Can the Fight Live Up to the Rivalry?
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Puerto Rico vs. Mexico boxing is easily among the greatest rivalries in all of sport.
There's always an added element of excitement and anticipation whenever a pair of elite warriors from the two boxing-crazed nations meet in the ring.
Salvador Sanchez vs. Wilfredo Gomez.
Gomez vs. Carlos Zarate.
Cotto vs. Margarito.
Felix Trinidad vs. Yory Boy Campas.
We could go on and on, but the point is that both Cotto and Canelo will have a lot of hype to live up to and national pride to defend when they walk into the Mandalay Bay Saturday night.
The fight seems to have a lot going for it when we consider whether or not it can reach the upper echelon among the greatest Puerto Rico vs. Mexico fights of all time.
Both Cotto and Canelo are tough, vicious body punchers who like to fight at close quarters. That is usually code for high-action and high-octane fighting, and it would be a big surprise if these two warriors don't deliver the goods.
Their styles are built for a war, and you'll have a packed house egging them on whenever the action reaches a fevered pitch. Hopefully, that happens often.
After all, much more is on the line here than just alphabet championships..
What Are the Stakes?
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The stakes are high for both men.
Cotto is already considered among the best Puerto Rican fighters of all time, but a win here could quite possibly solidify him at or near the very top of that list. That would be quite the accomplishment, given the high number of quality fighters and champions produced by the island.
He's already a four-division champion (the first in Puerto Rican history) and a future Hall of Fame fighter, but the chance to turn back a younger champion would be the icing on his legacy.
Canelo, obviously, has a ways to go before he can start entering into that type of conversation in Mexico, but he has a realistic shot to walk in the footsteps of his promoter and mentor Oscar De La Hoya as a Mexican fighter who achieved transcendent fame.
The 25-year-old also carries the burden of being one of the only marquee draws (if not the only) remaining under De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions' banner. He was one of the few fighters to remain with Golden Boy in the aftermath of Richard Schaefer's departure, and that makes him vital to the company's success.
De La Hoya dismissed concerns about placing his young star in a tough fight like this one during an international media conference call last week.
"We are not gambling," De La Hoya said. "This is a great event for all the fans and for all of boxing. I don’t see it as a game. We feel that Canelo and the people deserve the best fights, period."
That's an admirable sentiment, and the right attitude, but this fight definitely poses higher risk for Canelo and Golden Boy than for anyone on the other side of the fence.
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