With an impending jail sentence about to start in a matter of days and Juan Manuel Marquez angling for a November date with Manny Pacquiao, it seems to be more and more likely that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will find himself against someone other than the Filipino icon the next time he sets foot inside of a ring.
Mayweather?s popularity is still at its peak, a fact further evidenced from the 1.5 million pay-per-view buys he generated with his May 5th victory over Miguel Cotto. Facing the formidable Puerto Rican inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Mayweather found a way to overcome Cotto?s aggression, countering him throughout the night as he pulled out a unanimous decision verdict by scores of 118-110 and 117-111 twice.
Taking in the action, trainer Robert Garcia feels the scores were just.
?It was a great fight,? Garcia told me recently from his personal gym in Oxnard, California. ?I know a lot of people think that Cotto won more rounds. I think the scores were right. They were close rounds. Maybe I?ll give two rounds to Cotto but it was tough for Mayweather. He won most of the rounds; it wasn?t easy. He had to really fight to win those rounds.?
On the Mayweather-Cotto undercard, 21-year old Mexican superstar Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez successfully defended his WBC junior middleweight crown with a punishing and systematic drubbing of the once-great Shane Mosley.
And while Alvarez may not make sense as a possible Mayweather opponent just yet, Garcia can see him getting such a shot in the future.
?Well, Mayweather, anybody he fights, anybody he?s against, it?s going to be interesting,? Garcia added. ?I would like to see him against Canelo. I think that will happen in the future. They both work together with the same promoter. I think [there is] one or two fights Canelo can do before that and he should be ready for Mayweather.?
Mosley had looked lackluster in his previous three outings before Alvarez but his latest performance saw him fight with a sense of purpose that had been lacking. For Alvarez to so thoroughly take command of the fight is something that left an impression on Garcia.
?Very impressed. I know Mosley is already forty I believe but he?s been an athlete all his life and he?s always in shape, always in the gym. I just think we?ve seen a great Canelo. Canelo looked sensational. His power, his speed, his footwork was unbelievable. The only reason I could say he?s not ready for Mayweather yet, is his experience. But one or two more fights against top quality opponents, he should be ready,? Garcia added.
Alvarez was scheduled for a September 15th defense of his title against Paul Williams but shocking reports from Atlanta, Georgia reveal that Williams has been in a motorcycle accident and is likely to never walk again after being paralyzed from the waist down.
