Cotto Advisor Says Talks Ongoing, But Cotto-Canelo Deal “Not Close”

My mind took a flight of fancy this past week, into 2015, which I foresee to be a better year in boxing, with all entities and conglomerates humming on four cylinders, putting their best feet and fists forward, with robust competition and new players in the mix breeding an uptick in competitive matchmaking, as incorporated heavyweights tussle for market share.

I noted that Oscar De La Hoya wasn’t present in Brooklyn for the “B” level Golden Boy show at Barclays which turned out some “A” level action and KOs, from David Lemieux, Hugo Centeno, and Brooklyner Zach Ochoa, and then, after having heard that The Bobfather, the Brooklyn-born Vegas based dealmaker Bob Arum, was in LA in the middle of the week, I drifted off.

I imagined them holed up in a hotel, with a conference room booked, hashing out a deal which would pit young gun Mexican 154 ace against the Puerto Rican stalwart Miguel Cotto, who holds a middleweight crown. With Freddie Roach having told me that Cotto was starting a camp, or a mini camp, on Dec. 7, I put two and two and two together…and thought maybe we’d be hearing about a most anticipated clash, a real-deal Mexico vs. Puerto Rico tangle, any minute now.

OK, hasn’t happened yet. Maybe I’m just lost in a fantasy reverie…But as I was unable to suss out any info from the Golden Boy and Top Rank crews, I reached out to Cotto advisor Gabriel Penagaricano. He’d just celebrated a birthday, so I hoped I caught him in a festive mood, when he was ready to spill some beans.

Hey Gabriel, you able to furnish an update on Cotto-Canelo talks?

“I’ll say that we are talking,” he responded, “but not close to an agreement. Sorry to be so brief, but I normally do not like to comment during ongoing negotiations.”

I take no offense; generally, despite it not being as fruitful from the pressman’s standpoint, negotiations go smoother when there are fewer leaks, and there is no posturing done in the media. Hellooo, Mayweather-Pacquiao talks…

Anyway, I’m hopeful that my fantasy will turn to reality and any day, “not close” will turn to “done deal.”

Cross your fingers with me, would you?

And..feel free to follow me on Twitter after doing the crossing…. https://twitter.com/Woodsy1069

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