By Jake Donovan
The most anticipated fight of the fall is now official.
All terms have been agreed upon for Miguel Cotto and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez to meet in their mouthwatering World middleweight championship matchup. The bout will take place November 21 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, topping a telecast that will be distributed live through HBO Pay-Per-View.
“I will give the fans the fight they want to see,” promises Cotto (40-4, 33KOs), who makes the second defense of his lineal middleweight crown. “As I have always said during my whole career, I am here to fight the best names and the best fighters.
"This will be another chapter in my career and I will be ready for him. Fans will enjoy a real fight, another classic battle in the Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry.”
The bout—which will take place at a maximum catchweight of 155 lbs.—has been in discussion for nearly a year, originally budgeted to take place this past May. Negotiations stalled and eventually fell through when Cotto opted to move in a different direction.
Part of that included his joining Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports, a noted sports agency still getting its feet wet in the boxing business. Cotto made his debut under the Roc Nation banner in June, stopping Daniel Geale in four rounds at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The bout was the first defense of the middleweight crown he'd claimed some 52 weeks prior, scoring a shockingly one-sided 10th round stoppage of Sergio Martinez in June. With the feat, Cotto became the first ever fighter from Puerto Rico to claim championships in four separate weight classes, having previously reigned at super lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight.
With the HBO PPV headlier versus Alvarez, he now tops what is by far the biggest boxing event for Roc Nation Sports to date.
“Cotto vs. Canelo is the biggest fight in boxing, period,” said David Itskowitch, chief operating officer on the boxing side of Roc Nation Sports. “Given the fighters’ styles, it has all the makings of a can’t-miss, all-action fight. Couple that with the popularity of both Miguel and Canelo, and you have a true mega-fight that fans have been clamoring for and one that no sports fan should miss. November 21 has all the makings of a fight that will go down in boxing history as one of the greats.”
Of course, it takes more than just one big name to truly make for an epic event.
A pro since age 15, Alvarez (45-1-1, 32KOs) - now 25 and approaching his 10-year anniversary in the sport - has made it his mission to seek out the biggest fighters in the sport. The fighting pride of Guadalajara, Mexico quickly emerged as one of boxing's biggest stars, proving his drawing power on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border.
The lone loss of Alvarez' career came in Sept. '13, dropping a 12-round decision to Floyd Mayweather in what at the time had established box office records for the largest live gate and highest grossing PPV event in boxing history.
Both of those marks have since been destroyed by a superfight more than five years in the making, when Mayweather outpointed Manny Pacquiao in their May 2 event at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
One week later, Alvarez made a huge splash in his network return to HBO. In lieu of a coveted clash with Cotto, the former super welterweight champion settled on power punching James Kirkland, with their May 9 event drawing more than 30,000 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
Alvarez prevailed by 3rd round knockout in what quite possibly serves the leading candidate for Knockout of the Year. The telecast itself proved to be the most watched cable boxing event in nearly nine years, drawing more than 2 million viewers for HBO.
Following Cotto's win over Geale, the two sides resumed negotiations, though with a much easier push this time around. Cotto-Geale aired live on HBO, with the condition that the prideful Puerto Rican superstar would next move towards a showdown with Alvarez.
The dream fight has now become a reality.
“Historically, mega-fights are made because fans demand them,” said Alvarez, who engages in his first title fight since the Mayweather showdown. “In this case, the fans have spoken out, longing for this fight and it is my pleasure to say that it is finally happening. All fights at this level are very important, but this fight in particular has something more. It will hold a special place in history as part of the big rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, and I promise all the fans that this is going to be an event that will not disappoint.”
Added Alvarez' promoter, Oscar de la Hoya: “This is the ‘Fight of the Year’ that true boxing fans have been waiting for between two of the biggest stars in the sport today, Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez. Cotto vs. Canelo will be an epic showdown, full of non-stop action from the moment the first bell rings. This fight is an example of exactly what Golden Boy Promotions does: puts on the best fights between top fighters in the primes of their careers.”
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox