By Ziggy Shah – After months of vigorous training and hard work, it’s all gone quiet in the Mayweather camp. No longer can you hear the shouts, ‘Get in the dog house’ or the voice that constantly reminded everyone, ‘He ain’t ever fought anyone as good as me’. Gone also is the thudding of the heavy bag accompanied by the rap music that blared in the early hours of the morning..
The lights and cameras have been switched off and the members of ‘Team Money’ have retreated back to their normal lives, with the satisfaction, that the job got done.
The May 5th showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Champion Miguel Cotto was quite possibly the most eagerly awaited fight of the year. Many had predicted the outcome of the fight as soon as it was announced, Floyd ‘late on’, or on points. But, only a few would have expected the fight plan that the Multi weight champion employed at the MGM grand.
“I’m going to execute my game plan,” is what Floyd had been telling everyone throughout the 24/7 series. Surely the game plan for Floyd, who had a five inch reach advantage, was to box and counter the Puerto Rican with his superior boxing skills?
Instead, Mayweather, who always feels that he has a point to prove to the boxing world, opted to fight Cotto, now 37-3, inside and on the ropes. A tactic deemed ‘Boxing suicide’ against a supreme pressure fighter like Cotto who throws murderous body shots. The Puerto Rican may not possess one punch ‘KO’ power, but what he does do is grind down opponents before finishing them off. His 30 KO’s in 37 starts is testament to this fact.
Yet Mayweather, now 43-0, spent a bulk of the fight on the ropes or on the inside, were he dominated using crisp uppercuts and hooks. Even on the outside, Mayweather caught the champion at will, with accurate jabs and straight hand leads.
Cotto, four years younger than his challenger, and coming off a cracking win against Antonio Margarito, did have the odd success, and at times caught Floyd with some shots, but it was not enough to disturb the master class that Mayweather was performing.
Despite the jeers from the Cotto supporters, when the judges’ scorecards confirmed the victory, many ringsiders felt that the fight had lived up to its hype, and that both warriors had put on a display that entertained not just the crowd but millions of PPV customers.
Whether your team Pac-man, whether you love him or hate him, one thing is certain, Floyd Mayweather is Elite. And whether or not he fights Manny Pacquioa is not an issue for me, because I want to enjoy this one in a generation fighter for as long as he wants to keep them laced.
P.S
A certain Team Khan member accused me of being a hater, because I did not agree with his ludacris suggestion that Amir Khan would retire Floyd Mayweather. I am a realist not a hater, but that is a different article entirely.