Mayweather vs. Cotto Results: Junito Exposes Template to Beat Money Mayweather

When Floyd Mayweather beat Miguel Cotto on Saturday, May 5, in Las Vegas, there was more than a junior middleweight title on the line; both of these men were fighting for immortality.

In what was Money Mayweather’s toughest test to date, Cotto pushed the undefeated superstar to the brink, but couldn’t finish him off. That sliver of light is all Floyd needs to punish his opponent when he made mistakes. That’s exactly what we had Saturday.

As good as Mayweather looked, there were serious flaws in his game that were exposed by the unique styles of Junito. With Cotto having lost to boxing star Manny Pacquiao, the natural assumption and comparisons will surround how Money and Pac-Man would do against each other.

While the fans shift their attention to the super fight, Mayweather knows just how lucky he is to walk out of this bout with a win.

Mayweather told ESPN about getting busted open by his foe and just how tough Cotto really is:

"

When you come to fight and are in the heat of the battle, those things happen. He's a tough competitor. I knew I was going to have to come in the ring to fight hard and execute the game plan. Cotto is a future Hall of Famer and he is no pushover. We fought at his weight class. He came to fight. He didn't come to survive, he came to fight. So I dug down and fought him back

"

There is little doubt, even from the biggest of Money Mayweather critics, that he is not one of the greatest of all time, but Cotto showed that there are chinks in the armor that a guy like Pacquiao could exploit.

While Junito has plenty of power, he lacks that real speed in both hands to make the culmination of punches as deadly as Pac-Man’s. With that said, Pacquiao would be able to solve Money’s stellar defense with all of his speed.

As much as Cotto had Mayweather on the ropes abusing his body and head, the veteran fighter was always able to escape and re-situate himself. That will not happen against Pacquiao.

With the speed and power to isolate Money, Pac-Man would be the answer to Mayweather’s undefeated saga. Floyd knows there is a 50/50 chance he would lose, so he won’t risk his record.

As much as Junito exposed the template to beat Mayweather, he just did the exact same thing Juan Manuel Marquez did to Pac-Man.

The problem is finding a fighter to capitalize on either star's faults.

Check back for more on boxing as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s boxing page to get your fill of all things from the squared circle. For more on boxing, check out Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics.

Follow @Donald_Wood