Saul "Canelo" Alvarez reiterated that he is still interested in facing Miguel Cotto and the former world champion expressed hope the fight between them will finally happen later this year.
Alvarez, who has pushing for a showdown against Cotto, said that the reigning World Boxing Council middleweight champion is still on top of his list of possible opponents in his next fight after his scheduled bout against James Kirkland on May 9 at the Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
Alvarez and Cotto was first linked to a showdown last year when the Mexican boxing superstar reportedly offered a guaranteed purse of $10 million to the Puerto Rican, but the latter pursued a title shot against Sergio Martinez, which eventually gave him his WBC middleweight title after knockout win in June last year.
The camp of the two fighters engaged in negotiations for the fight again late last year, but Canelo's camp pulled out of the talks after Cotto's camp failed to decide before the deadline they set in January. Instead, Canelo's camp finalized a 12-round, non-title fight against Kirkland.
But despite failing to finalize the fight in their first two attempts, Alvarez is not losing hope, but also added that he will move on if they will not be able to convince Cotto to agree to a showdown later this year.
"I've always said that Cotto is a natural fight, a fight that should happen and I hope the third time is the charm and we can reach an agreement and provide this fight for the people," Alvarez told ESPN Deportes. "And if not, as I have done with other opponents, I have to choose the best available and move on, but I hope the fight is done."
But in order to get a chance to face Cotto for his middleweight title, Alvarez should win against Kirkland in their upcoming fight. Most analysts warned Alvarez that Kirkland is not an easy opponent, but Canelo said he is aware of it and is preparing hard for their showdown.
Alvarez, who holds an impressive 44-1-1 record with 31 knockout victories, said that he is ready to collide with Kirkland and is confident they have the perfect fight plan to defeat the Texas native, who has a 32-1 record with 28 knockout victories.
"I am ready to fight tomorrow if needed. I feel excited that the fight is around the corner," Alvarez said in a news conference on Monday. "Kirkland's style will complement mine, he is a fighter that likes to come forward and May 9 will bring a great fight for all the fans. We have the right strategy to beat James Kirkland."
Click on this link for more Sports News & Updates from Christianity Daily.
