Dan Rafael chat wrap 11/20:
Canelo vs. Cotto:
- Cotto is more experienced, but Canelo is experienced as well. Cotto won't win this fight off of experience.
- A Cotto win puts in into the 2 or 3 greatest Puerto Rican fighters ever.
- Believes Canelo will make weight because he is a professional who respects boxing and its fans (he did make weight).
- Buzz is building, but wasn't good on Wednesday and the press conference was horrible. Thursday was a bit better.
- Not sure if it will be a Canelo or Cotto crowd. The fact the fight is not in NY lead him to believe it will be a Canelo crowd.
- Undercard picks: Muira, Rigo, Velez, and Caballero.
- Canelo by late KO. First half of the fight will be even, the second half Canelo will take over and start to bust Canelo up. Thinks it will be like Pacquiao-Cotto.
- Cotto looks better lately because Roach has helped him, but also great matchmaking.
- Mexico vs. Puerto Rico is the best rivalry in boxing.
- Rigo was tweeting for fans to come and say hi and visit with him. He was helping kids get out of the ring.
- Will Canelo fight GGG next if he wins? 100% no.
- 50 Cent did a better job promoting than Jay Z. At least 50 showed up to the weigh-ins, press conferences, did media requests, and talked up his fighters.
- ODH has been doing a great job promoting this fight. Gives him an A+ in his promotional efforts. Jay Z gets an F.
- It doesn't help that Canelo and Cotto are not good at promoting the fight either. Both do not talk much and have been bad interviews.
- Could the winner get Floyd to come out of retirement to fight them? Wouldn't be surprised.
- Floyd will not be at the fight.
- Told that GGG will still get the 800k step aside money. The WBC is not involved at all in the step aside agreement. They just have to be notified that both parties agreed and that Cotto's next fight will be against his mandatory (assuming he is champion).
- Cotto offered to pay the WBC $125k, they said no. The WBC wanted $300k. Word is Cotto may still be trying to negotiate to keep his title and retain his current PPV revenue percentage.
- Cotto got an added percentage for the PPV split because he was champion and now he is not. The way the contract is negotiated, GB and RNS will have to revisit how the PPV split will be decided. That will be interesting!
- Cotto's purse is $15 million and Canelo's is $5 million, plus more on the PPV buy upside. Canelo is also likely getting additional upside with Mexican TV revenue.
- Cotto is not paying the $300k because he thinks it is too much. He is not trying to get out of a GGG fight.
- Does the WBC have a bias for Mexican fighters? Does a fish have a bias for water?
- Overall PPV card grade? B+.
- Freddie Roach's back is really bad. He is going to therapy, but he may have to have surgery after the fight.
- Cotto's biggest win? Mosley and Martinez.
- Referee will be Robert Byrd. Judges are: John McKaie, Dave Moretti, and Burt Clements.
- Favorite fights between Mexico-Puerto Rico: Sanchez-Gomez, Trinidad-Vargas, and Cotto-Margarito 2.
- Foreman was the lineal champ without a title belt after he was stripped following the KO of Moorer.
- With Cotto stripped of the WBC belt, if he wins the belt will be given to GGG.
- People involved in the promotion are a bit worried that the PPV will not get enough buys to turn a profit. He has heard they need to crack 1 million buys to break even.
- Believes that the disappointment surrounding Mayweather-Pacquiao absolutely has and will hurt PPV sales.
- Canelo understands everything you say in English, he is reluctant to speak it.
- Tickets were massively overpriced and the secondary market has had plenty of tickets available. There are also some tickets suddenly available through Mandalay Bay.
- A Canelo loss is very damaging to GB as a promotional company. He is their only serious money making fighter right now.
- Fight night weight? Cotto around 160 and Canelo at about 170.
- Canelo trained for 14 weeks. Feels that is entirely too long.
- The canvas will be a black Roc Nation logoed canvas that Cotto wanted.
- Was excited for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, but knew it probably would not be an exciting fight. Is more excited for this fight and thinks it will be more entertaining.
- Cotto not fighting at a true 160 lb weight limit does not hurt his legacy.
- As far as he can tell Hopkins and ODH are friends. Hopkins showed ODH a lot of loyalty and it meant a lot to ODH.
