Miguel Cotto and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez are two of boxing’s best boxer-punchers, and much to the delight of fight fans, they will be trading leather on November 21st. Canelo will no doubt be the favorite when it arrives, but this another one of those fights that’s going to split opinion right down the middle.
The Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, will be filled to the rafters with fans – and you can expect a lot of them to have made the trip from Puerto Rico and Mexico. But who are you picking in this championship bout? Will Canelo emerge victorious, becoming one of boxing brightest post-Mayweather stars? Or will Cotto, a sure-fire future Hall of Famer, upset the odds?
(Don’t miss our Klitschko vs Fury and Golovkin vs Lemieux Extended Tale of the Tape)
Before you answer that, take a moment to check out our Cotto vs Canelo Extended Tale of the Tape. Prepare to be taken well beyond the usual facts and stats…
Note: Advantageous stats are indicated in red (some may be subjective), and championship stats refer to ‘fully fledged world titles’ only.
Miguel Cotto vs Canelo Alvarez
Physical/Vital
Birthplace
Puerto Rico … Mexico
Age
34 … 23
Height
5′ 7″ … 5′ 9″
Reach
67″ … 70.5″
Stance
Orthodox … Orthodox
Record (Amateur)
Debut
1993 … Unknown
Wins
125 … 44 (unofficial)
Defeats
23 … 2 (unofficial)
No Contests
0 … 0
Record (Pro)
Debut
2001 … 2005
Bouts
44 … 47
Wins
40 … 45
Knockout Ratio
75% (33) … 68% (32)
1st Round Knockouts
1 … 5
2nd Round Knockouts
5 … 6
3rd Round Knockouts
2 … 2
4th – 6th Round Knockouts
11 … 9
Defeats
4 … 1
Defeats by Knockout
2 … 0
Knockdowns Suffered
4 … 0
Draws
0 … 1
No Contests
0 … 0
Rounds Boxed
309 … 314
12-Rounders Completed
8 … 10
Current Winning Streak
3 … 3
Undefeated Fighters Defeated
6 … 4
Latest Win
Daniel Geale (TKO 4) … James Kirkland (TKO 3)
Current Trainer
Freddie Roach … Eddy Reynoso
World Title Bout Experience
Wins
19 … 7
Successful Defenses
15 … 6
Champions (Former/Current) Defeated
16 … 8
Defeats
4 … 1
Draws
0 … 0
No Contests
0 … 0
Longest Championship Reign
2.5 years … 2 years
Major Titles Won
WBO, WBA (140 lbs), WBO (147), WBA, WBA Super (154), WBC (160) … WBC, WBA (154 lbs)
Major Titles Currently Held
WBC Middleweight … None
Notable Wins
COTTO: Daniel Geale (TKO 4), Sergio Martinez (RTD 10), Antonio Margarito (RTD 9), Ricardo Mayorga (TKO 12), Yuri Foreman (TKO 9), Joshua Clottey (SD 12), Michael Jennings (TKO 5), Alfonso Gomez (RTD 5), Shane Mosley (UD 12), Zab Judah (TKO 11), Oktay Urkal (TKO 11), Carlos Quintana (RTD 5), Paulie Malignaggi (UD 12), Gianluca Branco (TKO 8), Ricardo Torres (KO 7), DeMarcus Corley (TKO 5), Randall Bailey (TKO 6), Kelson Pinto (TKO 6), Lovemore Ndou (UD 12), Victoriano Sosa (TKO 4), Carlos Maussa (TKO 8),
CANELO: James Kirkland (TKO 3), Erislandy Lara (SD 12), Alfredo Angulo (TKO 10), Austin Trout (UD 12), Josesito Lopez (TKO 5), Shane Mosley (UD 12), Kermit Cintron (TKO 5), Alfonzo Gomez (TKO 6), Ryan Rhodes (TKO 12), Matthew Hatton (UD 12), Luciano Leonel Cueelo (TKO 6), Jose Miguel Cotto (TKO 9), Miguel Vazquez (UD 10)
Common Opponents
(Loss, UD 12) … Floyd Mayweather … (Loss, MD 12)
(Loss, UD 12) … Austin Trout … (UD 12)
(UD 12) … Shane Mosley … (UD 12)
(RTD 5) … Alfonzo Gomez … (TKO 6)
Cotto vs Canelo: Summary
There you have it, fight fans! There’s a heck of a lot of stats to digest there, and the numbers have only added to the anticipation. On paper, Cotto is the better fighter. Most notably, he has significantly greater Amateur experience, has faced more superior opposition, has the harder KO ratio (75% – 68%), has made more successful title defenses (15 – 6), has defeated more current/former champions (16 – 8), and is a four-weight champion (140, 147, 154, 160 lbs).
But…
Canelo stands out in several areas that can’t be ignored: he’s 11 years younger (23 – 34), 2 inches taller (5′ 7″ – 5′ 9″), posses a 3.5″ reach advantage (67 – 70.5″), and has never been knocked down (0 – 4) or stopped (0 – 2). Canelo may be lacking in the number of quality opponents faced, but the guy is still a baby at 23, which is astonishing considering what he has already achieved in the sport.
And on the subject of experience, the numbers actually favor Canelo. His record contains more bouts (47 – 44) and wins (45 – 40), and features more completed 12-rounders (10 – 8). Alvarez has managed this feat by clocking up underage pro wins (a bit controversial, but also rather frightening considering he won a lot of those fights by knockout).
Cotto vs Canelo will headline an HBO PPV card on November 21st.
Based on our Extended Tale of the Tape, plus your own opinion, who are you picking in Cotto vs Canelo? Get discussing!
