Freddie Roach admitted that the fight between World Boxing Council middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas may not be bigger than the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao mega-fight. However, the seven-time Boxing Writers Association trainer of the year winner believes that the Canelo-Cotto bout will be the second biggest fight of this year.

Roach, who also trains Filipino boxing icon Pacquiao, claimed that the bout between Canelo and Cotto would be more exciting than the "disappointing" display between “Money” and “Pacman” back in May. Roach said November’s pay per view, or PPV, bout is a better matchup than what boxing fans saw in May.

“It won’t be bigger than Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao but it will be very popular, it will be the second biggest fight of the year, there’s no chance it will be bigger – but it will be more exciting,” Roach told Boxing News Online. “But I think with Miguel Cotto and 'Canelo' Alvarez, it’s a better match-up.”

Roach also expressed his thoughts about the winner between Canelo (45-1-1, 32 KOs) and Cotto (40-3, 33 KOs) facing the victor of Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and David Lemieux's fight, who will be slugging it out for a unification title bout on Oct. 17 at Madison Square Garden. Roach said he thinks Cotto could comfortably beat the undefeated Kazakh but admitted it would be a fight where risk and reward should be considered, given that Golovkin is not a huge draw on pay-per-view yet.

Meanwhile, Canelo is putting pressure on himself ahead of his title fight against Cotto and said that there would be no room for “setbacks” come fight night. The last time the Mexican box lost in a major fight was two years ago against now retired Floyd Mayweather Jr., who easily won the 12-round decision at MGM Grand.

“I’m prepared to win and I go up to the ring to get it done,” Canelo told Boxing Scene. “At no time has my mind dwelled on that defeat because I know we’re back, it is my moment and you have to keep a winning mentality.”

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