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On Tuesday, a trumpet sounded a fanfare to introduce Mayweather and Cotto as fans cheered the start of a news conference in New York to promote their fight in Las Vegas.
Still, there appeared to be far more interest in the fight that's not happening - a match-up between Mayweather and Pacquiao.
Mayweather made it clear that the uncertainty about the proposed fight against the Filipino superstar was about the money; deciding on the split in what could be the richest fight in history.
"Just by speaking to Pacquiao on the phone … I mean, he's not one of the sharpest knives in the drawer," Mayweather said.
"He faces Floyd Mayweather, he's not getting 50-50. Not at all. No one is getting 50-50."
"Bob Arum likes to match Top Rank fighters with Top Rank fights. He keeps all the money inhouse," Mayweather said.
The dispute has spilled into court. Pacquiao sued Mayweather for defamation in December 2009, alleging the American had falsely accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs.
Pacquiao spent 12 hours in Las Vegas last week giving depositions in the case.
"If I offered him $30 million, he should be happy," Mayweather said. "If I offered him $30 million and I didn't give money on the back end, why should I? He's with Arum right now, and they're having problems. It's obvious he must not be getting money on the back end."
Mayweather says he's not ducking Pacquiao, who stopped Cotto in the 12th round of their November 2009 fight.
"If I'm scared and I'm a coward, why do you guys want to see me fight?" he said. "Do I want the Pacquiao fight? Absolutely. But it's going to be hard to make the fight because Arum is worried about getting money."
In the second of the series of news conferences that began in Puerto Rico last Monday and ended in Los Angeles on Thursday, Mayweather and Cotto praised each other and said they respected each other.
Video projections proclaimed them "Ring Kings" and "Living Legends." They sat in tall chairs of red velvet with lions on the arm rests.
Mayweather was the snazzier, in white jeans, a black turtleneck sweater and sunglasses. There was bling on his left wrist, and the rapper 50 Cent was part of his onstage entourage.
Cotto, who got the bigger cheers, was in a black suit, black shirt and striped tie.
Cotto, who has stopped all three of his opponents since losing a welterweight title fight to Pacquiao, thinks the 70kg limit will favour him. Mayweather has fought in lighter divisions.
"Power is going to be on my side," Cotto said.
Mayweather is due to begin a 90-day jail sentence on June 1 stemming from a domestic violence case.
