I don’t need a belt, says Miguel Cotto as he is stripped of his WBC title ahead of Canelo bout
Puerto Rican fails to pay sanctioning fee to boxing body and relinquishes his title
Puerto Rican middleweight great Miguel Cotto says he doesn’t need a world title to lend importance to his Saturday showdown with Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
“I don’t need a belt to fight Canelo,” said Cotto, who was stripped of his World Boxing Council crown on Tuesday over failure to pay the $300,000 sanctioning fee they demanded for a world title bout.
Alvarez and his camp stumped up their $300,000, and the former WBC and World Boxing Association super welterweight world champion can claim the vacant WBC title with a victory.
We’re not just going out there looking for a knockout. I want him using his foot speed and his angles. He’s a more complete fighter now than ever
Cotto said Wednesday he had offered the WBC $125,000, but the sanctioning body rejected it. He was unrepentant over failing to pay the $300,000 – or a further $800,000 step-aside fee to mandatory challenger Gennady Golovkin.
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The 34-year-old Puerto Rican, winner of world titles in four weight divisions, takes a record of 40-4 with 33 knockouts into the bout.
Trainer Freddie Roach said Cotto is in as good a shape as he has ever seen him.
“We are going to box a lot in this fight,” Roach said. “We’re not just going out there looking for a knockout. I want him using his foot speed and his angles. He’s a more complete fighter now than ever.”
But Roach admits he’d love to see Cotto knock out Alvarez – then call out Floyd Mayweather to put his 49-0 record on the line.