The long-discussed Sergio Martinez vs. Miguel Cotto Middleweight championship bout has been finalized. Martinez vs. Cotto is official for June 7th at Madison Square Garden, and the fight will headline an HBO pay-per-view event.
Martinez’s WBC strap and status as the top dog in the division and lineal champion are all at stake. Additionally, Cotto will look to boost his credentials to an even rarer place, as he seeks to become a champion in a 4th division after beginning his career as a 140 lb titlist.
Martinez vs. Cotto has been rumored for quite some time. It became clear that Cotto wanted this fight, on this date, in this location, more than anything else, and he turned down a reported $10 million offer to face Canelo Alvarez to go in this direction instead.
Cotto, now working with Freddie Roach, looked in excellent form when he dismantled Delvin Rodriguez in October. The performance pushed him back towards the spotlight after consecutive defeats.
As for Maravilla, by fight night he will have been on the shelf for more than a year. His last fight was a homecoming in Argentina in April 2013, where he took home a narrow decision against Martin Murray.
There are major questions surrounding his health and his status, and how much he has left in the tank at this point — if anything at all. Therefore, many people are looking at Martinez as a lame duck champion in some ways, ripe for the picking for a fighter such as Floyd Mayweather or Gennady Golovkin.
Instead, it’s Cotto who will get his turn first.
Even though Martinez is a small Middleweight, he’ll still have the size and reach edge on Cotto. If he’s in form, he also have a significant edge in speed and slickness. But Cotto may be able to slow him down to the body, or utilize his own jab and power-boxing to offset Martinez’s often awkward approach in the ring.
Martinez vs. Cotto is a very intriguing bout, and there’s a ton on the line for each man. You can be sure that Madison Square Garden will be rocking on June 7th!
