Floyd Mayweather, Jr. proved more to his critics in this tough victory than he has in any of his blowout wins. Cotto pushed Mayweather, and he had his moments, but Money traded with him and still came out victorious.
Mayweather won a comfortable and just decision over Cotto at MGM Grand Garden Saturday night (two judges scored the fight 117-111, while the other scored it 118-110). For every critic who longed to see Mayweather trading with a formidable opponent, they got their wish last night.
Mayweather has genuinely won uncontested decisions over opponents whom critics have questioned. No one should question Miguel Cotto as an opponent, though; he was able to challenge Money in a way we've never seen. Even Jose Luis Castillo didn't push Mayweather like this in their first fight.
Although he could have made this fight easier by moving around and keeping the fight in the middle of the ring, Mayweather chose to trade, mostly with his back to the ropes. By taking this route, he placed himself in danger, but he also endeared himself to boxing fans.
Cotto is a future Hall of Famer, so putting himself in harm's way against a fighter of this caliber was a risk. Mayweather was bloodied, but he remained focus and continuously made the proper adjustments. He tagged Cotto repeatedly with left uppercuts and clubbing right hands.
To Cotto's credit, he took most of these shots without issue. It wasn't until the 12th round that he was nearly dropped by any of the shots.
In that 12th round, Mayweather again proved his mettle. Instead of coasting throughout the entire round, he showed a willingness to take Cotto out, and he nearly accomplished that feat after two hard right hands buckled Junito's knees.
Mayweather now stands at 43-0, and he adds an esteemed name to his list of victims. There have been easier and cleaner performances in Money's career, but none showed more toughness than this bout.
After all, his critics have always questioned Money in this area.
After last night’s performance, though, he should have put those concerns to rest. Money proved his greatness last night by showing us he could win in a way we didn't expect. That is what greatness is all about.
Follow Brian Mazique and Franchiseplay.net on Twitter for reactions, analysis and news from the world of Sports and Sports Video Games.
John Madden Petr Kalus Colton Gilies Justin Falk Robbie Eal Joe Callahan
No comments:
Post a Comment