Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 knockouts) of Mexico and Miguel Cotto (40-4-0, 33 knockouts) of Puerto Rico battles Saturday night (Sunday in Australia) at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada in the United States.

The scheduled 12-rounder will for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) world middleweight title is pegged as the biggest fight in boxing since the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao super fight in May earlier this year.

Serving as the major backdrop for the Canelo-Cotto fight is the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry in boxing with the fighters slugging it out for South American supremacy and reliving the memorable bouts between the two nations in the past.

Some of the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico fights include Cotto vs Antonio Margarito in 2008 in a controversial bout where the Mexican was alleged to have used illegal hand wraps. Margarito beat Cotto via a technical knockout (TKO) in the 11th round but the latter returned the favour with a ninth round win in the Cotto-Margarito rematch in 2011.

Other Mexico vs Puerto Rico bouts include the Fernando Vargas vs Felix Trinidad fight in 2000; Luis Ramon Campas vs Trinidad in 1994; and Julio Cesar Chavez vs Hector Camacho in 1992, among many others.

Both Alvarez and Cotto have won three straight bouts after losses in previous years. Alvarez lost to Mayweather Jr. (majority decision) in 2013 but has won against Alfredo Angulo (10th round TKO), Erislandy Lara (split decision) and James Kirkland (3rd round KO).

Meanwhile, Cotto lost to Mayweather Jr. (unanimous decision) and Austin Trout (unanimous decision) in 2012 but has taken down Delvin Rodriguez (3rd round TKO), Sergio Gabriel Martinez (10th round stoppage) and Daniele Geale (4th round TKO).

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