What common opponents have to say about Miguel Cotto-Canelo Alvarez

ByDAN RAFAEL
November 17, 2015, 1:16 PM

— -- Middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and former unified junior middleweight titleholder Canelo Alvarez square off in their highly anticipated showdown on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, and everyone, of course, has an opinion on the big fight.

But those whose views should be heeded the most are probably the fighters who have shared the ring with both of them. After all, they have seen what each brings to the table as up close as it gets.

Cotto and Alvarez have faced five common opponents: Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, Austin Trout, Alfonso Gomez and Lovemore Ndou.

Cotto is 3-2 against them. He lost a decision to Mayweather, whom he gave a tough fight to in a 2012 junior middleweight title fight, and a decision to Trout in his next bout, also a junior middleweight title fight.

Alvarez is 4-1 against them, having also lost to Mayweather in a one-sided junior middleweight title fight in 2013 that was, at the time, the highest-grossing fight in boxing history.

ESPN.com spoke with Trout and Gomez, who gave their views on Cotto and Alvarez and how they think the fight might play out.

Austin Trout