OSCAR DE LA HOYA, head of promotional giants Golden Boy, has said that a showdown between his fighter, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, and world middleweight champion Miguel Cotto is the biggest in boxing outside of Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao, and it is the fight he wants to make next year.
“It is obviously the fight people want to see,” De La Hoya said inside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. “I’m looking forward to sitting down with Cotto and discussing the possibility of making that fight. Outside of Mayweather-Pacquiao, it’s the biggest fight in boxing.”
Mexican “Canelo” is clearly De La Hoya’s own golden boy, and a huge draw for the promotional giants. A fight with Puerto Rican veteran Cotto could potentially do numbers to rival Alvarez’s showdown with Mayweather last year. Since then, Canelo has won twice, and De La Hoya hopes to secure a December 6 bout for his charge – expected to be broadcast, free to air, on HBO – before targeting Cotto next year.
“I am in contact with Canelo every single day,” De La Hoya said. “I’m his promoter and I want to do the best for my fighter. He wants to fight in December. I’ve been travelling back and forth to Mexico and we’re going to sit down next week and work out exactly what we’re going to do.”
The other, bigger, jewel in Golden Boy’s crown in recent years has of course been Mayweather. It has been suggested that the superstar’s rematch with Marcos Maidana this weekend will be his last with GB, and he will be self-promoted, solely under the Mayweather Promotions banner. De La Hoya hopes this is not the case.
“I would hate to think this is his last fight [with Golden Boy],” said De La Hoya. “I think this is the ninth fight of his we have promoted and we promote him for a reason. We have a great relationship and it’s one I hope continues.”
