Miguel Cotto may be the lineal middleweight champion by virtue of holding the WBC title, but at the negotiating table he's taken a loss vs. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. A deal to finalize their mega fight is coming soon, according to reports, but Cotto's plans of staging the fight in New York have gone out the window.
Boxing Scene has reported that Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center have both been ruled out as possible venues for this showdown. Cotto is a massive draw in New York, and it may have served as an advantage. Instead, the fight is expected to take place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas; Sin City is more neutral than Houston or San Antonio, but it's still leaning in Canelo's favor.
The catch weight for this middleweight title fight has reportedly been set at 155 pounds, which shouldn't be an advantage for either fighter. Alvarez has consistently fought as a junior middleweight, but is naturally big for that division. Cotto has fought twice as a middleweight but didn't weigh 160 pounds for either bout; in his first WBC title defense, Cotto imposed a 157-pound catch weight on Daniel Geale, who had previously struggled at times to cut to 160 pounds.
The fight is expected to be announced for November 21, although there are rumors the delay on announcing it stems from Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s slow decision on his next fight. He is expected to face Andre Berto on September 12, which would leave September 19 open for an HBO event, possibly Cotto-Alvarez.
That is highly unlikely; there will be a multi-city press tour scheduled for a fight of this magnitude. It will be billed as the biggest Puerto Rico vs. Mexico showdown since Felix "Tito" Trinidad of Puerto Rico defeated Mexican icon Oscar De La Hoya in 1999. De La Hoya now owns Golden Boy Promotions, and serves as Alvarez's promoter.
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