Closing out a five-day, four-city international press tour which had already made stops in Los Angeles, Mexico City and New York City, WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) and former Two-Time Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) hosted a press conference on Friday, Aug. 28 in front of a hometown audience in Cotto’s native Puerto Rico. Hundreds of media members and thousands of screaming fans filled Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez to see Cotto and Canelo and their teams despite the area being hit by Tropical Storm Erika the night before.
The press conference audience was thrilled as the fighters made their entrance to an impressive pyrotechnic display. The excitement in the crowd continued as both fighters faced off and spoke about their upcoming 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships, which takes place Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. In addition, Jose “Chepo” Reynoso, manager and trainer for Canelo Alvarez, serenaded the crowed with an a capella rendition of the favorite Puerto Rican tune “Que Bonito Puerto Rico,” in a show of respect to the fans in the audience.
The press conference stop in Bayamón, Puerto Rico capped a busy week for Teams Cotto and Canelo. By the end of the week, Cotto and Canelo visited four cities in two countries, spanning four time zones, traveling 9,500 miles and encountering thousands of screaming fans in five days. Wherever they went, fans and the media were a buzz about the anticipated showdown between Cotto and Canelo, with many making early predictions that the Nov. 21 middleweight championship will be crowned ‘Fight of the Year.’
Both fighters are now heading off to their respective training camps in Los Angeles at Wild Card Gym for Miguel Cotto and San Diego, Calif. for Canelo Alvarez to prepare for their epic showdown on Nov. 21.
