Alvarez not lured into war of words

He's only 25, but if there's one thing Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has learned in the 11 years he has been in boxing, it's don't say too much. And if you have to talk, don't say anything that may rile your opponent.

Alvarez held court on the phone Tuesday with journalists to promote his Nov. 21 fight with World Boxing Council middleweight champion Miguel Cotto at Mandalay Bay on HBO Pay Per View. While everyone wanted to know how this fight is different from his Sept. 14, 2013, loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and tried to get Alvarez to compare Cotto to Mayweather, he wasn't taking the bait.

"All fights are different," Alvarez said through an interpreter. "All styles are different. I take every fight seriously, and I train to win every fight."

Mayweather easily handled Alvarez in what was judged to be a majority decision (C.J. Ross scored the fight a draw), while Mayweather won a 12-round unanimous decision over Cotto on May 5, 2012, in a fight Mayweather said was one of his tougher ones in a 49-0 career.

Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 knockouts) said that those who perceive Cotto gave Mayweather a tougher fight than he did are entitled to their opinion.

"Some thought he did better against Mayweather than I did," Alvarez said. "But I did better against Austin Trout than he did."

Alvarez defeated Trout in 2013 after Trout defeated Cotto in 2012. But Cotto wasn't being trained by Freddie Roach when he lost to Trout.

Roach, who partnered with Cotto in 2013, will be in his corner next week, and the Hall of Fame trainer has helped revive Cotto's career, getting him back to boxing more and moving around the ring rather than being stationary and trading blows inside all the time.

"Freddie Roach is going to have Miguel Cotto in tip-top shape," said Oscar De La Hoya, the chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions and Alvarez's promoter. "He'll have Cotto on his toes and have him ready to go the distance."

Alvarez said: "We're preparing for the best Miguel Cotto has. I'll be ready for anything that happens in the ring."

Alvarez has bounced back strong from the Mayweather loss. He demolished James Kirkland on May 9 in Houston, scoring a third-round knockout. He also has wins over Erislandy Lara and Alfredo Angulo since the Mayweather loss.

"You learn from every fight," Alvarez said. "You get experience from each fight. But every fight is necessary to win. I will use that experience to my advantage in this fight."

Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) has bad-mouthed Alvarez's team of trainer Chepo Reynoso and his son Eddy Reynoso. But Alvarez refuses to engage in a war of words with Cotto.

"We don't listen to our rivals," Alvarez said. "We are doing our work, and we will be ready come Nov. 21."

* NOTE — Friday's boxing card at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center has been canceled, Nevada Athletic Commission officials said Tuesday. No reason was given for the decision to cancel the card, which was to feature former world champion Zab Judah in the main event. Tickets can be refunded at the place of purchase.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj