"I was very impressed with Floyd. I thought he fought a very good fight. He did what was necessary, not just in terms of winning the fight strategy-wise, but he also did what was necessary to kind of reinvent his image as an exciting fighter," Steward said.

In an interview with On The Ropes Boxing Radio, Steward said Mayweather’s performance was "a very good fight for boxing."

Steward noted that against Cotto, Mayweather established himself as an entertaining person not just outside of the ring but also inside of it.

"For the most part, I've always said that Floyd made big, big money mainly from the (HBO reality series) '24/7,'" Steward said. "That's what I really think, as he said, he created and he made the '24/7,' and that's what he's made money from to me more so than electrifying performances."

"He's been a phenomenal attraction mainly from '24/7,' more so than his fights, but this last fight, his performance I thought really made him a star that lived up to the star billing that he created with the '24/7,'" Steward added.

Although Mayweather won via unanimous decision, the bout was much more competitive than his usual matches. Cotto consistently pressured Mayweather, pushing the unbeaten boxer against the ropes throughout the middle rounds.

But Mayweather was able to took control in the final rounds, clinching the victory with a dominant twelfth wherein he staggered Cotto with a left uppercut.

Steward believes that Mayweather took smart risks against Cotto but was still able to avoid much of the damage.

"I think he wanted to show that he can sit there and fight and perform, and he took risks. I mean, he took risks, but he was still really savvy with the way he was rolling with the punches and picking them off," Steward said.

"I thought it was a masterful performance on his part the way he avoided punches," he added.

The trainer said that fans who were not so close to the action thought Cotto was more effective than he actually was, saying, "A lot of the effectiveness of Miguel's punches was exaggerated to some degree."

"With a lot of the punches, if you were sitting closer, you could see Floyd picking them and rolling. Outside of the bloody nose, Floyd really was unmarked," Steward said.

Moreover, Mayweather could have knocked out Cotto in the final round, according to Steward.

"I think Miguel was hurt seriously. If Floyd would have stepped it up, I have no doubt in my mind he would have knocked out Miguel," the trainer said.

Steward said that Mayweather chose not to go for the knockout, instead opting to win the fight on the scorecards.

"He never did go all out to the extent where he tried to get the knockout, but if he had, I believe he would have been able to stop Miguel," he said.

Despite being impressed with Mayweather, Steward still gave credit to Cotto, especially for forcing Mayweather "to fight ouside of his comfort zone."

"He came through very well," Steward said of Cotto. "I actually gave Miguel maybe three or four rounds... I thought Miguel did what he was supposed to do."

Steward said the Puerto Rican boxer will remain in high demand because of his impressive performance against Mayweather.

"He didn't do anything to damage his reputation, and with a little more of a proper effort, I think he could have won the fight possibly even if he worked behind a hard, authoritative jab," he said.

"But nevertheless, I think his image is really high, and I think he will be one of the most sought-after opponents for all the other champions in the 154-pound division," Steward added.