By Robert Jackson: Following the early April release of Money Mayweather sparring footage, one has to wonder what’s going on in Camp Mayweather. Team Mayweather routinely denies access to Floyd’s sparring sessions, strictly forbidding outside videotaping of those sessions. Also in question are Floyd’s gentlemanlike pleasantries and respect given Miguel Cotto during HBO’s Face off hosted by HBO’s Max Kellerman. In an earlier faceoff, Shane Mosley was verbally overwhelmed by Mayweather’s verbal gestations.
The easy going – sublime nature of Mayweather’s approach may lead one to believe that Floyd is underestimating the rejuvenated Cotto who will be entering his 2nd fight cornered by trainer Pedro Diaz who replaced Emanuel Steward. Diaz who has implemented new training routines and brought new life to the Cotto camp, will be cornering a confident Cotto, who regained his swagger with a 10th round TKO over Antonio Margarito this past December (2011). Cotto has said in most interviews that he will BEAT Mayweather. The Mayweather response beyond his usual 24/7 persona…silence.
As if it’s an ordained fact that Mayweather will defeat Cotto, the Las Vegas based virtuoso carries himself with a swagger that says it is indeed a fact. On top of it all no further sparring footage nor training footage has made its way outside of the Mayweather camp, so on-lookers can gauge Mayweather’s state of readiness or lack thereof. Because of the passive nature of Mayweather’s approach to this fight and the more verbal output from Miguel Cotto it seems like Mayweather IS underestimating his opponent. These aren’t the usual mind games from Mayweather that we’re used to seeing. But mind games they are, just the opposite of the usual Mayweather shtick.
Due to a ‘low key’ Mayweather, and a more energetic Miguel Cotto, one could interpret the Mayweather stance as being dismissive. What cannot be dismissed is the take by Cotto trainer Pedro Diaz to the single Mayweather sparring video that was released. Diaz could see nothing positive in the sparring on that video. That my friends was a calculated move by Team Mayweather to present ‘less’ and give Cotto and Diaz nothing for them to work with. The REAL sparring is going on behind closed doors and none of us on this side of Team Mayweather will get to see any of those sessions, we’ve hardly even gotten to see Floyd and Roger’s mitt work.
Floyd could be taking Cotto lightly, but I highly doubt it. The master manipulator and mind gamer that Mayweather is, has just changed the game and is covertly setting traps for his opponent to walk into. An overconfident Cotto will throw caution to the wind and run into that gauntlet of ‘guile and skill’ that he’ll be facing on May 5th.