Canelo Views Cotto as Chance To Cement His Legacy

By Jake Donovan

Given the way his own Hall of Fame career played out, it’s no surprise that boxer-turned-promoter Oscar de la Hoya has made it the Golden Boy Promotions mission statement for its fighters to be matched in the best fights possible.

Most in his stable have been receptive to the concept, even if producing mixed results as of late. At the front of the line – as luck would have it – is the company’s centerpiece attraction, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. At just 25 years of age, he has already been a pro boxer for 10 full years and has emerged as the face of boxing in his native Mexico.

While easily identifiable by his red hair (hence the “Canelo” nickname, which translates to “Cinnamon”), Alvarez is better known these days as the best super welterweight and also among the top fighters in the world today. The former super welterweight champ has steadily compiled a resumé that reads like a who’s who list of this generation’s boxers in and around his weight class.

His upcoming November 21 showdown with Miguel Cotto is not only further proof of his willingness to fight the best, but underlined by the fact that it’s a fight he’s actively pursued.

“It's very important for me to fight the best because I want to cement my legacy,” Alvarez said of landing the fight, which airs live on HBO Pay-Per-View from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. “I came to this sport to fight the very best out there and that's a goal of mine. In that sense you'll get recognition by the fans, the media and the fighters themselves.
 
“Everybody knows my style of fight and everyone knows that I love to please the fans in the arena and the viewers watching me by television.”

Alvarez was due to face Joshua Clottey in his first fight back on HBO following a five-fight run at Showtime that further established his brand as one of the biggest stars in the sport today. An injury ultimately canceled their planned clash last December, with plans shifting toward a targeted clash with Cotto, the first-ever fighter from Puerto Rico to win titles in four separate weight classes.

It didn’t happen in May – surrounding the Cinco de Mayo holiday - when he preferred. Alvarez instead “settled” for power-punching James Kirkland, whom he knocked out in three rounds on May 9 in front of 30,000 fans at Minute Maid Park in Houston, serving as the most watched cable TV fight since 2006 in drawing more than 2 million viewers for HBO return.

Following Cotto’s win over Daniel Geale in June, the two sides reentered negotiations and this time were able finalize what has become the most anticipated fight of the second half of 2015. The tremendously high skill level only adds to the longtime rivalry between great boxers from Puerto Rico (Cotto) and Mexico (Alvarez).

The fight itself adds to Alvarez’ growing reputation as a boxer willing to take on all comers. Wins over Kirkland, Erislandy Lara, Alfredo Angulo and Austin Trout, as well as his lone career loss to the great Floyd Mayweather Jr (at the time the richest fight in boxing history) to go along with his forthcoming challenge versus Cotto rivals just about any other boxer’s resumé in recent memory.

Not bad at all for a boxing superstar who just turned 25 years of age in July. 
 
“I want to be known as a good fighter, a fighter that always fights the best,” Alvarez says of his increasing level of competition. “I never back down from a challenge and I just want to continue on that path, to bring the best out of me to please the audience and to have the best fights possible.

“I know the road to the Hall of Fame is far away for me right now, but working hard and be consistent in the sport, could be a very good possibility to be part of that historic and glorious site.”

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox