On June 6th, Puerto Rico’s favorite son and current middleweight champ Miguel Angel Cotto will face former middleweight champ Daniel Geale. Many in the boxing world don’t view this fight as having much appeal. If boxing nerds feel that way, imagine what the general public feels. That being said, we think that should be reconsidered. Here are five reasons why Cotto v. Geale matters.
1. A Puerto Rican Tradition
Cotto has fought six times over the past nine years during the week of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Along with the 116th Street Festival, a “Cotto fight” has come to be considered part of the annual festivities leading up to the parade. A victory raises the morale of an island nation and significant Puerto Rican population in New York. When it comes down to it any Cotto fight during this time year matters because it’s about cultural pride.