Miguel Cotto-Canelo Alvarez Fight Would Be Huge: Oscar De La Hoya

Former boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya believes the pairing of Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico and Canelo Alvarez of Mexico in a future fight would be the next big match-up in the sport. And unlike the rather disappointing May 2 bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, a Cotto-Alvarez fight won’t cost fans $100 to watch, De La Hoya said.

Cotto is coming off a convincing fourth-round technical knockout victory over Australian Daniel Geale on Saturday, while Alvarez had an equally impressive third-round KO win over James Kirland earlier in May. Both Cotto (44-4-0, 33 KOs) and Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) knocked down their respective opponents twice in their most recent fights and a future fight between the two would be pegged as a bout between two knockout artists. The Cotto-Alvarez bout also would add to the aleady long list of matchups in the Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry.

In a Ring TV interview, De La Hoya described Cotto as “dangerous and explosive” and said he looked impressive against Geale. He also took a shot at the recent Mayweather-Pacquiao bout, which had a pay-per-view price of $89 to $99. “The biggest fight to be made right now in boxing is Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo [Alvarez],” De La Hoya said. “So I am really looking forward to that.”

After defeating Geale, the 34-year-old Cotto called out the 24-year-old Alvarez, saying that both sides need to make it happen.

“There’s no issue whatsoever. Both fighters want the fight. The fans want the fight,” De La Hoya said when asked about a possible weight dispute for a Cotto-Alvarez bout. “The beauty of the event here that will be taking place later this year with Canelo-Cotto, and I am very, very optimistic that it can happen, is that the fans are guaranteed action.”

Before Alvarez faced Kirkland and Cotto took on Geale, there were multiple rumors that a Cotto-Alvarez fight was in the works, but negotiations fell through at the last minute.