Miguel Cotto could face Timothy Bradley in June if the super showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. happens on Cinco de Mayo weekend on May 2.
According to Ben Thompson of Fighthype, Cotto is closely monitoring the negotiation for the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight as he is eyeing a rematch with the reigning pound-for-pound king. Previous reports indicated that Cotto will get a shot against Mayweather if the negotiation for the Pacquiao fight goes down again.
But if the long-awaited super fight is finalized for May, Cotto will reportedly settle for a showdown with Bradley, the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.
Sources indicated that should Cotto decide to defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight title against Bradley, the pay-per-view fight will be staged on June 13 at Madison Square Garden - one day before the annual Puerto Rican Day festivities in New York.
Gaby Peñagarícano, Cotto's adviser, confirmed that they are nearing a decision on who to face next. Cotto's camp was engaged in deep talks for a fight against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, but the two sides failed to find a common ground. With Alvarez out of the picture, the lawyer revealed that they are considering several options at this point.
"There has been a development. We are continuing to plan out the details of the fight," Peñagarícano told El Vocero via BoxingScene. "As I've have said before, I think Miguel will fight in May or June. We were discussing a fight we could not make with Canelo. Now we are going with another plan. But obviously we will [decide] very soon."
Joel Diaz, Bradley's trainer, said last month that they are willing to face Cotto for his middleweight title. The fight will likely have a catchweight of 155 pounds, which is still significantly higher than the 147-pound welterweight limit, but Diaz feels confident Bradley can stand toe-to-toe against Cotto despite the disparity in size.
"He would match up really good, because Tim has always been the smaller guy - even in the amateurs," Diaz told BoxingScene. "In the amateurs Tim fought at 152, in his last fights in the amateurs. Internationally, in the amateurs, he fought at 152-pounds. He would match really good, because I see Tim in the gym perform."
Bradley fought Diego Chaves to a split draw in December, while Cotto has not fought since capturing the WBC middleweight title via a stoppage win against then-champion Sergio Martinez in June last year.
