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Chavez vs Cotto Better Than a Sergio Fight, Says Todd duBoef

Miguel Cotto could face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in July. Or maybe not. But anyway, Top Rank doesn't want Chavez vs Sergio Martinez. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Miguel Cotto could face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in July. Or maybe not. But anyway, Top Rank doesn't want Chavez vs Sergio Martinez. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
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Scott Christ is the managing editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2006.

Sal Rodriguez reports that a fight between Miguel Cotto and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr is possible for July, and that he believes it's a better fight than Chavez facing Sergio Martinez. In other words, they're already trying to once again weasel out of being forced to fight Martinez, and Chavez hasn't even fought Marco Antonio Rubio yet, which is coming on February 4.

"We believe that this fight is feasible. We have no doubt that both of them want the fight. This fight is a lot more interesting than a fight with Sergio Martinez," DuBoef said.

First of all, by "interesting" he simply means "profitable to Top Rank," because nah, it's not really that much more interesting, especially now that Martinez vs Chavez has built up in the press enough that a lot of people want to see it happen. Most of those people seem to believe that Top Rank and Chavez want absolutely nothing to do with Martinez. Those people are probably right.

But like I said, the best thing about this is they're already talking about Chavez fighting Cotto and downplayng the Martinez fight. Look, I don't care if I see Martinez vs Chavez, because I know Martinez is way, way better than Chavez and simply too good for him. Martinez will beat him soundly, totally outclass him. That is my reading of that fight from the outside, for now, as a boxing fan.

But right is right, and the WBC has repeatedly promised Martinez that fight, while simultaneously going out of their way to protected favored Mexican cash cow Chavez. It's an absurd situation and frankly a load of crap. Top Rank wants Chavez nowhere near Martinez, probably because their boxing reading of the fight is exactly the same as mine: Chavez is not close to good enough and will get not just beaten, but thrashed.

We've already seen the WBC back down from their promise to make this fight a reality, with the promise that hey, you guys, NEXT time, it has to happen. Martinez may well be entirely moving on from the situation and throwing in the towel, knowing he's going to receive no favors from the endlessly biased sanctioning body, and Top Rank will pretty much be allowed to do as they wish with Chavez and his green belt.

Anyway, none of this addresses the fact that Miguel Cotto is potentially in line to face Manny Pacquiao in June anyway, so this might be totally empty and just a way to get people talking about Chavez and Cotto, which I assume probably would happen in July if Pacquiao does not fight Cotto in June.

Meanwhile, Sergio Martinez is taking a good fight on March 17 against Matthew Macklin.

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