Miguel Cotto has been quiet throughout the back-and-forth in the media between the camps for Canelo Alvarez and Floyd Mayweather Jr., who appear to be wrangling over May 2, 2015 for their next fights.
Alvarez jumped ship this fall from Showtime to HBO largely because he tired of being second fiddle to Mayweather on Showtime. Part of his plan to grow his brand was to start fighting on the weekends of two Mexican holidays, Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day. The problem is that those two dates have long belonged to Mayweather, who has proven loath to giving them up.
Alvarez seems to have a strong claim to May 2 for 2015; he's expected to face WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto in a match that could rekindle the storied rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican boxing. That claim would be strongly challenged, if not surpassed, by a matchup between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. That has been the buzz of the boxing world these days.
The Mayweather-Pacquiao talks have drawn eye rolls from many boxing observers who take the attitude of "wake me up when it happens," since that fight has been talked about and shot down for years. Cotto, though, says his bout with Alvarez is far from finalized.
"Everything that has been said regarding a fight against Canelo has been pure speculation," Cotto said. "So far there is absolutely nothing in terms of a deal. Everything is uncertain, up in the air, so nothing is clear. There is still some way to go."
Cotto also made it a point to highlight that the claims of being a "diva" that Sergio Martinez lobbed at him during their pre-fight buildup won't fly this time.
"I did not put any conditions on Canelo, I'm just asking for what is right for me, based on what I've achieved and earned all these years."
If talks with Alvarez break down, Cotto would have a willing opponent in WBA and IBO middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin, who is slated to fight in February. As one of boxing's most active champions, it's no leap to believe he would be ready in time for a May bout.
Cotto hesitated to name him as a Canelo replacement. "Golovkin is a great fighter, a great champion. But let's wait and see what happens for next year. Everything is in negotiations right now."
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