Four-weight world champion Miguel Cotto has praised his legendary trainer Freddie Roach as the man to mastermind his victory over Mexican rival Canelo Alvarez.
The Puerto Rican icon’s fight week preparations have been marred in controversy after he was stripped of his WBC middleweight belt for failing to pay the governing bodies sanctioning fees.
As a result, Cotto will no longer be able to defend his world title for Saturday night’s megafight, exclusively live on BoxNation, but is certain he will emerge the victor after joining forces with the esteemed Roach, who has turned his career around with three wins in a row.
“Everything happens when it is the time to happen. I arrived three years ago, and my career had a different way to go right now because of Freddie, because of what Freddie did to myself,” said Cotto.
“I don’t know what would happen in my career if Freddie was with me before. Nobody can know that.
“We have developed a good chemistry between us. We can talk about our plans, what is going to be best for us during the fight. Our chemistry is the best thing we have with each other. Freddie has done such a great job and we are very prepared for this fight,” he said.
Hall of Fame trainer Roach is also upbeat, backing his man to take care of business in sensational style this weekend when he steps in against the formidable Canelo, who has 45 wins with just one loss – that coming against pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather.
“We’ve had three great fights so far, and I expect the best one to be coming up soon,” said Roach.
“I think Miguel is the best fighter he’s ever fought, and I think he’s handpicked opponents. Mayweather was a tough fighter but not a big puncher, and this is the first heavy puncher he’s going against.
“Miguel has looked great in his last three fights, and his punching power is improving, and he’s using every bit of his body weight to do that, and it’s something we have been working on, and he’s punching very well.
“I feel that this guy gets hit too much, and I think Miguel will knock him out somewhere along the way. It’s going to be a great fight, and we are looking for a knock out in this fight, and we will be the first person to knock out Alvarez,” said a confident Roach.
35-year-old Cotto will enter the ring as the more experienced man having turned professional nearly 15 years ago when he made his debut in February 2001 with a first round stoppage over Jason Doucet.
Cotto claims a win over Canelo will be his biggest victory and has revealed that the time is near at hand for him to hang up his gloves.
“Boxing is the only thing I know to do in life. I’ve been working for the benefit of my family. I said before that I’m going to retire myself. I am 35 years old. I plan to be in boxing no longer than a year from now,” said Cotto.
“I don’t want to be in the sport for that much longer. I see two or three more fights and that will be all.
“This win will probably be the biggest victory of my career, but at the end of the road it’s just going to be victory No. 41 for me,” he said.
Cotto v Canelo is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 525, TalkTalk 415, online or app) this Saturday night. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.
Live Stream: Cotto vs. Canelo Presser at 4:00 P.M. ET
24/7 Cotto/Canelo: Finale debuts Thursday at 11 p.m. ET/PT: Episode #2 ( finale) – Debut: THURSDAY, NOV. 19 (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT) – Other HBO playdates: Nov. 20 (2:45 p.m., 12:30 a.m.) and 21 (11:30 a.m.) – HBO2 playdates: Nov. 19 (1:50 a.m.), 20 (7:00 p.m.) and 21 (4:30 p.m.) As they break camp, Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) and Canelo Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) finalize their game plans prior to fight week activities for the blockbuster pay-per-view middleweight title showdown at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 21.
Both episodes of 24/7 COTTO/CANELO will be presented back-to-back Friday, Nov. 20 (midnight) and Saturday, Nov. 21 (11:00 a.m.) on HBO, and Friday, Nov. 20 (6:30 p.m.) and Saturday, Nov. 21 (4:00 p.m.) on HBO2.
24/7 COTTO/CANELO is also available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and HBO Latino.
The executive producer of 24/7 COTTO/CANELO is Rick Bernstein; senior producer, Dave Harmon; coordinating producer, Bentley Weiner; producer, Abtin Motia; writer, Aaron Cohen. Liev Schreiber narrates.
Boxing: ESPN and ESPN Deportes Present Extensive Coverage around Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez
ESPN and ESPN Deportes offer extensive pre- and post-fight coverage across its platforms in English and in Spanish surrounding the 12-round WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez.
ESPN’s coverage begins Tuesday, Nov. 17 with live reports and the latest news from Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas. ESPN’s Dan Rafael, Robert Flores, Teddy Atlas and Bernardo Osuna will be onsite alongside ESPN Deportes’ Carlos Nava, Claudia Trejos, David Faitelson, Jorge Eduardo Sanchez, Salvador Rodriguez, former referee Joe Cortez and former boxing champions Juan Manuel Marquez and Julio Cesar Chavez.
Highlights:
TELEVISION
“Cotto vs. Canelo: a One Nación & A Los Golpes Special”- Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 pm ET on ESPN Deportes and Friday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 pm on ESPNEWS
One Nación, ESPN’s platform serving bilingual Hispanic sports fans, and A Los Golpes, ESPN Deportes’ primetime boxing news and analysis show, present Cotto vs. Canelo, a special 30-min bilingual television show previewing the anticipated bout.
Hosted by Bernardo Osuna, Claudia Trejos and Marysol Castro, the special highlights the history and roots of each fighter and the boxing rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico with special guests: former boxing stars Julio Cesar Chavez and Ivan Calderon alongside former referee Joe Cortez.
Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs), the reigning WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion and the first native of Puerto Rico to become world champion in four different weight classes, and Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs), the former WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion, will kick off an international press tour on Monday, Aug. 24 ahead of their 12-round showdown for the WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 21.
Cotto vs. Canelo is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Canelo Promotions and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
The tour will begin in Los Angeles on Monday, Aug. 24; will continue in Mexico City on Tuesday, Aug. 25; New York City on Wednesday, Aug. 26 and conclude in Caguas, Puerto Rico on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Further details regarding all tour stops will be announced soon.
Cotto vs. Canelo, a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships, takes place Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra; Mexico, Live it to Believe it!; O’Reilly Auto Parts and Tequila Cazadores. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
It’s on! Cotto vs. “Canelo” on November 21st
The much anticipated bout between World Boxing Council middleweight Champion Miguel Cotto, and Saúl ´Canelo´ Álvarez, will be on November 21st according to the former Champion and distinguished promoter Oscar De a Hoya.
The fight will be broadcast by PPV by HBO.
A promotion tour of California, New York, México and Puerto Rico is also eagerly expected.