Oscar De La Hoya said in a boxing news 2014 update that Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is eyeing a showdown against Miguel Cotto, and the former champion wants to fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
In an interview with Los Angeles Times, De La Hoya confirmed that Alvarez wants to face Cotto, who is the reigning World Boxing Council middleweight champion.
De La Hoya said that the Canelo-Cotto showdown is the second biggest possible fight next year, next to the proposed showdown between boxing superstars Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
"If we're going to do Miguel Cotto vs. Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, who wouldn't want that fight? The only fight that is bigger is Manny Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, and we don't think that's going to happen any time soon," De La Hoya said in the boxing news 2014 update.
Alvarez's camp previously tried to arrange a showdown with Cotto, offering a guaranteed $10 million fight purse to the Puerto Rican. However, Cotto refused to take the fight, which could have been staged last March, citing lack of time to prepare for the big bout.
Cotto, who is coming off a knockout win against former WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, is planning to defend his title in early 2015, which could be a possible stumbling block because Alvarez wants the fight to happen in May.
De La Hoya confirmed that Alvarez gave him an order to schedule his fight on next year's Cinco de Mayo weekend, and the boxing Hall of Famer said that he will do everything to take the fight date, which has been occupied by a Mayweather fight over the past three years.
"I have orders from Canelo. He wants to fight on May [2] and I, as his promoter, have to get him a fight on these dates [that he requests]," De La Hoya said in a boxing news 2014 interview.
Aside from Cotto, De La Hoya also revealed that they are interested in facing former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but the fight should be at a 159-pound catchweight.
"For next year, we are looking for Canelo to face Miguel Cotto, but we would also want to do the fight between Chavez Jr. and Saul. It would be great for boxing. There have already been talks about it, and one possibility is that they do it at 159 pounds," De La Hoya said.
