WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman is confident that an agreement between his organisation’s middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KO’s) and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KO’s) will soon be reached for the pair to fight.
His comments were posted on WorldBoxingNews.net, and he also clarified where Gennady Golovkin (33-0, 30 KO’s stands in this situation.
The WBA Super champion also holds the WBC interim title that entitles him to challenge for Cotto’s belt ahead of any voluntary defences the champion may wish to make.
Canelo falls into that category and so effectively, Golovkin was needed to grant his permission for this fight to go ahead.
“Cotto vs. Canelo is one of the match up combinations that many fans want to see. I think both sides will soon reach an agreement after Interim champion Gennady Golovkin accepted this situation,” said Sulaiman.
“Cotto looked amazing in his last bout and ‘Canelo’ looked really accurate in his. It could be a great event, with Golovkin then fighting the winner next year.”
Cotto and Canelo both looked impressive last time out by scoring destructive stoppages over experienced opposition. Theirs is a match much clamoured for, but so is one between either one of them and Golovkin, who has been kept at arm’s length by all of the other titleholders in the 160.lb. division up to this point.
Cotto vs. Canelo; Puerto-Rico vs. Mexico; celebrated veteran vs. blossoming starlet. This fight will be a massive occasion, and the huge financial upside alone will ensure it’s place before Golovkin gets anywhere near either of them.
How long the wolf can be kept at the door is another story though.
Golovkin is churning through second-tier opposition in emphatic style and will continue to do so until he finds a marquee name willing to put their reputation on the line against him.
The way he beats people damages them physically as well as lessening their standing in the sport.
Cotto vs. Canelo would not hold the same allure if one of them were to get knocked out by Golovkin first. The only thing we as onlookers can do is hope one of them takes the plunge after this.
The winner or the loser would suffice in reality, but the endorsement of the WBC’s president that he will definitely fight the winner is reassuring enough.
