The highly anticipated showdown between Miguel Cotto and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez might finally happen on September 12 as both fighters expressed interest in facing each other this year.
The two fighters could have faced each other this month had their camps agreed to a deal in January. The camps of both fighters were in deep talks to stage the fight, but the negotiation did not come to fruition.
Previous reports indicated that Cotto did not commit to a fight, which forced Alvarez to look for other options, which eventually led to his fight against James Kirkland last Saturday.
And after Alvarez scored a scintillating third-round knockout win against Kirkland, Cotto declared that he is ready to defend his World Boxing Council middleweight title against Alvarez.
However, Cotto said that he is focused on his next fight against Daniel Geale on June 6 at the Barclays Center in New York. The Puerto Rican said that he will think of his next move after his showdown with Geale, but he quickly added that he will not let Alvarez dictate the terms if they decide to engage in discussion for a fight in the coming weeks.
For his part, Alvarez also expressed readiness to face Cotto. Most analysts are convinced that Cotto will be a difficult opponent for Alvarez, but Canelo said that he is not afraid of the 34-year-old world champion.
"I will continue to fight the best fighters," Alvarez said when asked about facing Cotto. "That is what I do. I fight for myself and for the fans. I'm not afraid of any fighter. He is a champion and the kind of fighter I want to fight."
Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya also revealed that he engaged in preliminary talks with Roc Nation Sports about the Alvarez-Cotto fight. The Hall of Fame boxer said he is hoping the bout will finally happen if Cotto wins against Geale next month.
If the two sides reach a deal, the fight will likely take place on September 12 in Las Vegas. Alvarez said that he is determined to take the fight date from Floyd Mayweather because a Mexican like him should headline a bout on September 12 because it is the Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Mayweather recently said that he will fight against on September 12, which will likely be the final fight of his career. Even if Mayweather decides to schedule his fight on that day, Alvarez said that he will convince his promoters not to step aside for the reigning pound-for-pound king.
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