By Rick Reeno
As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, promoters Lou DiBella and Bob Arum are close to finalizing an agreement to make Top Rank the co-promoter of former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron (32-3, 28KOs). DiBella believes the agreement will possibly open the door to an all-Puerto Rican clash with WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto.
There are other opponents, within Top Rank, who Cintron could possibly fight - including the winner of this month's welterweight rematch between Mike Jones and Jesus Soto-Karass, or a potential fight with ex-champion Joshua Clottey, or Contender participant Alfonso Gomez.
"He's always wanted the fight with Cotto, and that fight can't happen unless we can make a deal with Bob. Also, there are other attractive fights, in-house, if he wants to make 147 temporarily. There's the Mike Jones-Karass winner. There's Clottey and other people that Bob has like Alfonso Gomez. Those fights are out there. And if he wins one of those fights, then there's the Margarito-Cotto winner," DiBella told BoxingScene.com.
"It allows Cotto to become a possibility for Kermit. I will be a co-promoter with Bob and if this is Kermit wants, then I'm willing to do it. Obviously, I've known for years that the Cotto fight is something that he's wanted more than anything else, so if Bob can offer him a game plan to make that a possibility, and I'm sure he will, then I'm going to close the deal. And I'm confident the deal will close in the next few days."
