Less than three weeks from the scheduled WBC middleweight title bout between champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) and challenger Saul Canelo Alavrez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) in Las Vegas, Nevada, experts are still divided on who would claim victory come Nov. 21. A number of boxing personalities have provided thoughts on who would win, although there is no clear and concurrent choice.
According to Boxing News Online, former light middleweight titleholder Austin Trout shared that the Mexican Canelo has the right elements to his favor entering the right. Trout has fought both boxers in title bouts, winning over Cotto via unanimous decision in December 2012 and losing to Canelo in April the following year, also by unanimous decision.
The combination of Canelo's size, strength, and youth turns the odds to his favor, Trout said. Canelo is 25 years old, 10 years younger than the defending champion.
"Cotto's experience gives him a bit of an edge but Canelo's youth, strength and size is going to give him the fight in my opinion," Trout remarked. "I'm rooting for Cotto though."
Trout mentioned that if Cotto survives Canelo's onslaught in the early round, then the Puerto Rican has a strong chance.
"Canelo gasses in fights, his output drops dramatically in fights so if it goes to the later rounds, Cotto has a chance," he said.
Boxing legend Roberto Duran, who once sat atop the boxing world as champion from lightweight to middleweight, also sees Canelo as the winner, Boxing News Online reported. Duran's opinion mirrors that of Trout, saying Canelo has the edge in power and youth.
"I think Canelo is the new star of boxing. He has youth, power, and even though he has lost a fight to Floyd Mayweather," Duran said. "Miguel Cotto is a good fighter, but he is not now at his best moment."
On the opposite side of the fence, boxing trainer Ricky Funez told Boxing News 24 that Cotto has a significant advantage over Canelo in ring skills, hand speed and experience, which will become pronounced once the fight gets going.
The winner of the Cotto-Alvarez showdown will likely land a historic mega bout with middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin next year.
