Foreman-Cotto in Yankee Stadium on June 5 Would Be a Spectacle

It wasn't that long ago when there was some speculation within the boxing community about staging the late, lamented Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum put the kibosh on that idea pretty quickly, citing unfavorable taxes as the main culprit.

Not all Top Rank boxers have problems with New York's cut of their purse, though, as Miguel Cotto has made himself quite at home, taking on top opponents at Madison Square Garden. Now it appears the Puerto Rican star, plotting his next move after his loss to Pacquiao, may be the one to bring boxing to the modern incarnation of the House That Ruth Built.

The Associated Press is reporting that a deal is close for Cotto to challenge 154-pound titleholder Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium on June 5. Both fighters seem agreeable to the date and location, with the following weekend at MSG still possible if the big plan falls through.

The old Yankee Stadium saw a virtual who's who of boxing legends compete within its walls: Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis, Willie Pep, and Rocky Marciano, just to name a few.

No one is suggesting Cotto or Foreman belongs in that pantheon, but as far as current fighters go, they seem like excellent candidates to bring the sport back to the Bronx.

Cotto has made a habit of fighting at MSG on the weekend of the Puerto Rican Day parade and always draws well. Foreman calls New York home, and the AP piece predicts, probably correctly, that the city's Jewish residents would turn out in force to see him defend his belt.

Since Pacquiao is set to face Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium next month, the Foreman-Cotto bout could help usher in a new wave of thinking about where to stage high profile boxing cards in the U.S.

The Las Vegas casinos have had a virtual stranglehold on the biggest fights for the last decade or so, but if big crowds turn out in New York and Dallas, promoters just may have a more open mind about different locales in 2011.

I see that as an undeniable positive for boxing. Though there is a definite portion of the sport's audience that doesn't care to see fights held outdoors, I think the opportunity to hold big cards closer to boxers' geographical strongholds, combined with the chance to sell more tickets in larger venues, trumps those concerns.

As for the fight itself, I have to confess I haven't seen enough of Foreman to form a truly educated opinion on his talent. I don't think Cotto is finished, but moving up in weight always adds a certain element of unpredictability, so there's a chance it could be closer than the difference in name recognition between the two men might make it appear.

In any case, that's almost secondary here. Foreman-Cotto at Yankee Stadium should be a sight to see, and speaking not necessarily as a huge fan of either man but a fan of the sport itself, I hope it happens.

Nick Tylwalk is the editor and co-founder of BoxingWatchers.com . Follow his Twitter feed @Nick_Tylwalk .