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Mayweather
vs. Cotto Set For 154-Pound Crown
May 5 PPV Mega-Fight At MGM Grand In Las Vegas
It's official. Boxing superstar Floyd "Money" Mayweather
will return to the ring, step up in weight and challenge
three-division World Champion Miguel Cotto for his WBA Super
Welterweight World title in what will be a gargantuan
showdown between two future Hall of Famers who bring
excitement and fierce competition every time they step into
the ring. Mayweather vs. Cotto will take place on Saturday,
May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and
will be televised live on pay-per-view.
Mayweather, a seven-time world champion in five weight
classes, is excited to be facing the heavier, much-tested
Cotto, who is the pride of Puerto Rico and has the
experience, heart and determination to give pound for pound
king Mayweather the toughest fight of his career.
"Miguel Cotto is a world class fighter who can never be
taken for granted and continues to prove he is one of the
best in boxing," said Mayweather, whose only other fight at
super welterweight came in a World Boxing Council (WBC)
world title win over Oscar de la Hoya in May 2007. "It will
be a challenge for me to compete with him at this weight,
but this is the type of test I thrive on and gives me the
motivation to train even harder. I have no doubt in my mind
that my title belt collection will increase once again and
Cotto's reign as champion will come to an end on May 5."
Cotto, coming off of the second defense of his title, a
spectacular tenth-round technical knockout win over Antonio
Margarito in December 2011, is ready to face Mayweather and
believes he is Mayweather's most competitive career
challenge to date.
"I am here to fight the biggest names in boxing," said Cotto
who true to his warrior spirit that has distinguished his
entire career has accepted this challenge to face the
undefeated Mayweather. "I've never ducked anyone or any
challenge in front of me. I have accepted everything to give
the fans what they like...great and exciting fights. That is
what the sport of boxing is all about; making the fights
that the fans want and deserve to see. On May 5, stay tuned,
because I will convincingly beat Floyd Mayweather."
In addition to agreeing to the terms of the bout which will
take place on Cinco de Mayo, one of boxing's biggest
weekends, both fighters have agreed to Olympic-style drug
testing for the fight.
"Floyd always asks us to find the best available competition
for him to fight and we have found that in Miguel Cotto,"
said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. "This is a
very risky fight for Floyd as Miguel is a solid 154-pound
champion who has already proven to have great boxing
abilities and to be a very competent and strong puncher.
This is a big test for Floyd, but as always I believe, he is
the superior fighter with unmatched skills. This will make
the difference and lead to another Mayweather victory the
night of May 5."
"What we have here are two champions of amazing caliber set
to meet in the ring on May 5 and give boxing and sports fan
one of the most compelling match-ups in the sport's
history," said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions.
"Floyd Mayweather has already achieved worldwide recognition
as one of the best fighters ever and Miguel Cotto is one of
the greatest fighters of this era. I commend both fighters
for agreeing to the fight each other on one of the biggest
weekends for boxing and also commend them for agreeing to
participate in Olympic style drug testing, a precedent set
by Floyd, which continues to uphold the integrity of the
sport."
The undefeated Mayweather, (41-0, 25 KO's), a seven-time
world champion in five weight divisions, remains boxing's
biggest attraction, wowing crowds and generating record
pay-per-view numbers each time he steps into the ring.
During his extraordinary career, he has amassed wins over
world champions such as Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo,
Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton,
Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley. His last fight against
then WBC Welterweight World Champion Victor Ortiz on
September 17, 2011 not only showed his boxing skills, as he
took the younger Ortiz to school in the first three rounds
before knocking him out in the fourth stanza. He is also no
stranger to appearing on the classic Mexican celebratory
weekends such as Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day
as his fight with Cotto will mark the fifth fight of his
career to land on one of those weekends. Mayweather returns
to face Cotto in an attempt to capture his eighth world
championship.
Cotto (36-2, 29 KO's), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has held a
world title every year since 2004 while winning 16 of the 18
world championship bouts in which he has fought. Puerto
Rico's most exciting fighter and one of its greatest of all
time, Cotto held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Junior
Welterweight crown from 2004-2006, successfully defending it
six times before vacating it to capture the WBA Welterweight
title at the end of 2006, a title he held for nearly as
long. After losing the WBA title to Margarito in July 2008,
Cotto won his second welterweight belt in February 2009,
knocking out Michael Jennings in the fifth round to become
the WBO Welterweight champion. He lost the title in his
second defense in November 2009, but captured the WBA Super
Welterweight title in June of 2010 at Yankee Stadium in New
York by stopping then-undefeated defending champion Yuri
Foreman. Cotto successfully defended that title by stopping
Two-Division World Champion Ricardo Mayorga in the 12th
round in March of 2011 and, in his last fight, finally
avenged his loss to Margarito, once again retaining his
title and giving him true peace of mind.
Mayweather vs. Cotto, a 12-round fight for Cotto's WBA Super
Welterweight World title, is presented by Mayweather
Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto
Promotions. More information on Mayweather vs. Cotto,
including ticket prices, pay- per- view information as well
as press tour dates and cities, will be announced shortly.
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