Miguel Cotto vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarex has been made official. The battle for Cotto’s WBC middleweight title will happen November 21 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, and will take place at a 155-pound catch weight.
Cotto, 34, will enter the ring with a record of 40-4-0 with 34 KOs. Alvarez, 25, will come in 45-1-1 with 32 KOs. Both fighters are on three-fight winning streaks; none of Cotto’s last three have gone the distance, while Alvarez has two knockouts sandwiching a split decision win against Erislandy Lara.
Alvarez is expected to be the betting favorite, but here are four reasons not to overlook the proud Puerto Rican champion.
Cotto Has Vast Experience
Cotto is the only Puerto Rican fighter in boxing history with four titles in four weight classes, and there are very few top fighters in his era that he didn’t face. Lately he’s received criticism for cherry picking opponents like Delvin Rodriguez and Daniel Geale, but he has earned the right to dictate terms.
Cotto’s resume includes wins over the likes of “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, and Antonio Margarito. Of his four defeats, two are to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, the two defining fighters of this era. The loss to Margarito in their first tilt has been called into question because Margarito was caught in his next fight with gloves loaded with plaster. Only his loss to Austin Trout raises eyebrows, and Trout is an ex-champ.
Alvarez is one of the great up-and-coming fighters of this generation, and in his 25 years he also has tremendous experience, as well as familiarity with major pay-per-view events. But Cotto has been fighting at this level since 2006, and has looked better than ever his last three times out.
Canelo Struggles With Great Boxers
Alvarez has looked most impressive when he’s able to go toe-to-toe with fellow sluggers and just duke it out. That’s because Alvarez packs enormous power in both fists, and doesn’t get enough credit for how technically sound he is when the fighting is in a phone booth.
Alvarez is a brilliant combination puncher, and brawler James Kirkland learned that the hard way. Kirkland is a fearsome competitor, but he was no match for Alvarez’s ruthless accuracy in May and was stopped inside of four rounds. Alvarez’s weakness is when good defensive fighters decide to make him work. Mayweather made Alvarez look downright foolish at times in 2013, and Lara could have been given a victory in 2014.
Cotto will never be found on his bicycle inside the squared circle, but he is more than a slugger. Cotto is a boxer-puncher, and with Freddie Roach in his corner Cotto has looked bouncy in his past three fights. His movement and defense have improved, and his body punching has returned. Cotto has the skill to frustrate Alvarez and not be victimized by his combos, as well as the power to hurt him.
Stamina & Mental Strength
This is partly experience, and partly mentality. Cotto is a warrior, but he’s never been foolishly brave. Against Margarito in their first fight, Cotto wisely said enough was enough and lived to fight another day. Here he is, while Margarito’s career ended in 2011 at the hands of Cotto in their rematch.
That ability to be rational in the ring will serve him well vs. Alvarez, in what should be an action-packed war of attrition. His movement will help him avoid some of Alvarez’s shots, and his smarts will keep him from flooring it too early and getting gassed.
Both Cotto and Alvarez have had issues with tiring late in fights, but Cotto’s IQ has increased even more with Roach in his corner. He listens well, and Roach will not let his tank hit E until the 12th round, if it gets that far.
Activity
Cotto is typically a busier fighter than Alvarez, whose output decreases when his opponent is moving. Alvarez has problems cutting off the ring and when frustration sets in he starts to decrease his volume and load up on big shots. If Cotto can make him miss those, two things will happen: First, Cotto will be able to get into position to land hard power shots in return. Second, Alvarez will begin to tire from exertion.
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