According to ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael, Miguel Cotto will end a 15-month layoff on Saturday, February 25 by taking on James Kirkland in a Junior Middleweight fight.
Cotto Promotions’ executive Bryan Perez provided the details to ESPN on Wednesday.
The scheduled 12-round bout will headline an HBO PPV (*gasp!) card and will take place at the Ford Center at The Star, the new training facility of the Dallas Cowboys in Frisco, Texas, that includes a 12,000-seat arena.
Both fighters are coming off a long layoff and it is hard to imagine that this event will be financially successful for HBO.
While Kirkland is a Texas native, he has never been a boxing star–which doesn’t bode well for the potential pay-per-view numbers.
“We tried to do other fights, but you know how the business is,” said Perez.
“Kirkland was there, he was willing to fight Miguel, he makes good fights and we made the fight. Miguel will do his best to give a great show and an exciting fight.”
Perhaps “Kirkland was there” will be the fight slogan for this promotional disaster in the making.
Also, according to Rafael, fellow Roc Nation Sports fighter Guillermo Rigondeaux could join the Cotto card in the co-featured spot against interim titlist Moises Flores (25-0, 17 KOs), 30, of Mexico.
What are your thoughts on Miguel Cotto vs. James Kirkland?
Header photo by Marilyn Paulino/RBRBoxing
