Mayweather vs. Cotto: Keys for Miguel Cotto to Spring an Upset on Money May

No one is giving Miguel Cotto a chance against Floyd Mayweather, arguably the best boxer in the world. It will take a minor miracle for him to shatter Mayweather's pristine 42-0 record, but there is a way Coto can use his own strengths to his advantage in the hopes of getting a win.

First and foremost, the reigning WBA super welterweight champ must follow one of the core lessons of the Oscar-nominated masterpiece The Fighter: go for the body, not the head. Cotto must do his best to wear Mayweather down if he's going to have any chance of winning, and the best way for him to do that is to attack, attack, attack the body.

And just like Christian Bale so eloquently teaches in The Fighter, when you attack the body, the arms come down to protect it, and that's when you go for the head. It's easier said then done, of course, but Cotto isn't going to knock out Mayweather. It's going to have to be a slow, steady stealth attack throughout.

Secondly, Cotto simply cannot wear down first, which is perhaps the biggest fear for those in his camp. There's worry that Cotto is too slow to contend with Mayweather, and somehow, Cotto is going to have to prove he has the stamina to contend.

Cotto cannot let up against Mayweather, even for a second, and he's going to have to constantly pressure him. One thing the 31-year-old Puerto Rican has going for himself in this regard is the fact that he's younger and, as a result, a bit tougher physically. Keeping the pressure consistent and unflagging is the key, because as soon as he gives himself a moment to rest, he gives Mayweather a moment to rest, too—and that simply cannot happen.

The third key is one Cotto has already mastered: confidence. Perhaps the only person who thinks Cotto is going to win this fight is Cotto himself. He is well aware that the odds are stacked against him, and that Mayweather, by all indications, is a better boxer. There's a reason he's undefeated.

But Cotto is milking the underdog card for all it's worth. He told the Associated Press: 

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If I can trust in myself, I don't need anyone else believing in me. …Nobody is invincible in life. I know that because I pass through this point in my life. I'm ready for anything Floyd brings me. The question is, is Floyd ready for anything Miguel can bring to him? 

"

The way Cotto sees it, streaks are meant to be snapped and odds are meant to be overcome. There's a reason boxers rarely remain undefeated forever, and he believes he's the one who is meant to turn that perfect record from 42-0 to 42-1.