Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum confirmed a story that was broken on Thursday by BoxingScene.com’s Rick Reeno, who reported Top Rank’s possible plan to create a doubleheader on December 4 in Atlantic City with Miguel Cotto and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in separate fights.
Cotto and Chavez were initially scheduled to face each other on the December date, but Arum cited concerns over marketing for the switch in direction. Arum felt the Cotto-Chavez fight was taking place too close to the Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito pay-per-view, which happens on November 13. He says Cotto vs. Chavez could be a much bigger event if they push it back to the spring of 2011.
In BoxingScene’s report, it was written that Cotto would likely face fellow Puerto Rican Kermit Cintron, and Chavez would go in the ring against Polish boxer Pawel Wolak. Arum confirmed both of those possible fights, but says junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan is another strong candidate to challenge Cotto for his WBA title.
“Let’s put them together in the same event and if both come out with flying colors in their respective fights, we’ll look at the possibility that they meet next spring. Our fear is due to the proximity of an event of the magnitude of Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito. By making it in December, that event would not be as successful. It’s better to move Cotto-Chavez Jr. to the spring, when it would be a bigger event,” Arum told reporter Carlos Gonzalez.
