By Mark Vester
Promoter Lou DiBella would have liked to set a fight between WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto and the returing Miguel Cotto, but he says that Bob of Top Rank never returned to him with a counter-offer. After Arum contacted him on the fight and DiBella expressed his interest and the proposed terms on the side of Berto, Arum had no interest in countering. DiBella was later advised that Arum would go in another direction.
"We spoke on the fight, but there was never a formal negotiation. For some reason, Arum never communicated with again and in reality, that is a sign that he is not interested in doing the fight," DiBella told Primera Hora. "It's obvious that Bob did not have any real intentions to negotiate, maybe because we were very apart on money. To tell you the truth, I don't know the reason. It's very unusual because at first they told me they are interested in the fight and later they told me they are not."
DiBella says talks are ongoing with promoter Don King to line up Berto's mandatory, Luis Collazo. King is asking for a lot of money and there is some talk of the fight heading to a purse bid. DiBella would like to see Cotto and Berto clash at some point in the future.
"We have to do the mandatory with Luis Collazo or else Berto could be stripped of the title. Clearly, we do not rule out a fight with Cotto in the future. If Berto wants to the best, he has to face the best and Cotto is in that category," DiBella said.
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