( theme music playing )
Hi, I'm Max Kellerman.
On November 21st,
from the Mandalay Bay
in Las Vegas, Nevada,
and live
on HBO Pay-Per-View,
Miguel Cotto, the lineal
middleweight champion
of the world,
takes on Canelo Ã lvarez,
one of the biggest stars
in boxing.
But before then,
right here, right now,
they face off.
And with them, of course,
Miguel Cotto's trainer
Freddie Roach
and one
of Canelo's trainers
Eddy Reynoso.
Guys, Mexico
versus Puerto Rico.
That's maybe the greatest
rivalry in boxing.
What does it mean to you
to fight representing
Puerto Rico, really,
whether you like it or not,
in this fight
which is seen
by the boxing public
as not just a fight
between two top fighters
with excellent styles,
but as a fight between
a Mexican fighter
and a Puerto Rican
fighter?
I'm Puerto Rican
since day one.
Proudly represent
my country every day.
I know this is going
to be huge
for my country,
for his country.
That's what we are.
He's Mexico,
I'm Puerto Rico.
And on November 21st,
both countries going
to crash.
You're going
to receive a war.
This is what people
are going to have
the night
of November 21st,
a real war.
How do you feel about
representing Mexico
in this fight?
( speaking Spanish )
Kellerman:
Miguel, you don't
make excuses,
but an impartial observer
would say
the first time
that Cotto was involved
in the big promotion
of Mexico versus Puerto Rico,
maybe it wasn't
a level playing field.
Does that motivate you
in any way in this fight?
I have enough motivation
with my family.
I don't need
more motivation.
My family
is the people who
move me to do
everything in life
and I'm here for them.
And I'm going
to be the rest
of my days for them.
Canelo, when the boxing
world in this country
were watching you
on YouTube as I was
as a young fighter,
Miguel Cotto was one
of the top fighters in boxing.
What did you think
of Cotto when you were
climbing up the ranks?
( speaking Spanish )
Freddie said
he's a good fighter,
but there's a sense from
the people who support you
that he doesn't have
enough experience yet
considering how many guys
you've fought.
Does he have enough
experience to beat you?
We'll see
on November 21st.
Does he have enough
experience to beat your guy?
( Freddie speaking )
Are you really betting
on this fight?
Of course.
Kellerman:
Canelo, I thought
this fight
would be very close
in the odds,
that one or the other
would be favored
by a little bit.
But you're better than
a two-to-one favorite.
Why do you think
that is?
( speaking Spanish )
Why do you think he's--
the oddsmakers
have made him better
than a two-to-one
favorite in this fight.
Why?
You can go to Vegas and ask.
I don't know.
Kellerman:
You have any thoughts
about it?
- Were you aware of it?
- No.
- You didn't know
the odds of the fight?
- I don't care.
Freddie, if you're
betting two houses,
I'm guessing you knew
the odds on the fight.
Of course.
Why did they make him better
than a two-to-one favorite?
Somebody made
a mistake.
( chuckles )
So in my opinion,
I mean,
those odds
I cannot bet.
So, I mean, I have a lot
of belief in my fighter
and we're gonna come
kick some ass and take
some money home.
But I do like
that he's a favorite.
I like being the underdog
and I love upsets.
When you watch him fight,
what do you think
when you've seen him
come up through the ranks?
He's a great fighter.
Good fighter. Strong fighter.
He is.
What about him made you think
that you could beat him?
This guy.
Freddie Roach.
I know if I follow
his advice,
we will beat him
on November 21st.
Is that by decision
or knockout, Freddie?
- Knockout.
- Knockout?
Obviously, Eddy,
you're gonna say that your
guy's gonna win the fight.
Is that by a decision
or a knockout?
( speaking Spanish )
Kellerman:
Juan Manuel MÃ¡rquez,
great fighter.
Julio CÃ©sar ChÃ¡vez,
great fighter.
The Mexican fighter
Ricardo LÃ³pez.
You go back,
Salvador SÃ¡nchez.
The Mexican fighters
at the top of boxing
have been great fighters.
You're at the top of boxing.
But there's a sense
that you haven't proven
that you're great yet.
You're very good,
but are you in the MÃ¡rquez,
ChÃ¡vez, Finito,
Salvador SÃ¡nchez level?
You haven't
proven that yet.
Is this fight an opportunity
to reach greatness?
( speaking Spanish )
Is he a great fighter?
Not yet.
He has potential to be,
I think,
but I haven't seen
the greatness yet, no.
Is your guy
a great fighter?
Yes.
- What's the difference?
- Experience.
What does he do well?
- What does he do well?
- Mm-hmm.
The strength is the thing
he has the most in him.
Strength?
You mean physical
or strength of character?
Uh, I think both.
What do you think
of his boxing skills?
He can box, too.
Who's the bigger man
in this fight physically?
- Him.
- He's bigger?
- Yeah.
- Who's the faster guy?
I don't know.
We'll see on
November 21st.
Who's the bigger puncher?
We'll see on
November 21st.
Who has the advantage
in speed, Freddie?
Roach:
Speed's pretty close.
Kellerman:
Punching power?
Miguel.
- And technique?
- Miguel.
Who's the bigger puncher
in the fight.
Who's the faster fighter?
( speaking Spanish )
Who do you think
has better technique?
( speaking Spanish )
( chuckles )
Why is that funny?
No, nothing.
Roach:
He's older.
He's had more fights.
Wait till Canelo
gets to be Miguel's age.
Is there anything
you'd like to tell Canelo?
He knows
how he has to do
in his training camp.
I hope he had
the best days
in his camp.
And I'm going to do--
to have my own days.
The night of the 21st
is the day for no excuses.
He hopes he has
his best training camp.
If I were him, I'd be
hoping he has his worst
training camp, Freddie.
What are you hoping for?
He's already started
his training camp.
He's already
started sparring.
I know who
he's sparring with.
So there's a lot of stuff
I know already.
He's doing very well.
He's doing well
with his sparring partners
that they've
picked out so far.
I don't think
they're the right styles,
but that's only me.
So we start on Monday.
And I have six sparring
partners set up right now,
and I think we're gonna need
a little bit more in this camp
because we're gonna
run through them.
Kellerman:
Eddy, sometimes Freddie
says something publically,
and I get the feeling
that he's like Phil Jackson
in basketball
where some of it's true
and some of it
is to get into your head
or get into Canelo's head
and some of it's both.
What do you think
when Freddie says
that he already knows
who he's sparring with,
he thinks you've picked
the wrong styles for
sparring partners
and all that kind of stuff?
( speaking Spanish )
Kellerman:
So you're happy
with the sparring partners
that you've chosen
for Canelo?
( speaking Spanish )
Freddie knows things
about what's happening
in your camp and everything.
Do you expect spies
in your camp?
Spies? No.
I think that word
just gets out there
a little bit.
And I don't have any spies.
I don't hire spies,
but there's a lot of things
you hear going through my gym
because there's
a lot of activity there.
And I think one
of the sparring partners
is from my gym,
so he comes back
and talks a lot.
I think you just cost
a sparring partner a gig,
Freddie, maybe.
- I think so.
- ( laughs )
Maybe.
When he says that,
do you ever say,
"Freddie, shut up"?
- I can't. I can't.
- You can't?
I can't.
He's Freddie
and I'm never going
to stop him being him.
Guys, is there anything
you want to let the fans
know before we wrap this up?
Just people
who love boxing...
can't miss this fight.
They're going to receive
a special night of boxing.
This is the next chapter
in my career.
I'm going to be
in the gym every day.
I'm going to do my best
and I'm going to train
the best I can
for this fight.
This fight
is important to me.
It's important
to my family.
I believe
that this fight...
is important to the whole
boxing community,
the whole world.
( speaking Spanish )
Miguel and SaÃºl,
Eddy, Freddie,
thank you for coming
and sitting down tonight
and facing off.
And fight fans,
on November 21st,
live on HBO Pay-Per-View
and from the Mandalay Bay
in Las Vegas, Nevada,
when these guys say
that this is a fight
you do not want to miss,
they ain't lying.
Fight fans, you don't
want to miss this one.
Thanks for joining us
on "Face Off."
( music playing )
