• Floyd Mayweather Jnr v Miguel Cotto

It's great when fans boo me - Mayweather

ESPN staff
April 27, 2012

Floyd Mayweather Jnr insists he prefers being barracked by a crowd to getting a muted reception when he makes his way to the ring.

Mayweather's boastful persona has divided fans, but his bouts remain a significant attraction, and he is poised to secure another smash hit when he meets Miguel Cotto for the WBA light-middleweight crown on May 5.

"If the fans boo, that's a great thing too because they're letting me know I'm relevant, that they know who I am,'' Mayweather said. "If they didn't make noise, then I'd have a problem with that. When they boo, or cheer - they know who I am. I'm relevant and at one point in their life, they paid attention to me. It's a good thing.''

Mayweather has warned Cotto to expect more "mind tricks" when they face off in Las Vegas, having in the American's eyes fallen for a couple in the past: when he battled Manny Pacquiao at 145lbs, and when he lost to Antonio Margarito in a bout that has come under suspicion after Margarito was subsequently found to have tried to use illegal hand-wraps against Shane Mosley.

"It was a mind trick when Bob Arum made him fight Manny Pacquiao at a catch-weight,'' Mayweather said. "He fell for that didn't he? Another mind trick is when his corner didn't thoroughly check out the hand-wraps of Antonio Margarito. He fell for that didn't he? If a guy falls for certain tricks, he'll fall for it again."

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