Mayweather vs. Cotto: 10 Reasons No One Cares Because There's No Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is like the ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future to Floyd Mayweather's Scrooge.

Boxing fans choose to forget Mayweather's accomplishments to hound on what is viewed as a missed opportunity years ago to fight Pacquiao at his best.

Then fans drop comments to this day suggesting Mayweather is scared of Pacquiao on every YouTube video, both related and unrelated.

Fans don't seem excited for Mayweather's upcoming May 5 fight against Miguel Cotto, a strong contender who, to the ire of fans, is not Pacquiao.

Are the fans onto something? Should they care about who Mayweather fights unless it's Pacquiao? Here are 10 reasons no one cares about Mayweather-Cotto, because there's no Pacquiao.

Pacquiao Already Beat Cotto

Pacquiao defeated Cotto in 2009 by TKO in the 12th round.

Cotto was dropped to the canvas twice within the first four rounds. It wasn't a close fight after that.

Pacquiao and Mayweather are considered each other's pound for pound peers, the audience may feel that if Pacquiao beat Cotto, Mayweather would do the same.

If the audience feels they already know the result, they won't want to pay to watch it.

Mayweather Should Have Fought Cotto in 2008

Mayweather defeated Ricky Hatton and Cotto defeated Shane Mosley in late 2007. Mayweather and Cotto were both undefeated welterweights with a piece of the world title.

Mayweather owned the WBC portion. Cotto owned its WBA sibling. It was only natural that the demand for a unification would grow in the new year, but Mayweather "retired."

In the summer of 2008, Cotto would suffer his first loss to Antonio Margarito.

Though Cotto would eventually gain revenge against Margarito, the fact he suffered the loss took him out of the Mayweather sweepstakes.

If Mayweather and Cotto had just happened in 2008, there would have been far more of the mystery and intrigue that makes "pick'em" fights.

Debates and arguments in sports bars and Internet forums worldwide would've fueled the fire for an epic showdown.

Instead, the remnants of Cotto are being presented on a platter with garnish and the audience isn't hungry.

Cotto Hasn't Earned His Shot at Mayweather

Since Cotto lost to Pacquiao in 2009, he's fought three times.

He fought a then undefeated Yuri Foreman, an untested fighter with a leg injury.

He then fought Ricardo Mayorga, an old man who's been defeated by a Who's Who's list of boxers.

Lastly, he banged on Margarito's career-threatening unstable right eye that had to be surgically repaired after Pacquiao destroyed his eye socket.

If not for a bad eye to aim at, would Cotto have stopped Margarito?

Foreman was the only fighter of this non-murderous trio to even hold a ranking in the 154 lb division.

Mayweather is a pound for pound top two fighter. Is Cotto truly deserving of the opportunity without fighting more legitimate competition?

Mayweather and Pacquiao Have Danced Around Each Other for Nearly 3 Years

When Mayweather returned from his retirement to bully Juan Manuel Marquez in 2009, Marquez was the last opponent to give Pacquiao trouble.

Pacquiao had knocked out Rick Hatton in two rounds the year Mayweather came back while Mayweather took 10 rounds to get rid of Hatton.

Debate aroused in anticipation of a battle in 2010. Negotiations led nowhere and any continued effort to talk business was left in blame games and no signatures.

Now in 2012, both Mayweather and Pacquiao are taking alternate opponents and not each other.

Fans have grown tired of not getting what they want and can't get excited over anything else.

Miguel Cotto's Wife Is Too Fine

Cotto's wife Melissa Cotto is too damn fine to pay attention to all else around her.

She was given a good portion of screen time on the 24/7 documentary used to hype Mayweather-Cotto and she steals the show.

It's hard to care about anything the fighters say when Melissa is clearly visible throughout the fight promotion.

Only the official announcement of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao would wake audiences from their glazed stare.

Floyd Mayweather Isn't Dissing Cotto Much

Let's face it, Mayweather has been boring during the latest round of pre-fight hype.

The reason being: he has an opponent he legitimately respects and can't bring himself to overly roast.

Pacquiao on the other hand, Mayweather has spent two-plus years accusing of illegal drug use and being a limited fighter.

If Pacquiao and Mayweather sign to fight each other, Mayweather would unleash the greatest firestorm of disses, insults and utter disgust. Now that would be Mayweather Must-See TV.

The Mayweather-Cotto promotion, not much.

Mayweather's Last 2 Pay-Per-Views Didn't Live Up to Expectations

Mayweather fought Shane Mosley in 2010. It was advertised as two future Hall of Famers at the top of their game and ready to go at it.

After a scary second round, Mayweather dominated a very befuddled and overmatched Mosley.

Mayweather next dispatched of a 24-year-old Victor Ortiz in 2011 in four rounds.

Ortiz was supposed to be a young, hungry lion, not a cub who makes the dumbest of mistakes by headbutting Mayweather and overly apologizing for the blatant foul.

Though Mayweather was a known jerk, nobody expected him to have such a lack of sportsmanship as to hit Ortiz while he wasn't looking.

Enraged fans rebuked immediately on websites everywhere and still do to this very day. 

With Mayweather vs. Cotto fast approaching, are fans willing to suspend their belief in hopes this fight won't end in the worst of fashions?

Cotto Is Not Fast Enough to Compete with Mayweather

Cotto couldn't handle Pacquiao's speed in 2009 and has not fought a speedy fighter since then.

Mayweather is arguably as fast or faster than Pacquiao. Why would Cotto fare better against Mayweather than he did Pacquiao? This is the question fans ask themselves.

Cotto hasn't done anything to show he can face a fast elite fighter. Pacquiao is the only fighter many fans believe is fast enough to compete with Mayweather.

Pacquiao Is More Popular Than Cotto

Pacquiao has more fans than Cotto. Cotto was able to sell over 600,000 PPV buys in his rematch with Margarito, but Pacquiao has generated 700,000 buys against the likes of Joshua Clottey.

The average fan can't appreciate Clottey's style and barely knows who he is, yet Pacquiao's PPV did well.

The only time Cotto has sold over a million PPV buys was against Pacquiao.

More fans know Pacquiao than Cotto so more fans would take notice if Mayweather and Pacquiao fought, rather than Mayweather and Cotto fighting.

Mayweather Is Hated as a Villain and Pacquiao Is Loved as a Hero

Floyd Mayweather is a skilled defensive genius, but he couldn't catch on as a popular fighter until he began dissing his opponents during the pre-fight buildup.

He consistently said controversial statements and performed controversial actions.

By making fans love to hate him, Mayweather found a way to make millions, but he also created a search for the fighter who would dethrone him.

Pacquiao became the fighter of choice by the people, especially after his destruction of Cotto.

Pacquiao is a more offensive fighter, which make for more fan-friendly fights.

Pacquiao is soft-spoken and humble, the guy everyone likes. His past in poverty overshadows Mayweather's because he was a foreigner.

Being a poor person who rose to the top in America, Pacquiao is fulfilling the American dream: anyone willing to work hard can come to this country and get rich.

When people choose a fighter, they want that fighter and that fighter only.

Anything else, including Cotto, is just another small appetizer to a starving audience that craves a full meal. 

For many fans, Pacquiao is the Superman to Mayweather's Lex Luthor, but whether Mayweather has the right Kryptonite will only be discovered if they ever fight.