Canelo Alvarez recently blasted WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto for the snail-like pace of negotiations for a May 2 fight, but he isn't the only one desperate to see this bout take place.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman also wants Alvarez vs. Cotto to happen. "Canelo needs that fight," Sulaiman said.
"After losing to Mayweather he could not return to the level that he wanted or deserved to be at after winning two fights with Erislandy Lara and Alfredo Angulo. He needs to take a risk like Cotto for the public to recognize him as one of the greats."
The slowdown that's happening right now is believed to be Cotto's dissatisfaction with the financial terms, although Alvarez has taken to the media to paint a picture of Cotto suddenly trying to dodge a tough fight.
"I don't understand what's happening. I already granted Miguel Cotto a lot of things to make this fight happen. It's been more than a month, and Miguel Cotto hasn't signed the contract," Alvarez said.
"A Puerto Rican never ducked a Mexican fighter. Nor did a Mexican ever duck a Puerto Rican fighter. This is a classic fight for the fans."
Canelo's team applied further pressure by telling the media that Alvarez had already signed the deal, while Cotto's adviser Gaby Pengaricano didn't take the bait. Pengaricano was on record saying the terms are only halfaway complete, and that Cotto is weighing multiple options that include, but aren't limited to Alvarez.
"We're still talking and so there's no deal as of yet. Whether it's going to happen or not, honestly, I don't know but we're talking," Penagaricano said.
"The reference to 50 percent only means that the most important elements of the deal - the financial element - there's no agreement as to that yet. So it can not be more than 50 percent done. The most important factor of the overall equation is not agreed upon."
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