World Boxing Council middleweight champion Miguel Cotto will start training next week for his next fight, which will likely be against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
Miguel Cotto Promotions CEO Bryan Perez said in an interview with ESPN Deportes that the Puerto Rican will begin training under coach Freddie Roach at Wild Card Gym starting next week.
Perez added that Cotto will start getting himself in shape while waiting for his next fight to be finalized after being inactive since winning the middleweight title via a dominating win against Sergio Martinez in June.
Cotto, who holds a 39-4 record with 32 knockout victories, was supposed to fight this month, but was forced to move his next fight date due to Roach's busy schedule.
The 34-year-old Puerto Rican is being linked to several possible opponents, but Perez said that there are ongoing negotiations for a fight against Alvarez.
"We are in the middle of negotiations," Perez said of the possible showdown with Alvarez. "Meanwhile, Miguel has remained working and running, to maintain [his physical condition]. The interesting thing about this moment in time is that Miguel is in an excellent position to choose his next opponent and what benefits him best."
Alvarez has also expressed interest in facing Cotto in a super fight, which will likely happen on Cinco De Mayo weekend on May 2 in Las Vegas.
Recent reports indicated that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not willing to surrender the fight date to Alvarez next year. The unbeaten champion has fought on Cinco De Mayo weekend over the past three years.
Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya said, though, that they are determined to arrange a fight involving Alvarez on May 2, and also confirmed the ongoing negotiations for the fight.
"The good thing is that we started the talks. I'll be talking to Bob Arum in the next two days, we will sit down and hopefully this fight is done. First we must finalize the details of business of the fight, then grabbed the date of May 2," De La Hoya said. "There is no secret here that Canelo Alvarez wants to fight in May, on May 2. Now if Mayweather wants to fight, it must be April or June perhaps."
