Photo by Rich Kane – Hoganphotos/Roc Nation
There wasn’t much trash talk at yesterday afternoon’s final press conference for Saturday’s middleweight championship main event between WBC champion Miguel Cotto and former champion Daniel Geale.
Rather, the two camps sparred over the catch weight of the fight, which will be at 157 pounds or less.
Cotto (39-4, 32 KOs) will make his 12th appearance in New York City and his first ever at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center against Geale.
This fight will kick off the New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend festivities where Cotto has now become almost a yearly staple at. This will also be Cotto’s first bout since signing a multi-fight deal with Roc Nation Sports.
Geale’s promoter, Gary Shaw, stood at the dais and immediately took issue with one of the most controversial points of this bout.
“Personally I have a problem with catch weights,” said Shaw. “Daniel Geale will win this fight.”
Shaw went on to say he understands a catch weight for a regular fight, but not when a world title is on the line.
Cotto’s trainer Freddie Roach immediately countered Shaw’s remarks by stating Geale’s camp had the fight contract “for months and months and months.”
When it was Cotto’s turn to address the media he recalled when Roach asked him to fight in a catch weight.
“I think people are making a big issue that doesn’t need to be a big issue,” Cotto said. “In 2009 Freddie made me go from 147 to 145. Did anyone hear Miguel Cotto complain?”
Weight has never been an issue for Cotto, who has won world titles in four different weight divisions. This is an important fight for Cotto as a mega fight with Canelo Alvarez looms as well as a future date with Gennady Golvkin down the road.
Roach and Cotto both made it clear that any future fight will need to be on their terms, catch weight and all.
