Mayweather vs Cotto: Junito Increases Earning Power in Loss

Miguel Cotto came out of his May 5th fight with Floyd Mayweather a winner...even though he lost the fight. 

Cotto entered the bout against the undefeated Mayweather as a huge underdog. The fact that he lost in a unanimous decision was not a surprise to many, and it was actually the outcome that most expected. 

Despite the fact that the fight ended the way that most anticipated, Junito still exceeded expectations. 

Cotto challenged Mayweather in a way that few fighters ever have. Money's swollen face told the tale, and so did his mighty mouth. 

ESPN's Dan Rafael reported that, following the fight, Mayweather told Miguel, "You're the toughest guy I ever fought."

Cotto fought with skill, heart and charisma, and you better believe people took notice. This was one of the highest profile bouts in years. 

So even though Cotto entered this bout with a great resume, and sterling reputation, this was a huge boost to earning power. 

Gaby Penagaricano, Cotto's attorney, was quoted by Lance Pugmire in the Los Angeles Times as saying, "The phone's ringing off the hook."

Of course, he is referring to people looking to book his client for their next fight. 

Junito is going to have a long list of future opponents to choose from and promoters to sign with. He gained a tremendous amount of bargaining power with his impressive performance.

There is no doubt that Cotto wanted to score a historic victory over Mayweather, but while he came up short in that goal, he made himself a ton of money in the process.