Miguel Cotto

It’s official. Gennady Golovkin is getting the fights he's been longing for.

The unbeaten Kazakhstan slugger owns two middleweight title belts, has built a brand on a knockout streak that stretches back to the George W. Bush presidency and will presumably have a chance to add the division's other relevant crowns to his collection by the time the White House's next resident arrives.

Golovkin is already sealed and delivered to meet IBF claimant David Lemieux in October.

And now that Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez are contracted to duel for the WBC's 160-pound share in November, his claim of "I've got next" has been officially validated by the Mexican-based organization.

Triple-G is a prohibitive favorite on Oddschecker to dispatch the twice-beaten Lemieux, a 26-year-old Montreal native who'll be making the first defense of the vacant title he won in June. So it’s assumed by most that he'll be ringside at Mandalay Bay to get an up-close look at the long-awaited pre-Thanksgiving meeting.

And while the possibility exists the Cotto-Canelo winner could simply vacate the WBC crown and take his jewelry back to more comfortable 154-pound surroundings, it's at least worth pondering what an ultimate middleweight showdown with Golovkin might look like if it actually occurs.

Canelo Alvarez: What will it take?

It seems to be a can't-miss proposition.

Golovkin is aggressive and heavy-handed, while Alvarez is a strong counterpuncher with power of his own and respectable, if not Mayweather-level, speed. Such a blend almost guarantees an action fight while almost equally ensures that one of the fighters won't be around for the final bell.

And though Golovkin, at 33, is eight years older, he’s also naturally bigger and would stand to enter the ring with an inch-and-a-half height advantage and a long-standing reputation of having fought, and knocked out, bigger men.

He's been a pro for nine years and has fought 33 times between 158 and 162 pounds, while Alvarez turned pro as a junior welterweight and has never weighed in beyond 155 in 47 fights.

Given that edge, Golovkin’s best approach would be to establish his jab for the first few rounds while feeling out his foe before ultimately working his way to the inside and mixing up the power of his shots to unleash uppercuts and hooks to Alvarez's head and body.

As rounds elapse, he'd presumably temper Canelo's aggression and begin to make him move backward, which would signal the beginning of the end. Alvarez, though sturdy, is neither technically superior to nor more powerful than Golovkin—a bad combination.

Though it'd be grueling while it lasted, it's probably a fight Golovkin wins before Round 10.

Miguel Cotto: What will it take?

The Puerto Rican's recent resurrection has been the feel-good story of boxing’s summer.

Nevertheless, as recently as a couple of years ago, the proposition of him—before he joined forces with trainer Freddie Roach—meeting a fighter on the level of Golovkin would have been preposterous.

"A lot of people said Michael Jordan would not have been Michael Jordan without Scottie Pippen," Cotto told a media gathering in June 2014, three days before shocking Sergio Martinez to win the WBC middleweight title belt that he'll risk against Alvarez. "I think I found my Pippen in Freddie Roach."

The Cotto-Roach duo has beaten Delvin Rodriguez (TKO 3), Martinez (TKO 10) and Daniel Geale (TKO 4), but comparing a prime Golovkin to any of those would be a gross inflation of Cotto's current prowess.

He does his best work from range and has a terrifically well-schooled left hand capable of doing damage to both body and head. The problem is that he's never faced—let alone toppled—a prime middleweight, which is precisely what he'd be up against should the Golovkin fight ever occur.

The power that numbed Rodriguez and dissuaded Geale would not sway a fighter who's been hit—and undaunted—by natural middleweights. And Cotto, while undeniably crafty, doesn't have the sort of foot speed that would allow him to avoid Golovkin for 12 full rounds. The longer he stays in range, the more he'll be hit by Golovkin. And the more he's hit by Golovkin, the less punishment he'll be able to take.

Think of the first fight with Antonio Margarito. Cotto was effective in spots but was ultimately unable to keep the bigger, stronger and perpetually aggressive Mexican off him. Against Golovkin, it would look the same, only the opponent would be 13 pounds larger and far more technically adept—leading to the same end.

In fact, if Cotto is competitive beyond six rounds, Roach would deserve another nod for trainer of the year.

It may not be the middleweight fight the world has been waiting for—considering that it’ll be contested five pounds below the traditional weight class limit—but it’s still a pretty darn good one.

In fact, despite their lack of true 160-pound pedigree, both 34-year-old Miguel Cotto (he’ll be 35 on fight night) and 25-year-old Canelo Alvarez have the sort of pound-for-pound street cred that puts their Nov. 21 get-together at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on the sport’s short list of must-see events.

After all, Cotto has been a pro for 14 years and is the only Puerto Rican-born fighter to claim world championship belts in four weight classes, ranging from 140 pounds to 160.

Meanwhile, Alvarez has been paid to fight for a full decade, was the top man for a time at 154 pounds and has lost just one of 47 outings—by decision against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Boxrec.com lists Alvarez fourth on its most recent pound-for-pound list, while Cotto is seventh.

“Cotto and I will write our own story and continue the legacy of great fights between Mexicans and Puerto Ricans,” Alvarez told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times. “I’m embracing this rivalry.”

The long-anticipated agreement was reached when the two promoters—Golden Boy Promotions for Alvarez and Roc Nation Sports for Cotto—decided not to include a clause for a rematch in the fight contract. The parties have a verbal agreement for a rematch if the original lives up to expected billing.

And now that a deal is done, the discussion can at last turn from supposition to strategy. 

Miguel Cotto: What will it take?

The Puerto Rican’s chances for success in November revolve around which incarnation arrives.

Had the matchup with Alvarez been inked two years ago, prior to Cotto’s alignment with Freddie Roach—the man who had trained Manny Pacquiao to beat him to a pulp in 2009—it may have been viewed as little more than a chance for the young Mexican to add a faded former star to his victim’s list.

That version of Cotto had dropped consecutive fights to Mayweather and Austin Trout at 154 pounds while looking incrementally older, slower and completely unlikely to return to significant world standing.

But as it turned out, perhaps all he needed was the right teammate.  

“A lot of people said Michael Jordan would not have been Michael Jordan without Scottie Pippen,” Cotto told a media gathering in June 2014, three days before shocking Sergio Martinez to win the WBC middleweight title belt that he’ll risk against Alvarez. “I think I found my Pippen in Freddie Roach.”

The Martinez win was the second of three fights for the Cotto-Roach duo, each of which has ended with a foe unable and/or unwilling to continue. The defeats of Delvin Rodriguez (TKO 3), Martinez (TKO 10) and Daniel Geale (TKO 4) not only rejuvenated a previous brand but also reintroduced the myriad means of torture a prime version of the converted southpaw is able to inflict with his well-schooled left hand.

A quintessential pocket fighter, Cotto throws straight punches from close range, doubles up on a jab that could just as easily be labeled a straight left and takes advantage of a foe’s upstairs wariness to create space for blistering body shots. The commitment to body work will be mandatory against a foe as young, willing and sturdy as Alvarez, but just as important for Cotto’s own survival will be the sorts of crafty skills he’d shown gradually less of in each fight before joining forces with the Wizard of Wild Card.

Though the younger man is often billed as a pressure fighter, he’s been troubled in the past by opponents unwilling to simply stand in front of him until they’re battered. Trout gave Canelo trouble before ultimately succumbing by narrow unanimous decision. Mayweather flustered him by using angles and footwork to offset momentum, and Erislandy Lara turned their match into a full-on track meet.

Cotto’s moves won’t remind anyone of Hector Camacho, but he can be an effective matador in November by changing direction as Alvarez prepares to punch and taking advantage of subsequent lapses in the Mexican’s momentum. As a result, he’s able to forgo traditional positions to land shots from unexpected directions—a tactic that, if things go well, will lead to full control in the late going.

Canelo Alvarez: What will it take?

It seems a touch counterintuitive.

Cotto is the lineal middleweight champ. Alvarez has never been heavier for a weigh-in than 155 pounds. But when the third Saturday in November arrives, it’s the younger man who’ll be the bigger man.

In fact, not only is the 5’9” Alvarez two inches taller than Cotto, but he’ll also possess a three-inch reach advantage when they get together. And though he, like Cotto, began his pro career as a junior welterweight, he was only 15 at the time, and his weight climb has been the product of a decade of growth.

Come the fall, he’s likely to reach the ring nearer the light heavyweight limit than middleweight.

In addition to being the bigger man, he’s also the busier, fresher and more competitively sharp man.

While Cotto has fought three times and 17 rounds since 2012, Alvarez has taken part in five fights and 49 rounds against markedly better competition than Rodriguez, Geale and a gimpy Martinez. Before Cotto’s stretch of part-time participation, though, he was engaged in a series of brutal slugfests that could actually offset his experience edge entirely.

Upon entering the ring with a mid-30s foe, Alvarez must seize the initiative and either trap his man against the ropes or bait Cotto into a mid-ring slugfest where his subtleties are less evident. The Puerto Rican has thrived against recent foes unable to force him out of his comfort zone, but the Alvarez who was unable to force Mayweather into a three-minutes-of-every-round workload should be more successful against a foe whose career tendency has been to respond to fire with fire rather than finesse.

Toward that end, Alvarez’s best strategy is to overwhelm.

Boxing is built on the bones of its veterans giving way to a new crop of young and hungry prospects, with each generation invigorated by the blood of its elders. It's a sport where no one rides off into the sunset. Hall of Famers don't get the luxury of deciding it's time to call it quits. They are pushed out, forcibly, by the next wave of champions.

To be the man, you have to beat the man. Oscar De La Hoya beat Julio Cesar Chavez. He, in turn, passed the crown to Floyd Mayweather Jr. when it was his time. It's always been that way—until now.

When it came time for Mayweather to yield his place at the top of the sport, there was no one there to assume the mantle. The next guy in line, in this case Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs), couldn't manage to budge him from atop the mountain.

More and more, it looks like no one will.

The king will, in almost unprecedented fashion, leave the world's most brutal sport with his head held high and his legacy intact. What happens, then, to the heir apparent? 

On November 21 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Canelo will stake his claim as the next big thing against veteran champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs), HBO Boxing announced Thursday. He will do so without the benefit of removing the current ruler from his throne.

Will that matter? Can Alvarez do an end around and position himself as boxing's next big star without beating either of its current greats, Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao?

He has boyish good looks, skills that pay the bills and a rare physical charisma. Identified as a potential star early in his career, Alvarez became a major name in Mexico before heading north of the border and building a second significant fanbase in the United States.

Alvarez has almost all of the intangibles that turn a good boxer into a breakout megastar. But as his fight with Cotto approaches, his future as boxing's next golden boy rests on all of the things he's missing rather than the many things he has. 

As Alvarez attempts to move from niche stardom into the American mainstream, his poor grasp of the English language will become increasingly problematic. Sure, Cotto’s and Pacquiao’s English was missing in action in early fights as they developed their audience, but they eventually improved enough that they could make it through interviews.

Canelo, it seems, has no inclination to do as much.

Hispanic population growth in the United States shields him from the consequences of this language barrier. But as he continues to push beyond the boundaries of his comfortable position as "Hispanic favorite," he'll need to at least try his hand at speaking the primary language of the largest boxing market in the world.

Of course, demographics, charisma and fame are all secondary factors. When it comes to securing a spot as boxing's biggest star, one thing matters more than everything else combined: Can you fight? 

Elite superstar fighters are expected to perform. Mayweather, Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Sugar Ray Leonard all did virtually superhuman things in the ring. Once a star is established at that level, he is expected to take all comers across styles and continents. And it's here that Alvarez falls short. If he fails to assume the throne, it won't be because he's not handsome or charismatic enough. It won't be because his English is nonexistent.

It will be because he's simply not good enough.

Against Mayweather, Alvarez was dominated on most observers' scorecards. He fought entirely the wrong sort of fight with Floyd, choosing to go backward and attempt to parry and counter the master technician. Although most people have struggled with Mayweather, Alvarez put in a similar performance against Austin Trout nine months earlier. He was given an unpopular decision many felt he had lost.

Flash forward again to 2014, and Canelo barely eked out a decision win against Erislandy Lara. The official record for Alvarez against top-level junior middleweights is 2-1. It could easily be 0-3.

Since then, Canelo has added a highlight-reel knockout to his resume, but it came against James Kirkland, a lesser fighter known to leave himself open to dangerous punches. It'll take more than that to build the case that he's boxing's brightest attraction. 

Still just 25 years old, you'd expect Canelo to be in the middle of his growth curve, with his best days as a fighter in front of him. And while most fighters are still learning their craft at that age, Canelo is a very different 25 years of age—a 47-fight veteran who has seen it all in the ring and beyond.

To put that in perspective, Canelo has had three more pro fights at age 25 than Lennox Lewis did in his entire professional career. While it is possible that he may still evolve and change, there’s also a good likelihood that we’re seeing, by and large, Alvarez as a mostly finished product. His pie could be baked—the flavor long since past changing.

Whether he ultimately takes a spot in the long line of boxing legends won't be determined this November alone, but the Cotto fight provides a great opportunity for Canelo to make a statement that he belongs among the greats.

On paper, Cotto represents a top-shelf fighter with tremendous offensive ability, the kind of fighter who can walk Canelo down and engage him in trench warfare. Action is not just promised—it's actually possible. 

"Historically, megafights are made because fans demand them," Alvarez said in a statement. "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."

While there is every expectation this fight will deliver, it will do little to answer lingering questions about Canelo's ability to sit the throne. This fight almost happened in 2012, with boxing pundits decrying it as an old Cotto being turned into a sacrificial lamb against someone he couldn’t possibly compete with.

A pair of handpicked opponents and a washed-up middleweight champion later, the narrative has flipped back, and excitement predominates. The one thing that hasn’t changed? The age difference between the fighters. Canelo is still young and in his prime. Cotto (34) has only gotten older.

Canelo may end up being the next big thing. But he won't make his case against Cotto. To be the man, Canelo must face down the best in the world in his prime. A win over Cotto is a starting point—not a destination.

Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report.

After a somewhat lengthy negotiation process, Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez have agreed to get into the ring. HBO Boxing announced Thursday that Cotto and Alvarez will headline a pay-per-view Nov. 21, with the undercard yet to be determined.

Dan Rafael of ESPN added on Aug. 14 that the contract does not include a rematch clause.

"I will give the fans the fight they want to see," Cotto said, per Fight Hype. "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 fight will be held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, which had been widely reported throughout the negotiations. Roc Nation Sports President and Chief of Branding Strategy Michael Yormark told Mike Coppinger of Boxing Junkie earlier this week that an announcement was imminent:

I think it’s fair to say that we’ve gotten past any of the major issues and we’re now crossing the t’s, dotting the i’s. We want to make sure everything’s agreed upon. We want no room for interpretation. We’re rounding third, heading for home; we’re very, very excited about this fight. We think this is the fight of the year. we just gotta make sure all the ducks are in a row, that everybody is on the same page on every issue. I think we’re fairly close to making that announcement.

Though the bout has been expected for some time, the two sides struggled to hammer out minor details of the contract—particularly a rematch clause, which did not make it into the final deal.

The fight will be held at a 155-pound catchweight; it will match the heaviest weight Alvarez has ever fought at. The 25-year-old is coming off a third-round knockout of James Kirkland in May. He has reeled off three straight wins since his majority-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., the only defeat of his professional career.

"Historically, mega-fights are made because fans demand them," Alvarez said. "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."

Cotto has been on a three-fight win streak of his own, all of which have come via stoppage. His TKO victory over Daniel Geale in June was his first successful defense of the WBC, Lineal and the Ring middleweight championships. Like Alvarez, Cotto's own trajectory was affected by a disappointing loss to Mayweather.

Of the two, Alvarez has the most to lose. Outside of losing to Mayweather, which almost everyone in this general weight class has done, he's put together an almost flawless career and remains the sport's next rising star. Look for him to follow a similar pattern to Mayweather and get past Cotto by decision in November.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter

The hotly rumored, much-anticipated fight between Miguel Cotto and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has finally been made official, HBO revealed on Thursday.

"I will give the fans the fight they want to see," said Cotto, per Fight Hype. "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."

"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," said Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. "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."

On Aug. 4, Oscar De La Hoya commented on fight negotiations, via Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times: 

"Golden Boy is all for it, Roc Nation is all for it, Mandalay Bay is all for it, Las Vegas … everybody’s in – Cotto, ‘Canelo,’ ” De La Hoya told The Times Tuesday in a telephone conversation.

"We’re waiting for one person: Gaby Penagaricano."

De La Hoya described the rematch clause split as “one last point we have to discuss."

Alvarez (45-1-1) has bounced back nicely with three consecutive wins since suffering his first career loss against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2013, while Cotto (40-4) has won each of his last three bouts via stoppage. 

Boxing has already had a notable 2015 with Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao shattering buyrate records. Another high-profile showdown featuring Alvarez and Cotto at the end of this year would make for an excellent bookend, as long as the two sides can work out a deal.  

The jury is still out on Miguel Cotto’s dominant run as lineal middleweight champion. Cotto, 34, won his second straight fight in the division in destructive fashion when he scored a Round 4 knockout win over former IBF titleholder Daniel Geale on Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

But is Cotto—a future Hall of Famer who has also won titles at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight—really this great as a middleweight?

It’s hard to tell.

First of all, Cotto’s claim to the lineal middleweight crown came last year against longtime titleholder Sergio Martinez. Martinez was 39 years old at the time and coming off numerous injuries and surgeries.

And when the bell rang, Cotto wobbled Martinez straight away with thunderous hooks to the temple. The Argentine never recovered, and his previously injured knee never really appeared stable enough in the fight to allow him a chance to move enough or land anything hard enough to keep Cotto off him.

Moreover, Cotto used his negotiating power to make the aging champion agree to a catchweight of 159 pounds.

After winning it, Cotto didn’t defend his middleweight crown for over a full year. According to ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael, Cotto could not come to an agreement with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez earlier this year, so both men ended up seeking other fights.

For his part, Cotto chose former beltholder Geale, a 34-year-old who seems to be on the downside of his career. After Cotto walloped him on Saturday, Geale can now lay claim to losing three of his last five fights. His only wins were against Garth Wood and Jarrod Fletcher, neither of whom are notable contenders.

Geale lost his title by split decision to Darren Barker in 2013. He was knocked out by WBA champion Gennady Golovkin in 2014 and now again by Cotto on Saturday.

But was this even the best version of Geale that Cotto could face?

Again using his leverage as the more marketable fighter, Cotto met Geale at a catchweight of 157 pounds. Many pundits were surprised Geale could even make the weight, and he looked noticeably gaunt at Friday’s pre-fight weigh-in.

It’s hard to say whether it had any effect on Saturday’s fight, though. Geale seemed to move well when the bell rang, but he was ridiculously slow compared to Cotto, and his size advantage meant nothing against an opponent who so clearly had more skill.

Cotto did his part, and he looked great doing it. His vicious left hook to the body sounded like a semi-truck slamming into a sedan every time he landed it, and it had similar effect.

Geale was wrecked in the first round. He was wrecked more in the second and the next. Then in the fourth, Cotto landed flush on his temple and sent him to the canvas like an anchor suddenly being released to the bottom of the ocean.

But it’s hard to say how good this makes Cotto as a middleweight. His two wins at the weight are nothing to write home about. Geale is a middling contender who was forced to come down to 157 pounds. Martinez was damaged goods before Cotto ever came calling. Neither win came at the division’s full 160-pound contract weight.

Cotto needs a real test at middleweight to prove his run is not a mirage.

There are two fights that make any sense. First, of course, Cotto should absolutely face the No. 1 middleweight in the world: Golovkin. It is his duty as lineal champion, but don’t be surprised if that fight never comes into being.

As noted and brilliantly captured by boxing writer Alex McClintock on Twitter, Cotto was as reluctant as ever after the fight when HBO’s Max Kellerman asked him about facing Golovkin.

Do you want to fight Golovkin? https://t.co/3Ih4ZfaEdI

— Alex McClintock (@axmcc) June 7, 2015

But Cotto’s other option is equally intriguing. Fighting the previously-flirted-with Alvarez would give some legitimacy to Cotto’s middleweight reign. While the Mexican superstar is most often promoted as a junior middleweight, the fact remains his last three fights have been fought above the 154-pound limit.

Alvarez is, by most legal standards, a middleweight. He’s young, strong and one of the best fighters in the world. Cotto would be wise to at least make that fight a reality before year-end.

Not only would Cotto-Canelo be a legitimate defense worthy of the lineal middleweight championship of the world, but the bout would be a superfight actually worth watching. Both fighters are offensive forces, and they are evenly matched. Whatever you thought of Mayweather-Pacquiao, this fight would most assuredly be better to watch. 

Cotto’s dominant run at middleweight is impressive, but don’t buy into him as the real deal until he faces a worthy challenger. That means he needs to fight either Golovkin or Alvarez before the end of 2015. 

Miguel Cotto didn't waste any time looking to his future after defeating Daniel Geale on Saturday night. The 34-year-old has his sights set firmly on Canelo Alvarez.

At the same time Cotto signaled he wants to take on Alvarez, he also seemed hesitant toward the idea of fighting Gennady Golovkin, per Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated:

Mannix added that Freddie Roach is firm in his belief Cotto should battle Golovkin after he's done with Alvarez:

Following his victory over Willie Monroe Jr. back on May 16, Golovkin told HBO Boxing that he'd relish the chance to take on either Alvarez or Cotto:

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden doesn't think the unbeaten Kazakh star needs another warm-up bout before he's prepared to take the next step in his career:

GGG is done messing around. He's ready right now guys. Guys, he's ready. Guys.

— Jonathan Snowden (@mmaencyclopedia) May 17, 2015

Although fans might want to see Golovkin get a shot, Alvarez is a smarter opponent for Cotto simply from a financial perspective. Canelo is a much bigger draw than Golovkin, and Cotto would be foolish to pass up a hefty payday.

He won't be able to avoid Golovkin forever, though. At some point, those two are bound to cross paths, and the 33-year-old Kazakh boxer will finally have the marquee fight he has long sought.