Traditionally, this is the time when we all say things like "the time for talking is over." But would anyone really be surprised to hear Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0) spitting verbal barbs through his mouthguard at Miguel Cotto (37-2) even after the opening bell?
Nah.
Thanks to television shows like "24/7" on HBO, Mayweather is as known for his mouth as he is for his fists. Love him or hate him, it's hard to disagree on his appraisals of his own talents relative to his peers. The oddsmakers who have made the 35-year-old a decided favorite as well as the many experts who picked him to win this fight, including the panel at SI.com, certainly didn't.
Given the expectations, Cotto is playing with house money (or an allotment of Money's money) from the moment he enters the ring. An upset here would burnish his reputation immensely while a loss -- unless it comes with little resistance -- won't like damage his standing all that much.
So, what does Mayweather have to gain? First and foremost, there is that 43rd win against no losses. Second, there is Cotto's WBA super welterweight belt. Third, there is a chance to keep stockpiling ammunition for his case that he is superior to Manny Pacquiao, the boxer who fight fans the world over wished he was actually taking on. Oh, and there's also the matter of the record-setting $32 million purse that he's guaranteed before even stepping in the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. That staggering sum would certainly be a nice farewell gift before Mayweather begins serving a 90-day jail sentence on June 1 resulting from a domestic violence charge.
Will Mayweather remain unbeaten? Do the fighters' weights and ages actually favor Cotto? Can he shock the world and every last member of #TeamMoney with an upset win? And, as most everyone will be wondering, does either result make it more or less likely that we'll ever see that long-awaited Mayweather-Pacquiao bout?
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