Mayweather vs Cotto: Challenger Must Heed Oscar De La Hoya's Advice

If Miguel Cotto is to have any chance of upsetting Floyd Mayweather, Jr., he can't be lured into Mayweather's counter punches.

Oscar De La Hoya knows a thing or two about Mayweather. He's not only the head of Golden Boy Promotions, he faced Mayweather in 2007. He says that Mayweather's boxing style forces fighters to press the action, which you don't want to do against an elite counter-puncher.

De La Hoya said, via FoxNews.com:

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It's very difficult, especially for me. It was very, very difficult. If I heard one boo from the crowd, I had to start throwing punches. But if (Cotto) can stay in that zone and he can stay focused and stick to what he's working on, what he's worked in the gym, he has a shot. Absolutely.

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De La Hoya went on to say that Cotto's biggest weapon against Mayweather on May 5 at the MGM Grand is patience. If he can stay patient and force Mayweather to be more aggressive, he has a chance of disrupting Mayweather's rhythm and take him out of his comfort zone.

Mayweather is not only an excellent counter-puncher, he's a great defender. That's why it makes no sense to play to his strengths. He's gone undefeated because he's one of the most skilled boxers this generation has seen. If you become antsy and force the action, you're doomed. 

Cotto is an intelligent, warrior of a boxer, and he's become a better boxer throughout the years. This will be a huge fight for his career and his legacy. If he is to shock the world, he has to use his boxing intellect to outsmart Mayweather, refusing to press the action. It may look ugly, and the crowd will undoubtedly boo if there isn't much action, but if Cotto wins, nobody will be thinking about how slow-paced the fight was.

Of course, as De La Hoya found out, it's much easier said than done. Inside the MGM Grand, amid the glaring lights and celebrities, you want to put on a show.

But Cotto would be wise to heed De La Hoya's advice. It's his best chance of knocking Mayweather off his lofty pedestal.

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