By Mark Vester
Top Rank head Bob Arum, in a recent interview with popular Spanish outlet Primerhora, said that he would like to match up WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto with Joshua Clottey in March, with an undercard bout between Antonio Margarito and former lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo, who fought his last bout near the welterweight limit. Provided both win, Cotto would face Margarito in June.
Sergio Diaz, Margarito's manager, told BoxingScene.com that Top Rank has not yet approached him with the Castillo bout. He first learned about Castillo being pegged as a possible opponent for his fighter when reading the interview Arum had with Primerhora.
On paper, Margarito is heavy favorite to roll through Castillo, but the former WBO welterweight champion is in a tough position. None of the top welterweight contenders or champions are running to fight him, and the fighters that are willing to step in the ring are contenders that have little to no name recognition. Castillo does have name recognition and a loyal Mexican following. It was only last year when Castillo and Cotto were going to be matched at 140, but the fight fell apart when Castillo was suspended due to his inability to make weight for the third fight with Diego Corrales.
"I haven't spoken to anyone about the fight yet. We want to keep Tony busy and fighting as often as possible. We don't want Tony to have long layoffs. If that's the fight Top Rank gives us, then that's the fight they give us," Diaz said.
A lot of things would have to happen for the Cotto-Clottey bout to take place. Clottey would first have get by Shamone Álvarez (19-0, 11KOs) on December 20. The Clottey-Alvarez bout is to name the mandatory to IBF champion Kermit Cintron. Should Clottey win and then face Cotto for the WBA title, he would be dropped by the IBF from the mandatory position. Additionally, Cotto also has a mandatory challenger in Frederic Klose.
Even if Clottey wins and Cotto is able to postpone his mandatory obligation, Arum says that his prefered opponents for Cotto in 08 would be Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Oscar De La Hoya in May. Arum doubts that Mayweather will take the fight.
"Mayweather, Jr. talks a lot and claims to be the best, but only fights with opponents where he knows that he's going to win easily," Arum said. "He doesn't want to fight with people who can put him in danger."
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