It’s not concrete. Not 100%. But Canelo vs Cotto is nearly a done deal.
“But wait,” we hear you say. “Didn’t I hear that a few days ago?”
Yes, you did. But there have been some advancements in negotiations since then, according to ESPN’s Dan Rafael. Apparently things are now looking shapely for 21st November at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. That date and venue would be preferable for HBO who will be broadcasting the match-up on PPV.
Here’s what Rafael (@danrafaelespn) had to say on Twitter:
Not 100% done just yet but I’m told #CottoCanelo will be 11/21 at Mandalay Bay. Good deal for every1 & HBO PPV gets preferred date. #boxing
11/21 works well in LV for #CottoCanelo because better date for HBO than 11/7 & 11/19 at MGM is Latin Grammys. Main audience already in city
In case you’ve been living in a cave, Canelo vs Cotto is one of the most anticipated fights in boxing right now. It’s not quite Quigg vs Frampton or Stevenson vs Kovalev – given Cotto isn’t quite in his prime anymore – but it’s pretty darn tasty on paper.
And fan-friendly, which never hurts.
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Unbeaten Roman Gonzalez – our #2 Pound for Pound, #1 Flyweight – will be defending his WBC and RING titles on October 17th on the Golovkin vs Lemieux card. The 28-year-old pressure prince, who is still to capture wide appeal with Western audiences, couldn’t be on a bigger stage to showcase his talent and receive that elusive appraisal.
New York’s Madison Square Garden will be that stage. And as we know, Gonzalez (43-0, 37 KO) is just as capable of producing fireworks as HBO headliners GGG and Lemieux are.
“The date and place are confirmed. We will be fighting October 17th in MSG,” Carlos Blandon, Gonzalez’s manager, recently told ESPN.com.
Blandon could not confirm the name of the opponent sharing the ring with Gonzalez, but did reveal that Giovani Segura (32-4-1, 28 KO), another fellow banger, is being currently being optioned. Another name is McWilliams Arroyo (16-2, 14 KO), the brother of Junior Bantamweight titlist McJoe Arroyo.
The contest will be Gonzalez’s fourth title defense since demolishing Edgar Sosa back in May. And if the latest defense comes against a credible foe, the Golovkin vs Lemieux card could be about to become very interesting indeed.
Let us know your thoughts on Gonzalez’s undercard appearance and that of Canelo vs Cotto in the comments, fight fans!
