Regardless of the huge financial numbers posted by the "tepid affair" between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao in May, the most important bout of '15 "might just have crept up upon us," according to Martin Rogers of USA TODAY. Saturday's Canelo Alvarez-Miguel Cotto fight "comes at a critical and pivotal time for boxing, which is in the midst of a reboot and seeking a fresh identity." The fight "promises, at least on the surface, to be everything Mayweather-Pacquiao was not, an all-action, explosive slugfest between a pair of world class boxers with everything to play for." And it "comes with a rivalry between two regions where boxing still holds a cherished place in sports in society, Mexico and Puerto Rico." Just as the "folly of spring brought the sound of yawns and crickets to the MGM Grand Garden Arena," there will be "noise and clamor on an ear-splitting scale this weekend, with flags, songs and a healthy dose of jingoism thrown into the mix." With Mayweather "having retired, at least for now, and Pacquiao due to shimmy into full-time politics after a farewell contest" in '16, boxing "is in limbo, searching for a superstar to capitalize on the breach." The sport "can rebuild its image with a look to yesteryear, when the since-forgotten fan was at the forefront, and making the best fights and giving the most value for money was of greater importance than taking the cash and running for the hills" (USA TODAY, 11/20).
REPRESENTING THEIR COUNTRIES: In Las Vegas, Case Keefer wrote there is a "different feel around the last major boxing week" of '15. For the first time in several years, the big fight in Las Vegas "pits opponents representing separate boxing-crazed countries with fans notorious for their patriotic fervor." The Money Team merchandising "is out; national team soccer jerseys are in." It is the first "local installment of the storied history between the two countries in the ring since Cotto lost to Antonio Margarito" in '08 at the MGM Grand. Golden Boy President & co-Founder Oscar De La Hoya, who is promoting Alvarez, said, "Mexico vs. Puerto Rico, it’s going to be a war." Keefer notes the stereotype of Mexican and Puerto Rican fighters is that they "will never shy from coming forward and engaging." De La Hoya is "doubling down on that style playing out on Saturday" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 11/18). ESPN's Joe Tessitore said, "Now the true fight of the year has arrived." He added, "Cotto is Puerto Rican, Alvarez is Mexican. In boxing circles, you needn't say more. In terms of sports rivalries fueled by jingoistic fervor, not much competes with what happens in the ring between elite Puerto Rican and Mexican fighters" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/19).
