Hall of Fame boxing referee, Joe Cortez has stayed close to the sport since retiring in 2013, as he currently works as an analyst for ESPN. I recently had a chance to speak with Joe and got his thoughts on many of the biggest topics going on in boxing. Cortez breaks down Canelo vs. Cotto and gives his prediction for the fight. Joe also talks about the future of Manny Pacquiao and gives his thoughts on potential fights with Terence Crawford and Amir Khan. Additionally, Cortez talks about Floyd Mayweather’s retirement and if he thinks Mayweather will return to the sport. Here is what Joe Cortez had to say.
Robert Brown: What are your thoughts on the Canelo vs. Cotto bout which will take place in a few weeks?
Joe Cortez: It’s gonna be kind of a close one to pick for the simple reason that you got youth against age. Sometimes father time takes over in a fighter, but Miguel Cotto brings in the experience and he’s got the punching power, so lets see what happens.
Miguel Cotto would be foolish if he was to slug it out with a puncher like Canelo. Cotto is an excellent boxer, he has a new trainer in Freddie Roach who has been training him for the least three fights. Miguel Cotto has improved with his boxing skills and he brings that experience, and he brings that knockout punch.
Can Cotto knock out Canelo Alvarez? I don’t know if he’s gonna knock him out but he’s definitely gonna outbox Canelo Alvarez. However, if Canelo gets lucky and catches Miguel Cotto with a good solid punch, he can hurt Cotto. Canelo can hurt Cotto with a good solid punch, so you never know what’s gonna happen. It would be in Miguel Cotto’s best interest to be the boxer and not the slugger.
(Listen to the full Joe Cortez interview here)
Robert Brown: Who are you leaning towards in that fight?
Joe Cortez: As of right now it’s been so hard for me to make a decision on this. For some reason something is telling me inside, “Joe, go with the experience of Cotto.” I think I have to go with Cotto because of the experience and the caliber of fighters that he has fought throughout the years. Canelo Alvarez has not fought the caliber of fighter that Miguel Cotto has fought, I got to lean towards Cotto.
Robert Brown: Cotto by points or by knockout?
Joe Cortez: I say by points.
Robert Brown: Bob Arum recently stated that Manny Pacquiao might face Terence Crawford at 140lbs. What are you thoughts on that possible fight?
Joe Cortez: I don’t know if Pacquiao can make 140lbs, I think he’d be pushing it. I would like to see Pacquiao fight a well deserved fighter like Amir Khan who’s been waiting on the sidelines for an opportunity. I think Amir Khan deserves the match at 147lbs. I think it would be a good fight with Pacquiao against Amir Khan.
Robert Brown: If Pacquiao does fight Amir Khan, how do you see that fight playing out?
Joe Cortez: Well, you have to see what Pacquiao has left. He’s coming back from the surgery on his shoulder. He’s a fighter with a lot of experience with a lot of top caliber fighters. Amir Khan has fought a lot of top caliber fighters as well, so it’s gonna be a fight where the hungry fighter, Amir Khan, wants this fight so bad and Pacquiao wants to go out with a big win. Right now it’s hard for me to make a prediction, it’s a toss up either way.
Robert Brown: Did the Manny Pacquiao you saw against Floyd Mayweather still have enough to beat Amir Khan?
Joe Cortez: He has enough to give him a good fight. I don’t know what he has left. He’s a very determined fighter, he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet in boxing. He has great skills, he has a lot of experience and I think he has enough to beat Amir Khan, but Amir Khan is the younger and hungrier fighter.
Robert Brown: So you feel that it all comes down to how hungry Manny Pacquiao is?
Joe Cortez: I don’t think Manny Pacquiao is hungry any longer, but he has a lot of pride, and when you have pride and you know this might be your last fight, you definitely want to win. He’s gonna be very determined because if he’s gonna go out, he’s gonna want to go out with a win. He may come in much better shape just because he knows he has to win this fight.
Robert Brown: If Manny is fit against Khan, are you still going with Pacquiao?
Joe Cortez: I think I have to lean towards Pacquiao, yes.
Robert Brown: Do you think Floyd Mayweather will come back to get his 50th win and perhaps open the new arena at the MGM?
Joe Cortez: Yes, I think that’s what’s gonna happen. I think he’s gonna fight there at the new arena which is gonna open up in April, 2016. I think for Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday, that’s a date where they would have a big fight made. Maybe that’s gonna be the date where they have the big fight for that weekend.
I predict that Mayweather will fight and open up that venue and then after he ties Rocky Marciano’s record, then he’s gonna say, “Now I want one more to break it.” If he gets that close to breaking the record, why not go for it? I predict he’ll have two more before he finally retires. He’ll probably walk away with another two hundred million dollars before he pack it up.
Robert Brown: Who do you think those two fights will be?
Joe Cortez: Amir Khan is one guy who is on the sidelines, and then maybe the winner of the Cotto and Canelo fight would be another one to consider.
Robert Brown: Do you see a possibility of a Pacquiao rematch?
Joe Cortez: No, I don’t see that. I think Pacquiao’s gonna have one more and that’s gonna be it for him. Mayweather will go for two more.
Robert Brown: Do you think it’s possible that Mayweather fights Gennady Golovkin at 154lbs?
Joe Cortez: No, Golovkin cannot make that weight, he’s a full fledged middleweight and Mayweather walks around at 150lbs. It would be very difficult for Golovkin to come down and Mayweather definitely won’t go up to 160lbs. I don’t even think Golovkin can make a catch weight.
I will have to agree with Joe. He say that Pac is not hungry. It’s hard to be hungry when you no longer need to sell Cigs on the side of the road and sleep in silk sheets, but he does still want to go out with a win.