Cotto is still undefeated: Mayweather

American boxing star Floyd Mayweather Jr. will go into his May 5 fight against Miguel Cotto with the mindset that he is going up against an undefeated boxer.

Mayweather, who holds a 42-0 record, will fight Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Cotto has a 37-2 win-loss record, with his two losses coming against Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito.

“In my mind, Miguel Cotto is still undefeated,” Mayweather said during their press conference in New York, as quoted by RingTV. 

“He lost to one guy who was cheating, and to another guy at a catch weight,” he added.

Margarito defeated Cotto via an 11th round technical knockout when they fought in 2008, but the Mexican boxer was discovered to be using illegal hand wraps when he faced Shane Mosley in 2009.

Cotto also lost to Pacquiao in 2009 via 12th round TKO. It was held at a 145-pound catchweight. Cotto lost the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt in that match.

Since his loss to Pacquiao, Cotto has campaigned at the junior middleweight division, where he has won three straight fights and annexed the World Boxing Association junior middleweight title.

“Miguel Cotto is a solid junior middleweight, a strong champion,” Mayweather said. “I wanted to fight him at 154-pounds so there would be no excuses.”

Cotto will be defending the WBA junior middleweight belt in their fight.

The Puerto Rican boxer explained that he chose to fight Mayweather rather than accept a rematch with Pacquiao because of “better benefits.”

“We received an offer from Mayweather, and the other choice came from Top Rank offering a rematch with Pacquiao. We received better benefits from

Mayweather. It’s business,” Cotto said.

“Mayweather wanted to fight me at 154 and that makes me feel good.”

Cotto is confident that he can overwhelm Mayweather with his power, adding, “I plan on slowing down his speed and movement like I did (Shane) Mosley a few years ago.”

Mayweather, for his part, is sure that he can extend his undefeated streak.

“Everyone they put in front of me, I beat. Floyd Mayweather is a winner, and at the end of the day, Floyd Mayweather is not a cheater,” he said.

source: abs-cbnnews

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