Dan Rafael from ESPN recently reported that the negotiations between middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and junior middleweight titleholder Miguel Cotto are off.
Lou DiBella, Martinez’s promoter, told ESPN.com that Top Rank’s Bob Arum, Cotto’s promoter, insisted on buying out the Martinez side instead of splitting the revenue on a percentage basis from what would have been a pay-per-view fight in March. DiBella did not say what percentage split he had in mind, but said it would have heavily favored Cotto, the proven PPV performer.
“The Martinez-Cotto discussions are dead because Bob doesn’t want to do any kind of co-promotion no matter what the split,” DiBella said.
DiBella said Arum offered him $2.5 million against an upside of the potential pay-per-view profits. DiBella declined and said he countered by offering to buy out Arum for $5 
“Bob said no, so pretty much that’s the end of the discussion. There’s nothing more to discuss,” DiBella said.
With no Cotto fight, DiBella said there are two likely options for Martinez, who will probably fight in March. Martinez could fight Sebastian Zbik, who is unknown in the United States but is an interim titleholder and Martinez’s mandatory challenger, or rising contender Andy Lee, who fights Saturday and would have to win.
Arum said with no Martinez fight in Cotto’s future, he would attempt to make a rematch between Cotto and Antonio Margarito.
margarito cotto 2 would be great but i think we,ll see the same results.
In reality, there is no sense in a Martinez vs Cotto fight. Martinez is THE middleweight chmapion of the world and has no business fighting Cotto. Nothing against Cotto. He is still a quality super welterweight but has no business fighting Martinez. Martinez should unify the middleweight title and go from there.
Bob Arum is a slick old, shady and slick. Your right laxone, he’s always trying to keep all the money on house. Golden Boy is up to the same tricks, and sometimes thats not cool because the fans end up watching lame undercards.
Im with you guys on that cotto vs margarito 2. I would luv, luv, luv to see cotto avenge that loss. I knew this fight would come up sooner or later.
Bob Arum wants to keep everything in house!!!
I agree with both of you…..
That would have been a good fight to watch a shame that it wont happen. Either way I agree with Baby Sal and would like to see Cotto/Margarito 2.
It’s BS. Arum never wanted that fight to happen so they threw in the towel on the talks. The fight Arum wants it Cotto-Margarito II. That should be a good fight and would do well on HBO PPV. Redemption for both. Cotto avenges his loss or Margarito proves he can win fair and square. I’d order that fight. Anyone else?
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