The city of Las Vegas hosted the fight of the century in May. Now it will host the fight of the year.
Canelo
Alvarez will meet Miguel Cotto on 21 November at the Mandalay Bay
Events Center, a hotly anticipated matchup between two of boxing’s
biggest attractions who hail from the opposite poles of the sport’s most
heated international rivalry, the promoters for both fighters announced
Thursday.
The fight will take place at a catchweight of 155lbs.
Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs), who last year became the only Puerto Rican fighter to capture world titles in four weight classes, is coming off a third-round TKO of Daniel Geale in defense of the WBC middleweight title he won from Sergio Martinez. That victory also made him the lineal champion at 160lbs.
“I will give the fans the fight they want to see,” Cotto said in a release. “As I have always said, during my whole career, I am here to fight the best names and the best fighters. This will be another chapter in my career and I will be ready for him. Fans will enjoy a real fight, another classic battle in the Puerto Rico v Mexico rivalry.”
Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) is coming off a three-round destruction of James Kirkland in May. The 25-year-old from Guadalajara, whose lone career setback was a points loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2013, is a former junior middleweight champion with victories over Erislandy Lara, Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout and Shane Mosley on his ledger.
“Historically, mega-fights are made because fans demand them,” Alvarez said. “In this case, the fans have spoken out, longing for this fight and it is my pleasure to say that it is finally happening. All fights at this level are very important, but this fight in particular has something more. It will hold a special place in history as part of the big rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, and I promise all the fans that this is going to be an event that will not disappoint.”
Cotto-Canelo instantly becomes the must-watch event of a fall slate previously anchored only by the broadly lampooned mismatch between Mayweather and Andre Berto, scheduled for 12 September in Las Vegas.
Source: Guardian UK
The fight will take place at a catchweight of 155lbs.
Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs), who last year became the only Puerto Rican fighter to capture world titles in four weight classes, is coming off a third-round TKO of Daniel Geale in defense of the WBC middleweight title he won from Sergio Martinez. That victory also made him the lineal champion at 160lbs.
“I will give the fans the fight they want to see,” Cotto said in a release. “As I have always said, during my whole career, I am here to fight the best names and the best fighters. This will be another chapter in my career and I will be ready for him. Fans will enjoy a real fight, another classic battle in the Puerto Rico v Mexico rivalry.”
Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) is coming off a three-round destruction of James Kirkland in May. The 25-year-old from Guadalajara, whose lone career setback was a points loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2013, is a former junior middleweight champion with victories over Erislandy Lara, Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout and Shane Mosley on his ledger.
“Historically, mega-fights are made because fans demand them,” Alvarez said. “In this case, the fans have spoken out, longing for this fight and it is my pleasure to say that it is finally happening. All fights at this level are very important, but this fight in particular has something more. It will hold a special place in history as part of the big rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, and I promise all the fans that this is going to be an event that will not disappoint.”
Cotto-Canelo instantly becomes the must-watch event of a fall slate previously anchored only by the broadly lampooned mismatch between Mayweather and Andre Berto, scheduled for 12 September in Las Vegas.
Source: Guardian UK
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