10072015Wed
Last updateFri, 02 Oct 2015 1pm

Canelo-Cotto showdown set to eclipse ‘Money’ Mayweather’s finale

Another round in the fierce Mexico-Puerto Rico boxing rivalry will play out at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on November 21 when Guadalajara’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez takes on WBC middleweight world champion Miguel Cotto

“This will be an event that will not disappoint fans,” Alvarez promised at a press conference to announce the fight.

The buzz in the boxing scene suggests the fight will be a much bigger box office draw than Floyd Mayweather’s supposed farewell fight against Andre Berto on September 12.

“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,” said Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya.

Previous rivalries between the two Spanish-speaking nations include classic fights such as Julio Cesar Chavez’s points victory against Hector “Macho” Camacho in 1992.

Both Cotto and Alvarez have similar aggressive styles and experts wonder if the fight may turn into a thrilling slugfest, with a knockout a real possibility.

Cotto (40-4, 33 KO), 34, has been a professional for 15 years, while Alvarez (45-1, 32 KO), who is

The Guadalajara fighter admits the match-up is evenly balanced, given Cotto’s undoubted experience and quality.  “It’s 50/50. The winner of this fight is the one that’s going to train better, that’s going to work harder and that’s going to be able to lay out that plan inside the ring,” Alvarez said.

Despite the Tapatio’s clear physical advantages, Cotto feels he has enough experience and boxing smarts to win.  “When you have more than one tool in your bag, the opponent can bring whatever style he wants to bring, and you have something in your bag for it. We’ll do the same for this fight,” he said at the press conference.

The fight will be shown live on HBO Pay Per View.

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