NEW YORK (August 13, 2015) – Roc Nation Sports, Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Canelo Promotions are pleased to announce the highly anticipated clash of two titans in a classic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico battle. On Saturday, Nov. 21, 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), a former WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion will finally meet in the ring at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas for the WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championship. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
The fight promises crowd-pleasing, high-intensity action between two powerful fighters competing in the primes of their careers who are both coming off of impressive, dominating performances in their most recent respective fights. With seven world titles between them, their impressive resumes and their levels of popularity in their home countries, Cotto vs. Canelo is shaping up to be the biggest fight in boxing this year and the biggest fight in the history of the famed Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry. The rivalry, which dates back to the 1930s, has seen epic clashes including those between Salvador “Sal” Sanchez and Wilfredo “Bazooka” Gomez, Julio Cesar “J.C.” Chavez and Hector “Macho” Camacho as well as the last super-fight of the 20th century between “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya and Felix “Tito” Trinidad.
Information regarding ticket availability and a press tour for the fight will be announced soon.
“I will give the fans the fight they want to see,” said Cotto. “As I have always said, during my whole career, I am here to fight the best names and the best fighters. This will be another chapter in my career and I will be ready for him. Fans will enjoy a real fight, another classic battle in the Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry.”
“Historically, mega-fights are made because fans demand them,” said Alvarez. “In this case, the fans have spoken out, longing for this fight and it is my pleasure to say that it is finally happening. All fights at this level are very important, but this fight in particular has something more. It will hold a special place in history as part of the big rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, and I promise all the fans that this is going to be an event that will not disappoint.”
“Cotto vs. Canelo is the biggest fight in boxing, period,” said David Itskowitch, COO Boxing of Roc Nation Sports. “Given the fighters’ styles, it has all the makings of a can’t-miss, all-action fight. Couple that with the popularity of both Miguel and Canelo, and you have a true mega-fight that fans have been clamoring for and one that no sports fan should miss. November 21 has all the makings of a fight that will go down in boxing history as one of the greats.”
“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, Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez,” said Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Cotto vs. Canelo will be an epic showdown, full of non-stop action from the moment the first bell rings. This fight is an example of exactly what Golden Boy Promotions does: puts on the best fights between top fighters in the primes of their careers.”
“We are excited to bring the fight that the fans of boxing deserve,” said Hector Soto, Miguel Cotto Promotions vice president. “This will be a real fight. On November 21, the world will witness the biggest fight in the history of Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry.”
“The great rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico has a rich history in the sport of boxing,” said Jose “Chepo” Reynoso, Manager to Canelo Alvarez. “Classic fights like Julio Cesar ‘J.C.’ Chavez vs. Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho and Wilfredo Gomez vs. Salvador Sanchez are prime examples of the history of that great rivalry. Cotto-Canelo will become part of that history, a fight that most likely will be the biggest fight to date due to the great popularity of both of the warriors. Fans demanded this fight and now have it!”
“Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez have earned the adulation and respect of fans the world over for both stepping into the ring against the most formidable opposition as well as giving everything in their arsenal to try and win their fights,” said Mark Taffet, Senior Vice President, HBO Pay-Per-View. “Uniquely, Cotto-Canelo is a can’t-miss fan-friendly mega-fight and the most highly anticipated event of the second half of the year. We are delighted to serve as the television partner for this red-hot PPV showdown on November 21 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.”
“The Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez championship event will be one of the most entertaining, action-packed fights of 2015,” said Richard Sturm, president of sports and entertainment for MGM Resorts International. “We look forward to hosting these two great warriors in November as they deliver boxing fans worldwide a thrilling night from inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center.”
Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) is 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. He is the former WBO Junior Welterweight World Champion, the former WBA Welterweight World Champion, the former WBO Welterweight World Champion and the former WBA Super Welterweight World Champion. He also represented Puerto Rico in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Cotto has competed in 23 world championship fights, compiling a record of 19-4 with 16 knockouts in those bouts. In Puerto Rico, he is hailed as a national hero and the successor of Felix “Tito” Trinidad as the island’s most revered boxer. Cotto is one of the biggest gate attractions in boxing and one of the largest pay-per-view draws among active fighters. In June 2014, Cotto made history in his first fight as a middleweight by dominating Argentine southpaw and defending WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KOs). He is trained by legendary Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and has fought some of the biggest names in the sport including Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. Cotto owns his own boxing promotional company in Puerto Rico, Miguel Cotto Promotions, and presides over his charity La Fundación El Ángel de Miguel Cotto, a non-profit organization dedicated to combatting childhood obesity. In March 2015, Cotto and Roc Nation Sports announced that they had entered into a partnership that includes a co-promotional agreement with Miguel Cotto Promotions to promote Cotto’s fights. On June 6, 2015, almost one year to the day since his last appearance in the ring, Cotto defended his WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships against former two-time World Champion Daniel Geale (31-3) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Cotto scored a thunderous knockdown early in the fourth round before finishing matters with a second knockdown midway through the round, which left Geale unable to continue. He now looks to further cement his Hall of Fame resume with a win over Canelo.
At the age of 25, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) has conquered the boxing world, captivating fans both in Mexico and around the globe with his action-packed fighting style, charisma and willingness to take on the toughest challenges. Alvarez’s road to stardom began in 2011 with a win over Matthew “Magic” Hatton for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World title in March, his first title defense against Ryan Rhodes in June and stoppage victories over Alfonso Gomez and former World Champion Kermit Cintron in September and November respectively. On May 5, 2012, Alvarez defended his belt for the fourth time when he faced future Hall of Famer Sugar Shane Mosley as part of the “Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto” pay-per-view telecast. Even though the fight lasted 12 rounds, the popular Mexican showed the 40 year-old veteran the road to retirement, winning via unanimous decision. The victory over Mosley set up a September 15 showdown with breakout star Josesito Lopez in which he knocked Lopez down three times before ending the bout with a fifth round technical knockout. Next, boxing’s most popular phenom continued on the path to superstardom with a 12-round unanimous decision over WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout on May 4, 2013 in front of over 39,000 fans at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas which made him a unified world champion. The win proved Alvarez’s supremacy at 154 pounds and also made it clear that he was a bona fide ticket seller wherever he decided to fight. On September 14, 2013, Alvarez faced the man on top of the pound-for-pound list, Floyd “Money” Mayweather. He put forth a stellar effort before falling short of victory for the first time as a professional via a 12-round majority decision. The fight ended up being not just the biggest of 2013, but also the second highest grossing bout of all time and the second most watched boxing event ever on Mexican television (only behind this year’s Mayweather-Pacquiao). Since then, Alvarez has won three straight fights, defeating top stars Alfredo “Perro” Angulo on March 8, 2014 via technical knockout in the 10th round and Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara via split decision on July 12, 2014. On May 9, 2015, Alvarez dazzled with a victory over the fierce James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland at Minute Maid Park in Houston in front of more than 31,000 fans that featured what many have already deemed the “Knockout of the Year.” Now, Alvarez is on a mission to position himself as the most popular boxer of his generation and break into the top pound-for-pound list when he faces the feared Miguel Cotto on November 21.
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! and O’Reilly Auto Parts. 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.