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Alvarez eager to finalize Miguel Cotto showdown

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is eager to finalize his proposed fight against Miguel Cotto, which will likely happen on Cinco de Mayo weekend on May 2 next year.

Jose Reynoso, Canelo’s manager, said there are other options for Alvarez, but the Mexican boxing superstar wants to face Cotto because of the Puerto Rican’s World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight title.

“We want it for the title that Miguel Cotto has. That’s what we are looking for, to fight for his title,” Reynoso told BoxingScene.

Reynoso expressed confidence the showdown between Cotto and Alvarez will be a huge hit next year, pointing out boxing fans have been showing interest in watching how Canelo will fare against another experienced fighter like the Puerto Rican champion.

“It’s one of the most anticipated fights out there. The media has shown their interest for a long time,” Reynoso said. “I think it would be a very interesting fight based on the aspects of the two fighters. Cotto is a fighter of experience, with great prestige; while Saul is on track to be the best and is still gaining experience.”

Alvarez’s camp claimed that the ball is now in Cotto’s court. Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum said on Monday the fight will likely be finalized next week and also expressed confidence that the fight will do well in terms of revenue, saying it will revive the rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican boxers.

“We have to have it done by Monday or Tuesday of next week,” Arum said. “This week everybody is off on vacation, but stuff is happening, we’re moving ahead. I mean, we expect by the beginning of January to have an announcement.”

Cotto, who won the WBC middleweight title against Sergio Martinez in June, is also being linked to a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Sources said Mayweather’s camp offered $40 million to Cotto for a rematch, but Arum denied such negotiation.

“That is nonsense,” Arum said of the rumored negotiation for the Mayweather-Cotto rematch. “It’s just not true, we’re negotiating with Cotto to finalize this fight with Canelo and we’ve been absolutely assured that’s not true.”