Mayweather vs. Cotto: Money May Will Prove Himself as Boxing's Greatest

Already, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is being called the best boxer in history. With a defeat of Miguel Cotto on Saturday—nearly a guarantee—he can just solidify that claim.

The suspense for this fight has been building for months, ever since December, when a Las Vegas-area judge agreed to postpone Mayweather's jail sentence stemming from a domestic abuse charge so that he could fight Cotto on Cinco de Mayo. Though, perhaps, suspense isn't the right word, since no one is really expecting Cotto to threaten Mayweather's undefeated record in any way.

This fight is more like a rite of passage for Mayweather, a chance for him to further establish himself as the greatest.

One might think that the lack of respect would faze Cotto—that he'd be peeved or self-righteous—but he is just as certain of a victory as Mayweather is. He told the Associated Press, "I don't need anyone else giving me a chance. If I can trust in myself, I don't need anyone else believing in me."

The relentlessness on the part of both fighters will only make what could have been a no-contest matchup all the more exciting.

Mayweather has never been beaten in 42 professional fights. He is the main attraction each and every time he steps into the ring. He fears no one and has unwavering faith in himself, in his abilities.

There is unbelievable pressure surrounding him on Saturday night, not only because of his looming jail sentence. When you've won 42 in a row, it's hard not to think about if—or when—the other shoe is going to drop.

But the reason he wins is because he doesn't think about that; instead, he focuses. For him, Saturday is just another day at the office, another day in the ring. He told the AP, "When I get in the ring it's like, here we go again, it's just another day. I've got so much experience I can go to him if I want. I know when a fighter is starting to wear down and he will wear down."

Cotto may exhibit an equally compelling confidence, but the odds are decidedly against him. He's fighting for just the fourth time at 154 pounds. Most likely, he'll prove to be too slow for Mayweather. At the end of the night, he could just be another piece in Mayweather's illustrious history.

Fans want to make sure they get their money's worth from a fight that is being heralded as a mismatch, but no matter the outcome—no matter how it goes down—they will. They will see Mayweather become the greatest boxer in the sport, and it doesn't get much better than that.