By James Slater: It’s official: Pound-for-Pound king Floyd Mayweather Junior, 42-0(26) will face Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 5th – Cinco de Mayo weekend.
34-year-old “Money,” today speaking at a licence hearing before The Nevada State Athletic Commission, replied Cotto when asked if he had an opponent set for his arranged fight date of May 5.
The Commission will now decide whether or not to grant Mayweather the right to fight on may 5th, but most experts feel they will do so – seeing as how Mayweather’s 90-day prison sentence for domestic violence (originally set for Jan 6th of this year) was delayed until June 1st so as to let Mayweather “earn a living” and also boost the struggling Las Vegas economy by boxing on May 5th.
So, if all things go to plan, it will be Mayweather Vs. Cotto in just over three months time.
This planned match-up being all but set will be no big surprise to fight fans. Cotto, along with fellow reigning 154-pound titlist Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, was the frontrunner to land the mega-date with Mayweather after talks for a long awaited Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao showdown resulted in nothing. It now looks like Pac-Man will face unbeaten 140-pound titlist Tim Bradley, maybe on June 9th (also no shock to fans) with this fight also looking likely for Las Vegas.
Mayweather-Cotto will be a huge event, with fans curious to see how the fight, that was first talked about as long ago as the early 2000s, turns out. Of course, Mayweather will enter the ring as a considerable favourite to win, but Cotto looked great in his last two fights and he has boxing ability to perhaps rival Mayweather’s.
We need to know now what weight the fight will be fought at (a catch-weight of 150 looks a real possibility), and of course Floyd must be granted his licence. But it looks as though fans will get a great (or potentially great) night of boxing on May 5th.