APPROACHING 35 years old, Miguel Cotto has been in some gruelling wars during his near-15-year career. As far back as 2012, when Miguel was convincingly outpointed by Austin Trout, some observers suggested that the Puerto Rican was shot. A trio of victories since for Cotto have suppressed the doubts surrounding his form and longevity, yet a closer look at his opponents during this winning streak will provide Alvarez with optimism – Delvin Rodriguez was not world-class, Martinez was ravaged by injuries, and Daniel Geale was weight-drained.
While Geale was significantly hampered by the catchweight imposed upon him during his clash with Cotto, “Canelo” will feel comfortable making 155lbs. In fact, each of his last three bouts have been fought at exactly this weight limit.
It could be argued that the location of the fight also favours Alvarez. The Mexican has been victorious in five of his six Las Vegas outings, whereas Cotto has lost three of his last four contests in Sin City.
At 25 years old, Alvarez is almost a decade younger than his adversary. Now entering his peak years in the sport, there could not be a better time for “Canelo” to oppose Cotto. Saul’s superfight with Mayweather in 2013 seemingly came too early for the Juanacatlán idol, who was still developing on the big stage. Having learned invaluable lessons from his one and only defeat, Alvarez will feel supremely confident heading into his second truly elite-level encounter.
And if Cotto does land his famed left hook? Well, “Canelo” has never been floored.
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