IF, at the start of the year, you asked every boxing fan in the world to name one fight they hoped to see in 2015, and then collated the answers, it’s likely that Miguel Cotto taking on Saul “Canelo” Alvarez would have come a very close second to Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao. Given the sense of disappointment around the latter – some justified, some not – it’s vital that this one delivers.
However, irrespective of what happened there, it’s a positive sign that the Puerto Rican warrior and the young Mexican hero are set to collide in the same calendar year as ‘The Fight of the Century’. It’s rare, at least in this age scrambled by politics, for two fights of this magnitude to occur so close together, and signals – hopefully – that promoters are at last realising that their No. 1 priority must be giving the fans the fights they want, rather than those that are the easiest to make.
The sport should not rejoice just yet though, because the hangover from Floyd-Manny remains. The aching heads of those who bought that hype – whether fight fans for one night only or a lifetime – may not be soothed by another gargantuan marketing drive designed to empty their wallets further. This contest looks different though. Even the most excited observers prior to Mayweather-Pacquiao would have told you that a thrill-free ride was not only plausible but likely, however in the case of Cotto and “Canelo” – barring a freak injury or an alarming slump from the ageing champion – this one has all the ingredients required to gloriously burn down the barn.
Click below for the historical significance of Cotto-Canelo
THERE are many things to like about this contest, not least the fact it is for the world middleweight championship. If all sanctioning bodies were to disappear overnight, Cotto’s claim to be the leader in one of the sport’s flagship divisions would be the strongest historically, by virtue of his hold on the ‘linear’ title (he beat the man who beat the man).
Admittedly, it’s a shame this will be at a catchweight but at least it’s a situation that will suit both fighters rather than giving one an unfair advantage.
In terms of interest alone, one has to go back to the unification battle between Bernard Hopkins and Felix Trinidad in 2001 for a fight this appealing to have graced the middleweight class.
Adding to the spice is the fiery rivalry between the combatants’ nations; when Mexico and Puerto Rico collide inside the ropes drama ensues. From experience, Cotto – who split a pair of savage and controversial humdingers with the villainous Antonio Margarito – knows only too well the level of national pride at stake. As a toddler his great countryman Wilfredo Gomez managed to topple Mexicans Lupe Pintor and Carlos Zarate but, in 1981, came up short in a hellacious featherweight superfight against Salvador Sanchez.
And Alvarez – whose popularity is almost off the scale in his nation – will also be well aware of the rivalry. Back in 1999 his promoter, Mexican-American Oscar De La Hoya, was on the wrong end of a bitter loss to Trinidad.
Click below for the impact the fight will have on the middleweight scene
ALTHOUGH the contest is being fought at a catchweight of 155lbs, Cotto’s WBC middleweight title will be on the line against Alvarez. On October 17 Kazakhstan’s WBA Super world titlist Gennady Golovkin meets Canada’s IBF belt-holder David Lemieux in a unification bout in New York.
The Golovkin-Lemieux clash has captured the imagination around the globe due to the fan-friendly, power-punching style of both combatants. With Golovkin’s Interim WBC strap also being up for grabs in the clash, the winner of this meeting will be in line to challenge the Cotto-Alvarez victor in 2016, in what would be a megafight of pound-for-pound proportions – much like Cotto-“Canelo” itself is.
With Cotto generally regarded as the premier middleweight on the planet (after dethroning, and subsequently retiring, previous 160lb boss Sergio Martinez in 2014), whoever comes out on top in Las Vegas on November 21 will be viewed as the division leader. Unbeaten Golovkin is seen by many as the king-in-waiting at middle, but if he wants that lofty status for real, he will have to overcome the Cotto-Alvarez winner (assuming “GGG” triumphs against Lemieux first).
Cotto and “Canelo” may technically be light-middles masquerading as middleweights, but their presence in the 160lb category has lit up the weight class.
Click below for how the fight can affect the landscape of the sport
WITH his bulging stable of stars, influential powerbroker Al Haymon seems to be tightening his grip on the boxing business with every successful Premier Boxing Champions show that airs on free television in the US. In the long run, a complete Haymon monopoly would not be productive or beneficial for boxing, which is why it is encouraging for fight fans to see that it is not only Haymon who can match the world’s elite boxers in combat.
The Cotto-Alvarez bout is being promoted by Roc Nation Sports, who handle Miguel, and Golden Boy Promotions, who guide “Canelo”. This healthy competition for PBC at the top end of the sport can only be a good thing.
Headed by rap superstar and entertainment mogul Jay Z, Roc Nation Sports boast two of boxing’s standout performers in Cotto and super-middleweight supremo Andre Ward. Holding considerable sway on the East Coast of America, and New York in particular – where Miguel is afforded hero status by the city’s vast Puerto Rican contingent – Roc Nation Sports have the resources to become a major player in the sport. The Cotto-Alvarez collision will help cement the company firmly on the boxing landscape.
While Roc Nation Sports only promoted their maiden boxing event in January, Golden Boy have been around since 2002. Founded by retired six-weight world champion De La Hoya, the organisation have staged some of the most lucrative contests in history, such as De La Hoya-Mayweather, and Mayweather-Alvarez. Cotto-“Canelo” will be a worthy addition to this list.
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