Home News Staff picks: Mayweather vs. Cotto predictions from the ProBoxing-Fans.com team

Staff picks: Mayweather vs. Cotto predictions from the ProBoxing-Fans.com team

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Official, Expert Mayweather vs. Cotto picks & predictions

It seems like everything that could be said about Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto has been said. That means there’s only time for one more thing, the official Mayweather vs. Cotto predictions from our team of writers here at ProBoxing-Fans.com. As we do for all of the big events, we’ve polled our team of boxing experts and enthusiasts to get their opinions on how the fight will play out. Is anybody taking Cotto for an upset? Does anybody think Mayweather can stop Cotto? Read on for a collection collection of our Mayweather-Cotto picks & predictions.

—> On fight night, come back to ProBoxing-Fans.com and see how these predictions hold up by checking out our live Mayweather vs. Cotto results coverage.

Credit: Hoganphotos - Golden Boy

Rich Thomas: While I think claims that Cotto was ruined by Margacheato are overblown, I can’t see Cotto winning this contest. While Junito would belong in the Top 5 at either at 147 or 154 (indeed, we rank him #1 in the latter weight class), because he is the best of his crop of junior-to-super welterweights, guys like Mayweather (and Pacquiao) are in an entirely different class.

That said, I also can’t see this as being a cakewalk for Mayweather. Fight fans are quick to forget that Cotto was the guy who out-pointed Shane Mosley back when the Sweet One had most of his stuff left, and pounded out a win over Joshua Clottey when people thought Cotto was “broken.” Those are just two highlights in a career that has seen him prevail over a lot of top notch boxers. Cotto has the talent, skills, poise and size to make Mayweather work for his win.

Official Mayweather-Cotto Prediction: Mayweather UD

Scott Levinson: I think Cotto has done well to stay near the top of his game coming into this fight. But he will be at a major disadvantage in the speed and sharpness categories. He will be able to combat Floyd’s speed with great timing to some degree, but not enough to keep Floyd from winning rounds. When Floyd opens up, the work he does will just be of the more eye-catching variety. There will also be enough pop to slow Cotto’s advance. In the last half of the fight, Floyd will be cruising, always a step ahead of the valiant Cotto. Mayweather wins a wide unanimous decision.

Official Mayweather-Cotto Prediction: Mayweather UD

Frank Ingiosi: With apologies to Andre Ward, Miguel Cotto may be the most intriguing and entertaining big name fighter this side of Manny Pacquiao. Since losing to Pacquiao in 2009, Cotto has defeated Yuri Foreman in Yankee Stadium, won the WBA Super World Light Middleweight title from Ricardo Mayorga and avenged the injustice that came with an earlier loss to Antonio Margarito.  Handing Mayweather the first loss of his professional career would cap off one of the greatest individual stretches in recent boxing history and, hyperbole aside, shock the industry’s very foundation.

That being said, I think Mayweather is just too good for Cotto to pull of the improbable.  Floyd adjusts so well in-fight and throws crisper punches with surgical precision.  What he gives up in strength to Cotto, Mayweather more than makes up for in speed and ability.  I see this going the distance with Floyd winning unanimously.

Official Mayweather-Cotto Prediction: Mayweather UD

Jake Emen: Miguel Cotto has continued to morph into more of a boxer in the last few years of his career, particularly when facing dangerous opponents. But he’d be better served in this match-up to revert to seek-and-destroy mode, while working continually to the body in an attempt to slow Mayweather down and get him off of his rhythm. However, Mayweather is too fast and his counters are too precise and dangerous, and Cotto won’t be able to do enough damage. While he’ll gamely battle on through to the end, it will be in a losing effort. (Read Jake’s full preview & prediction here)

Official Mayweather-Cotto Prediction: Mayweather UD

Final Mayweather vs. Cotto Predictions Tally:

  • Floyd Mayweather: 4, all by UD
  • Miguel Cotto: 0

The consensus with our official, expert predictions on the fight is that Cotto is a damn good fighter. But still, nobody is taking a flier on him pulling off the upset against the best fighter in the game. Cotto has to be enjoying the underdog status here, and the good news for him and his fans is that there’s absolutely no pressure on him here, it’s all on Mayweather. At the same time, none of our team is picking Mayweather to get the stoppage, something that Pacquiao and Margarito were able to do with their wins. Cotto, of course, has never lost a decision in his professional career. So we’ll see how it plays out on May 5th.

Thanks for checking out the official Mayweather vs. Cotto predictions from the ProBoxing-Fans.com and keep on coming back for more fight week updates and pre-fight news stories on Mayweather-Cotto.