Before investing too many of your brain cells into Miguel Cotto vs. Saul Alvarez pre-fight analysis, I?d suggest you hold off a bit. There?s probably a better than even-money chance that it never happens, at least not this coming September.
Yeah, I know that Cotto said that ?Canelo? is next and that just about every ?expert? in the media ran with the story, pretty much declaring that Cotto-Canelo was a sure thing. But hadn?t we heard similar empty promises from both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao about fighting one another ?next?? Didn?t it take over five years before ?next? really meant NEXT?
Plus, there was similar Cotto-Canelo talk for months, right before Cotto picked up his briefcase full of demands and walked away from the red-headed Mexican, towards an easy-peasy Daniel Geale slaughter. People were shocked and appalled that Cotto would walk away from such a big money no-brainer. But he did?and he thought nothing of it.
So, now, seeing as how the Geale smackdown ended up delivering good ratings for HBO and having it reinforced in his mind that he can make lots of money fighting guys he knows he can push around in negotiations and beat up in the ring, why would Cotto want to change a thing?
Dealing with Canelo Alvarez means dealing with someone with the leverage to demand a level playing field and all-around parity in everything from purse to contractual fight weight. In Cotto-Canelo, there is no ?A Side.? And, actually, if you want to be a stickler about such things, the Mexican fan favorite from Guadalajara is probably just a bit more deserving of preferred fighter status when it comes to negotiations. Alvarez has outdrawn Cotto in both live gate and TV rating in recent bouts.
But what Miguel Cotto has learned from deals with both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is that the only smart thing to be at this level of the game is an ?A Side.? In both high-profile losses, and especially in the Pacquiao bout, Cotto was at the mercy of the star and the star?s whims. He was handcuffed by the wishes of the house fighter and had to walk away with just a fraction of the riches.
Since then, Cotto has insisted on being in full control and has made every opponent since Floyd and Manny bend to his demands. And things have gone exceptionally well for him since then. Cotto not only signed a three-fight, $50 million deal (plus $5 million signing bonus) with Roc Nation Sports, but he has looked absolutely superb in the three fights under the guidance of trainer Freddie Roach.
So, with his career rejuvenated and his status as an ?A Side? confirmed, why would he change a thing?
The answer is that he probably won?t want to change a thing and that what killed Cotto-Canelo talks the first time, will likely kill them (and faster) the second time. Only obscene amounts of money dumped at the feet of the Boricua battler and a silent, compliant Team Canelo can make this super-fight happen. Most likely, though, we?ll see the Son of Mayweather-Pacquiao and another mega-fight collapse into total buzzkill.
