Miguel Cotto's name is among the hottest in the sport of boxing now after two consecutive knockout victories, including one against the middleweight champion of the world Sergio Martinez. The logical next step seemed to be to get Cotto in the ring with a superstar, and Canelo Alvarez fits the bill provided he gets by Erislandy Lara on July 12.
Cotto unlikely to take on Mayweather
Not so fast though, boxing fans. Recent quotes from Top Rank CEO Bob Arum have reminded fans why it's never a good idea to get too excited about potential fights. Arum has said a Canelo vs. Cotto fight is unlikely in 2014, and that Timothy Bradley is more likely to be Cotto's next opponent.
Before Cotto fought Martinez, Arum spoke with Boxingscene.com about his future if he won. "I mean if Miguel wins, I think a lot of people would want to see a Miguel-Bradley fight," Arum said before going on to talk up Bradley, who was dominated by Manny Pacquiao in his last fight.
Lara being overlooked for July 12 bout?
"We've made him, I think, a major star," Arum said of Bradley. "Timothy is a great fighter, a great kid and great in the ring. People want to see him fight, and so there are a lot of big fights out there for Tim. We've made a lot of money, and we'll continue to make him a lot of money."
A fight with Bradley is a risk for sure; Cotto's recent fight vs. Martinez underwhelmed in terms of pay-per-view buys and Bradley's not exactly the eyeball-attracting force Arum seems to think he is. Bradley's rematch with Pacquiao did not reach the heights Top Rank had hoped, and every big fight for Bradley is a conundrum.
He proved he can be entertaining when he fought tooth-and-nail with Ruslan Provodnikov, but he's outgunned in that respect because he lacks the punching power of a true slugger. When he boxes, Bradley borders on elite but that method can turn off fans who want wars.
With Cotto having moved up and defeated a quick and powerful middleweight, a match with Bradley would seem to put the latter out of his depth and in a deeply disadvantageous position. If Canelo beats Lara, their best bet is to face one another and strike while the iron is hot.
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