Mayweather vs Cotto: A Victory over Cotto Won't Silence Money's Haters

It's not Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, but Mayweather vs. Cotto should end up being a good fight. A lot of people are disappointed with it, but let's give it that much credit.

Nevertheless, you get the sense that the perception among boxing fans is that Miguel Cotto doesn't really stand a chance in the ring against Floyd Mayweather Jr. For all of Cotto's accomplishments, he's an imperfect fighter. That doesn't bode well for him going up against Money, one of the most technically brilliant fighters in boxing history.

Make no mistake, this is a fight Mayweather should win, and it's a fight he probably will win.

Let's say he does. What changes then?

Truthfully, not a damn thing. Mayweather will have one more victory to his record, sure, but that won't mean much in the grand scheme of things. Non-biased records and numbers are all well and good, but boxing is as much or more about perception than it is about anything else.

The perception of Mayweather isn't good. You know that, I know that, everyone knows that. He has his fans, and their passion is admirable, but Money is most certainly one of the most hated athletes in America.

In fact, I can't think of an athlete who is more hated than Money is. Not one who's active, anyway.

There are ways Money could change this, mind you. Perhaps if he stops running his mouth and treats Cotto with a little respect before, during and after their bout, people will come around. Maybe he could seal the deal by helping a defeated Cotto up off the deck and patting him on the back.

Acts like these are not forthcoming. Not unless Mayweather has a change of heart. And let's face it, Mayweather has given people very little reason to believe he has a heart at all. 

In all likelihood, Mayweather is going to run his mouth, demolish Cotto in the ring, and then run his mouth again. That's just how he's wired, much to the chagrin to the bulk of the American public, boxing fans and non-boxing fans alike. They hate Money for being who he is, and they will continue to hate Money for being who he is because, well, he is who he is. You are what you is, you is what you am, as Frank Zappa would say.

Oh, and shortly after the fight, Mayweather will report to prison to serve a 90-day jail sentence, a gift from the American justice system for the domestic violence incident involving Mayweather's ex-girlfriend and their two children in the fall of 2010.

A bad guy in the ring, a bad guy out of the ring. That's Mayweather's reputation, one that he has worked very hard to achieve and subsequently reinforce as much as possible. He can't even talk about basketball without rubbing people the wrong way (see his notorious Jeremy Lin tweet).

So maybe I'm pointing out the obvious by saying that Mayweather will still be hated after his fight with Cotto. If it really is that obvious, though, I think that goes to show just how negatively Mayweather is perceived.

People don't love to hate him. They just hate him.