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Cotto return now targeted for 2017 vs. Peterson

Photo by: Chris Farina/Top Rank
Fighters Network
17
Sep

GRAPEVINE, Texas – Miguel Cotto hasn’t fought since losing a decision to Canelo Alvarez last November. After targeting Dec. 3 at Barclays Center for his 2016 debut, Cotto and promoter Roc Nation Sports have suddenly changed course.

It’s now becoming increasingly likely that Cotto won’t fight this year and will come back in the first quarter of 2017 against Lamont Peterson, multiple sources informed RingTV.com.

The logistics of staging a fight in December so close to another Roc Nation client – Andre Ward and his HBO PPV light heavyweight clash with Sergey Kovalev on Nov. 19 didn’t make sense from a financial standpoint, the source said. Nothing has been finalized but Cotto’s potential bout with Peterson is likely another pay-per-view show, making the move to 2017 even more necessary so as not to detract from Ward-Kovalev, the source said.

Cotto’s return has long been in the works with multiple dates and opponents popping up – from the summer to the fall – only for Cotto to recalibrate his plans. The move to 2017 is an attempt to wipe the slate clean of 2016 and start anew with multiple fights intended for Cotto in 2017, the source said.



Despite his inactivity, Cotto (40-5, 33 knockouts) is still a big name. His loss to Alvarez on Nov. 21 in an HBO PPV card generated around 900,000 buys, a colossal figure based on what other fights have produced this year on the pay platform. The 35-year-old Cotto, who is the only Puerto Rican fighter to win titles in four weight classes, has been in talks with Peterson’s camp for weeks.

There is a belief a deal will get done for them to fight at the outset of 2017, the source said. An announcement is expected in the coming weeks. Peterson is a former junior welterweight titleholder who won a controversial majority decision against Felix Diaz last October.

 

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