.

You, my friend, clearly know boxing.

montelik:
Because Mayweather will be dead in 2 rounds. There aren't even close to being in the same weight class. The Klitchkos would have at the least a 60lb or 24kg weight advantage, likely more.

ROFLMAO

Make he come try one naija tout.