Cotto vs. Martinez on June 7th @ 160 lbs.

Yeah, 15 million is definitely hard to believe... but Cotto is the draw in that fight and so I guess he gets the most. Martinez wants the fight I think more for popularity.

 

Right, because Cotto is taking a fairly substantial cut to fight Martinez instead of Saul Alverez, from what they say and I assume Alverez to be the more bankable of Alverez-Cotto.

Maybe that's a very wrong assumption from my end, then.

 

There is the possibility that it's a great fight (Alvarez) and they have a second which really would pull in major bank!

 

Update: Cotto has turned down Alvarez' offer of 10 million plus to continue talks with Martinez.

"Former three-division champion Miguel Cotto has formally turned down an offer of more than $10 million to face former junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez to instead continue negotiating the other major fight on the table for him, a shot at middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez on June 7, albeit for less money.

During a recent meeting, Cotto's attorney Gaby Penagaricano told Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer, Alvarez and his managers, Chepo and Eddie Reynoso, that Cotto was declining the offer to face Alvarez on March 8 in the main event of a Showtime pay-per-view card.


Cotto's wanting to fight in New York on the weekend of the Puerto Rican Day parade and wanting a shot at the middleweight title, rather than facing Alvarez in a nontitle bout in March, were the reasons, Penagaricano said.

"Essentially, Miguel only wants to fight in New York City on June 7," Penagaricano said. "Canelo wants to fight in March. It seems that each fighter wanted to maintain the date for their next fight. So that is what is going to happen. Obviously, assuming everything goes well for both, I am sure Cotto versus Alvarez will be a fight worth discussing in the future.

"Regarding Canelo, [Cotto] said that Canelo is young and that perhaps it is a good fight to make later in 2014 or 2015, that if he keeps winning, there in no reason why we can't make the fight down the road."

Alvarez, who lost his 154-pound title to Floyd Mayweather Jr. by lopsided decision in a unification bout in their September record-breaking pay-per-view blockbuster, still will return March 8. With Cotto out of the picture, Alvarez likely will face Mexican countryman and brawler Alfredo "Perro" Angulo, according to Schaefer.

The 33-year-old Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs), meanwhile, is seeking to finalize the deal with Martinez, opting to take less money for the shot at the title.

At a recent media lunch in his native Puerto Rico, Cotto said, "I want to go with Martinez. The title is the main goal. We are only waiting on confirmation from his team, and, if all goes well, the fight will happen. The date is June 7, and I would rather fight where my history is, Madison Square Garden. I believe that the fight with Canelo is premature right now. He is 23 years old, and his name will be around for a long time."

Top Rank would serve as Cotto's promoter for a fight with Martinez, which would be an HBO PPV event. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said the fight would be at Madison Square Garden or MetLife Stadium, which is in East Rutherford, N.J, just across the Hudson River from New York.

Cotto already has won world titles at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight. A victory against Martinez would make him the first Puerto Rican fighter to win belts in four weight divisions. That is something Cotto said he coveted when he was first questioned about it immediately after his third-round knockout victory against Delvin Rodriguez in their junior middleweight bout Oct. 5.

"To be the first Puerto Rican to win titles in four weight divisions would be very tempting to me," said Cotto, whose win over Rodriguez ended a two-fight losing streak to Mayweather and Austin Trout in 2012.

A fight with Martinez is also something Freddie Roach, who trained Cotto for the first time when he faced Rodriguez, is interested in, saying after the fight with Rodriguez, "I know his style pretty well, and I think I know how to beat Sergio Martinez."

Roach was on the losing end to Martinez in September 2012 when his fighter, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., lost a lopsided decision, although Chavez scored a knockdown in the final round.

The Martinez and Cotto camps have been talking for a few weeks but have not made a deal yet.

"We've been talking. We've exchanged our concepts on how the deal will work but nothing is done yet," Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter, told ESPN.com. "It's Christmas time and New Year's. We're not chasing any deals right now. But after the holidays, we'll continue to talk. June 7 is perfect for Sergio and Sergio wants to fight Miguel, but he also wants a deal that is fair to both sides. He wants to be treated like the champion he is and be respected in any deal."

DiBella said one thing that had not been ironed out was exact weight for the proposed fight with Cotto, who would be moving up from 154 pounds. Martinez has said he would move down a few pounds to meet Cotto at a catch weight if necessary.

"If you look at the physicality of Martinez, he has never been a true 160-pound fighter," Cotto said at the recent media lunch. "He's always weighed in at 157, 158 pounds. Rarely does he ever come in at 160. So he's not a real middleweight."

Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KOs), 38, of Argentina, fought only once in 2013, getting knocked down but winning a close unanimous decision in a homecoming fight in front of a crowd of some 50,000 at a soccer stadium in Buenos Aires against interim titlist Martin Murray of England.

Martinez entered the fight having not fully recovered from the knee surgery he needed after the fight with Chavez. Martinez underwent a second procedure after the Murray bout and has not yet resumed training.

Penagaricano said that if no deal is made for a Martinez-Cotto fight that Cotto would face somebody else June 7."

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/10218608/miguel-cotto-turns-offer-fight-saul-canelo-alvarez

 

This is a really interesting fight. Normally I have quite a strong feeling either way, but this one I can't decide. After having a hard time with Murry and getting dropped heavily by Chavez, and then the knee thing, it is easy for me to come up with arguments for why I think Cotto will win. But I wouldn't be at all surprised if Martinez wins comfortably. I really don't know!

 

And this is by definition, what makes for a GOOD fight!

After thinking about it, I'd take this one over the looks-to-be-a-done-deal Mayweather vs Manny if I had to choose which one watch.

Lawd, lawd. I've got too, too much to do and need to get off MAP. Too many good fight topics have me rattled for more.

 

Martinez has a good chin in terms of being able to be knocked down and get back up unhurt, he was hurt against chafatz, but he was every bit of 180 or more lbs on fight night and then tested positive for weed afterward. Cotto can't punch like that, but Cotto's vicious body attack is a different story and Sergio has great movement, but Cotto can cut the ring off perhaps better than most fighters today and you don't need concussive power to hit that liver, you only need the right placement... Cotto needs to absolutely beat that body into submission, stay away from the power head shots, use that power jab that he uses so well, get inside and don't get out until those ribs are black and blue. Good chins are well and good... but no matter how muscled a body is, those serratus anterior muscles just don't offer much protection to the liver or the spleen.

 

I always thought for a guy who has his hands so low like Martinez he should have the reactions to suit. He postures like a prime Roy Jones at times. But Roy didn't get hit! Martinez is a good fighter, no doubt, but he really shouldn't have struggled with the British fighters the way he did. I don't wish that to sound disrespectful in any way, but hopefully you know what I mean.

 

I know what you mean, I have always felt anyone who fought with hands at their sides is very foolish. You always should have your guard up and ready. Macklin, Murray, etc all have been guards and use a good jab... just like Cotto. Martinez was lucky to get the decision vs. Murray and TBH I think Murray won the fight, but it was in Sergio's hometown so that wasn't happening.

Martinez has now said he doesn't think Cotto will last 5 rounds. We'll see.

 

He said that? That's a big boast! I'm not sure that was a very intelligent thing for him to say. As you said, we'll see.

 

Update on this:

By Rick Reeno

Sampson Lewkowicz, adviser to WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (51-2-2, 28KOs), informed BoxingScene.com that a potential fight with Miguel Cotto (38-4, 31KOs) will be fought at the full division limit of 160-pounds.

Martinez-Cotto is being negotiated for a date of June 7th at New York's Madison Square Garden, and HBO Pay-Per-View would carry the contest.

Cotto is focused on making history by becoming the first Puerto Rican fighter to win world title in four weight divisions. He previously held world titles at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight. Martinez would return for the first time since an April 2013 decision win over Martin Murray.

"I can't give too many details about the negotiations. Our promoter Lou DiBella is handling those discussions. It is my understanding, if the fight were to happen, it will happen at the full middleweight limit. Cotto wants to become a real middleweight champion. The middleweight champion fights at 160-pounds. Cotto wants to make history and has no problem with the weight. It really doesn't matter, the weight, because Martinez never comes in at 160-pounds. He always weighs a pound or two under the limit," Lewkowicz told BoxingScene.com.

 

I think I'm starting to lean towards Cotto.

 

Everyone picks Martinez ... and it's for good reason, but they forget that though Cotto isn't the wrecking ball he was at 140 and 147, that Martinez is also older, and this is will be his first fight back since knee surgery. Cotto however does not IMO have the power to walk him down and be the aggressor and will have to do more of the moving. BUT... with that may come a price to Sergio's knee, and as far as I know this is his second surgery on it. Like I think I've said before, Cotto needs to beat on his body HARD from the start and not get countered.

 

Apparenly there is a verbal aggrement between Cotto and Martinez... I don't believe anything is signed as of yet though. Looks like June 7th could be worth saving up for.