Miguel Cotto to face Daniel Geale on June 6

Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32 KO’s) did not get the rematch he wanted with Floyd Mayweather, and the boxing public did not get the Gennady Golovkin-Miguel Cotto matchup that it wanted, but the good news is that Cotto will be back in the ring in a few weeks on June 6 against a decent opponent in Daniel Geale (31-3, 16 KO’s) of Australia.

“I am happy and excited to be back in New York and fighting at Barclays Center,” said Cotto. “This is another chapter in my career and I’m committed to train as hard as always and bring a big victory. I’m looking forward to seeing all the Puerto Rican fans on June 6 and to being part of another exciting boxing night in Brooklyn.”

Cotto, the reigning WBC Middleweight and Ring Magazine World Champion and the first native of Puerto Rico to become world champion in four different weight classes, will defend his titles from Barclays Center in Brooklyn against the former Two-Time World Champion Geale. The fight will be televised live on HBO.

“I would like to thank HBO for their continued support, Gary Shaw of GSP, Bill Treacy of Grange Old School Boxing and Dino Duva at Roc Nation Sports for their collective professionalism in making this fight happen,” said Geale. “Last but not least, thanks to Miguel Cotto for the opportunity to become a world champion once again. I have total respect for Miguel and his achievements, but I can win this fight and that is exactly what I intend to do come June 6 in Brooklyn at Barclays Center.”

In June 2014, Cotto made a strong impression by dominating Argentine southpaw and defending WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion Sergio Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KO’s). Cotto recently switched to legendary Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, and the new pairing seemed to revitalize his offensive attack in that bout.

Nevertheless, some questions remain as to whether Cotto truly can handle this new weight class, as many felt that Martinez was simply easy pickings due to his injured knee.

“Daniel Geale is a true warrior and will leave everything in the ring against Miguel Cotto like he always does,” said Gary Shaw, Gary Shaw Productions. “He’s never in a dull fight and the fans will get their money’s worth as both fighters like to let their hands go. I want to thank Grange Old School Boxing for having confidence in me. This will be a tough fight for Geale, however I’m convinced that he will beat Cotto and I’m hopeful that Miguel didn’t make any other plans for September other than a rematch with Daniel.”

Geale is the former IBF and WBA middleweight world champion and the current holder of the PABA and WBO Interim Asia Pacific middleweight titles. A boxing hero in his native Australia and hailed as Tasmania’s 2012 Athlete of the Year, Geale is Ring Magazine’s fourth rated middleweight in the world and the WBC’s number six rated contender.

As an amateur, he competed for Australia in the 2000 Olympic Games and was a gold medalist at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. Geale made his professional debut in Australia in 2004, eventually compiling twenty-one consecutive victories and winning the IBO middleweight title in 2007 against previously undefeated Daniel Dawson. In May 2009, Geale suffered his first defeat, losing his title to Anthony Mundine (35-3, 23 KO’s) in a hotly-contested battle.

On July 26, 2014, in an event televised by HBO World Championship Boxing, Geale faced off against undefeated WBA Middleweight World Champion Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26 KO’) in New York City, but came up short in trying to reclaim his former title. In his most recent fight, Geale captured the vacant PABA and WBO Interim Asia Pacific middleweight titles, winning a twelve-round unanimous decision victory over fellow Australian Jarrod Fletcher (18-2, 10 KO’s).

Cotto-Geale is a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships. The fight is presented by Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions in association Gary Shaw Productions.

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services