The Dallas Cowboys are preparing to put their sparkling, new, state of the art training facility to use in a non-football related activity.
Miguel Cotto will end a 15-month layoff by battling James Kirkland in a junior middleweight fight on Feb. 25, Cotto Promotions executive Bryan Perez told Dan Rafael of ESPN.com on Wednesday.
The kicker to the bout is this — the fight will take place in Texas — just at high-priced extension of Jerry’s World.
The scheduled 12-round bout will headline an HBO PPV card being put on by Roc Nation Sports and Cotto Promotions. It will take place at the Ford Center at The Star, the new training facility of the Dallas Cowboys in Frisco, Texas, that includes a 12,000-seat arena.
Perez said the fight has been agreed to, and he expected a formal announcement by Roc Nation Sports as soon as Thursday.
“Miguel is back in the ring and we are all excited,” Perez said. “Like he always does, Miguel wants to go in the ring and put on a great show.”
Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) has been champion at junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight, but has been out of action since losing a clear unanimous decision title to Canelo Alvarez in their November 2015 fight in Las Vegas.
Roc Nation was reportedly hoping this would be a pay-per-view bout — as the bout against Kirkland will be Cotto’s last officially with Roc Nation, and he’s do in advance of $10 million for the fight.
Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs), hasn’t fought since being brutalized by Canelo Alvarez in 2015.
“We tried to do other fights, but you know how the business is,” Perez said. “Kirkland was there, he was willing to fight Miguel, he makes good fights, and we made the fight. Miguel will do his best to give a great show and an exciting fight.
“Miguel can’t wait to start training with Freddie,” Perez said. “I think the year off was good for Miguel, but he is ready to fight again.”
Cotto, 36, has usually fought in New York.