EDDY REYNOSO: “We are very proud of Canelo today. As we all know, he started from the bottom and now he is the champion. I was never worried about him from the first round through to the 12th round. He has great defense strategy, but I was hoping that he would have finished Cotto sooner. I know that he was looking for the knock out and as a result didn’t throw as much as he should have to put Miguel on the canvas. We have a lot of respect for Miguel, he is a great fighter, and we have tremendous respect for Freddie Roach as a trainer.

CHEPO REYNOSO: “I knew he was winning. He went into this fight with a clear head and a full heart and that is what he needed to be successful tonight. I am proud of him, proud of his simplicity to admit that we were once no one and now he is the middleweight champion. I wish he would have put more pressure on Cotto from the beginning, but I knew he was enjoying himself. He showed how beautiful the sport can be when you fight in an intelligent way.”

“I have a lot of respect for Miguel. He is a great champion and a great fighter. We knew going into this fight that it would be a difficult journey, but I feel that I was the faster and stronger fighter tonight. I wasn’t hurt by his punches. I want to thank my trainers, they are like my family and the best people I know and I couldn’t have done this without them.”

I’m not afraid of any fighter. GGG is a great fighter, and he is my friend. I have respect for him, but if we do fight it’s going to be at my weight class. I’m the champion, I don’t have to do what he wants.”

“I was fully prepared for what Cotto was going to do in the ring, whether that was take a defense stance or be the aggressor.”

“Im very disappointed and upset I got caught in the first round, then I recovered and after that I thought I was winning the fight,” said Takashi Miura. “I think if I could have clenched better…I would definitely like a rematch.”

“I’m the champ, I’m the champ!” said Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas. “This is a dream come true for me, something I have been fighting for my whole life. I knew Takashi was going to be a tough opponent, that’s why he is the champion, so I had to make sure I was prepared to face a fighter like him. I feel that my preparation paid off for this fight. I knew I had to be very aggressive, and I showed that in the first round so he knew that I would not be bullied. When I was knocked down in the fourth round, I felt even more motivated to win this fight. I made sure to fight the way I wanted, how I wanted and my style and now I’m the champion of the world! I hope all the fans enjoyed themselves tonight with my performance.”

“I feel terrific after the fight,” said Guillermo Rigondeaux. “He threw heavy but his style has nothing on mine. My style outmatched his. It’s been 11 months since I’ve been in the ring and I definitely felt some cobwebs but I d like to see some other fighters be out 11 months and come back with a win. I definitely wanted to give the fans a better fight so I need to get back in to the gym, get more active to give a better performance. I promise that with the tools I have now after signing with Roc Nation that next time I’ll be explosive. Thank you to my team for helping me get this win.”

“Rigondeaux is not a fighter, he is a runner,” said Drian Francisco. “He is afraid of getting hurt and doesn’t want to fight. I felt pressured into being the aggressor during this fight because he wasn’t fighting, he was running away. He is not a power puncher and won by points. I trained really hard for this fight and I feel like it was a waste of time because I didn’t encounter a fighter tonight.”

“I was expecting that to be a tough fight, but I did my job,” said Jayson “Star” Velez. “He had some good rounds, I had some good rounds. I think the deduction is what really got me. I did my job tonight but he was better at his job tonight.”

“I felt like I dictated the pace of the fight, and I felt like I was landing more power punches than him,” said Ronny Rios. “He did throw a few body shots at me that hurt but they weren’t significant enough for me to stop pressuring him and doing what I needed to do to secure this victory. He actually surprised me; I thought he was going to use the jab all night but he was definitely getting in the inside. This is a really big victory for me. I have a belt now, and I know that bigger things will come my way because of it.”

“This was a great opportunity for me on the biggest stage,” said Alberto Machado. “We did great; this is what we worked for in the gym. I like to consider myself a diamond on the rope, but this was only a 6.5 out of 10 performance. I have to keep working and learning, and I am working toward a world championship. I am so happy for my team.”

“I’m proud of my team and myself,” said Jose “Chiquiro” Martinez. “I want to thank God and my family. This was a very tough fight, but I am just going to keep working to achieve more wins.”

“I feel very good that I am still undefeated,” said Zhang “Big Bang” Zhilei. “I was careless during that knock down. I am going to keep finghting until I am a world champion.”

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 20, 2015) – Already destined to be one of the best fight nights of 2015, a stellar televised undercard for the Saturday, Nov. 21 showdown between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez will provide even more punch to an already highly anticipated event from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas which will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Highly touted Takashi Miura (29-2-2, 22 KOs) of Tokyo, Japan will defend his WBC Super Featherweight title for the fifth time against Mexico City, Mexico’s unbeaten Francisco Vargas (22-0-1, 16 KOs) in a 12-round battle which is presented in association with Teiken Promotions. Hailing from the same city as headliner Miguel Cotto, and co-promoted by the Puerto Rican legend’s Miguel Cotto Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, undefeated, multiple-regional title champion Jayson Velez (23-0-1, 16 KOs) of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will face Santa Ana, California’s Ronny Rios (24-1, 10 KOs) in a highly anticipated 10-round featherweight bout. An additional televised bout will be announced shortly.

“Bringing sports fans an event featuring what is likely to be the 2015 Fight of the Year in Cotto vs. Canelo is great, but adding a highly entertaining undercard makes it greater,” said David Itskowitch, COO Boxing of Roc Nation Sports. “The announcement of these two televised undercard fights brings additional excitement and value for fans watching the event live in Las Vegas or at home on HBO Pay-Per-View.”

“On November 21, the best fighters in boxing will gather for one epic night in Las Vegas,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Audiences will not only see the two biggest stars battle, Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez, but every fighter featured on the card brings the highest caliber of talent propelling the sport further into a new golden age of boxing.”

“I believe Velez vs. Rios is a great match for both fighters,” said Hector Soto, Vice President of Miguel Cotto Promotions. “The winner will be a step away from a title shot and it adds more drama to the Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry. In Ronny Rios we have a tough fighter and Jayson Velez is a warrior that brings action into the ring.”

“Francisco Vargas has proved himself to be a tough competitor,” said Miura. “But, I have repeatedly fought to keep my WBC title and on November 21, I will show American fans once again why I am a champion.”

“To add the WBC title to my NABF and WBO Intercontinental titles would be the ultimate victory and a great ending to 2015,” said Vargas. “I am training hard and ready to bring a fight to the ring at Mandalay Bay. Takashi Miura better be ready because I am coming for him on November 21.”

“I have been working to make a name for myself and show fans that I am a true undefeated champion,” said Velez. “This fight against Ronny Rios represents an important next step in my career and I am hungry for the win. To fight on the same card as Miguel Cotto and to represent Puerto Rico in Las Vegas in what is sure to be one of this year’s biggest nights in boxing is surreal.”

“I was dealt the first loss of my career not long ago, but that has only made me more focused and driven,” said Rios. “I have already sought redemption and am now ready to continue on my path to a world title. Jayson Velez may prove to be a tough opponent, but I will be ready for him. Come November 21, Velez will know what a first career loss will feel like.”

Southpaw power-puncher Takashi Miura is a force at super featherweight who is excited to make his United States debut on the Cotto vs. Canelo undercard. Unbeaten since 2011, the 31-year-old from Tokyo has scored several notable wins in that timeframe, stopping Gamaliel Diaz to take the WBC title, turning back Sergio “Yeyo” Thompson and defeating former world champion Billy “The Kid” Dib in defense of his belt. On November 21, he will expect a similar result when he faces Vargas.

A member of the 2008 Mexican Olympic team, Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas turned professional in 2010 and is now one win away from a coveted world championship. The NABF and WBO Intercontinental champion at 130 pounds, the 30-year-old Mexico City native has blasted through his last three opponents, halting former World Champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez, Genaro “Duro” Camargo and “Wild” Will Tomlinson to earn his shot at Miura in a fight boxing fans can’t wait to see.

Hailing from the same city in Puerto Rico as headliner Miguel Cotto, 27-year-old Caguas native Jayson “La Maravilla” Velez has compiled a collection of titles in his professional career, including the WBC USNBC, WBO Latino and WBC Silver belts. He nearly took his first world title in November 2014 before a controversial draw verdict was rendered in his IBF Featherweight World Championship fight with Evgeny Gradovich. Determined to get another world title shot, Velez needs a win against Rios to get there.

Santa Ana, California’s Ronny Rios was sailing to the top of the division before an upset loss to the number one contender for the WBC Featherweight title Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos in October of 2014, but with a comeback win over Sergio “El Frio” Frias and the determination and heart of a champion, the talented 25-year-old has his sights set on glory once more. With a victory over Velez, he will be back on the road to a world title fight once more.

Tickets for closed circuit viewings of Cotto vs. Canelo are priced at $75, not including applicable service charges, and can be purchased at all MGM Resorts International Ticket Offices, http://www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000.

Cotto vs. Canelo, a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships, takes place Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra; Mexico, Live it to Believe it!; O’Reilly Auto Parts; Tequila Cazadores and Corporate Travel Made Simple (ctms). The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Also featured on the pay-per-view telecast will be Takashi Muira vs. Francisco Vargas in a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship presented in association with Teiken Promotions and Jayson Velez vs. Ronny Rios is a 10-round featherweight in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions. Follow the conversation using #CottoCanelo.

For more information, visit www.rocnation.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, ww.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.mandalaybay.com; follow on Twitter at @RocNation, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @RealMiguelCotto, @Canelo, @HBOBoxing, and @MandalayBay; become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/RocNation, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/RealMiguelACotto, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MandalayBay; and follow on Instagram @rocnation, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @realmiguelacotto, @Canelo, @HBOboxing and @MandalayBay. Follow the conversation using #CottoCanelo.