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Photo credit: Top Rank

Las Vegas, Nev.--Ricardo Mayorga and Miguel Cotto provide as stark a study in contrasts as one is likely to find in boxing. Like his promoter, Don King, the former has a propensity for lengthy sermonizing and good old fashion smack talk.

In the ring, Mayorga's unhinged personality manifests itself in a wild style that sees him charge in, the consequences be damned. His nickname may be "El Matador," but he's more of a raging bull.

Cotto, on the other hand, exudes a Zen-like calm-one that takes on an almost supernatural quality when Mayorga is spitting nails at him. He comports himself with a quiet dignity, preferring to do his talking in the ring.

And what does Cotto do when he gloves up? He picks his punches, controls the action, and makes exciting fights. Simply put, the Puerto Rican superstar comes to win, and more often than not in his career, that's been the outcome.

Throughout the build up to "Relentless," their March 12th showdown here at the MGM Grand, there's been a more or less one-sided war of words waged by Mayorga against Cotto.

Time and again and in multiple cities, the fiery Nicaraguan has made it plain that he not only wants to destroy Cotto in the ring and take his super welterweight title, but also that he has no respect for the champ.

"This Puerto Rican sitting over here on the left is a fake one," said Mayorga, clad in Terminator-style shades, through an interpreter during a joint press conference March 9 at the MGM. Then, he posed a question for Cotto that he wanted answered immediately: "What do you plan on doing after I beat you?"

Cotto kept silent, and it seemed the query would go unaddressed. This prompted Mayorga to offer a friendly retirement plan: "After I beat you on Saturday, I think Ricky Martin is hiring," Mayorga said in reference to the Puerto Rican pop star. "Go help him out."

But when Cotto took the stage, he not only gave Mayorga a response--he did so in Spanish so Mayorga could understand him.

"I can retire any time I want with all I've done in my career," said Cotto, garbed in a slick gray suit. "I don't have to do this."

OK, so it's not exactly a roof-raising, rabble-rousing response. But it's notable just for the simple fact that Cotto responded at all. Calling Cotto a man of few words is like calling Mayorga a man of many--it's so obvious it almost doesn't require comment.

So, during a solo press conference earlier in the day, Cotto kept his thoughts about Mayorga to himself. Cotto said his main job was to, well, focus on his job.