Miguel Cotto’s Possible Next Fight Called Off
After it almost seemed like a guarantee that Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KO) and Juan Manuel Marquez (56-7-1, 40 KO) would square off in the fall, both sides could not come to an agreement.
The main issue was the weight would the fight be contested at, and neither camp could agree, which caused the bout to be called off. Miguel Cotto Promotions’ Bryan Perez, Cotto’s right-hand man, told ESPN.com on August 1, that “a fight with Juan Manuel Marquez is not happening, 100 percent for sure. Maybe we can make it later on, but it will not be Miguel’s fight this year,” Perez said.
Accoding to Perez, Marquez was willing to fight at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. Meanwhile, Cotto’s camp was willing to go down as far as 150 pounds for the fight. They could not overcome the 3-pound difference.
“Miguel wanted the fight, but it was all about getting a deal for the right weight,” Perez said. “Financial-wise, there were no problems making a deal. Usually making a big fight, it’s financial when there are issues. That was not what happened with Marquez.”
Cotto is the only Puerto Rican to ever win world titles in four different weight classes, and has boxed between 152 and 155 pounds in his past nine fights since leaving the welterweight division in 2010. Marquez has won world titles in four weight divisions between featherweight and junior welterweight.
Marquez is 3-2 in his last five fights, including a victory over Mike Alvarado in May 2014. He’s known for his legendary rivalry with Manny Pacquiao, where he is 1-2-1 against the Phillipine native. Cotto is 3-3 in his last six fights after defeating Antonio Margarito in a rematch back in 2011. Cotto’s last fight was a decision loss to Canelo Alvarez back in December 2015.
There is a feeling that Cotto’s next fight will take place in South Florida at Marlins Park, home of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball. It’s not the first time Cotto has fought in a baseball stadium — he defeated Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium for the WBA Light Middleweight title in 2010. So far, there are no concrete names as it pertains to Cotto’s next opponent.
