Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale Reportedly Set: Date, Location, Preview, More

WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto reportedly has his next challenger lined up, as Daniel Geale is set to face him on June 6. 

According to El Vocero (h/t Miguel Rivera of BoxingScene.com), Cotto (39-4) and Geale (31-3) will face off at the Barclays Center in New York City in a match televised by HBO, with a press conference next week to officially announced the fight. 

Ben Damon of Main Event TV has more:

"

Miguel Cotto v Daniel Geale WBC Title, June 6 will be at agreed weight of 157lbs (71.2kg). Announcement Wednesday in NYC #CottoGeale #boxing

— Ben Damon (@ben_damon) April 13, 2015"

Since losing to both Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout in 2012, Cotto has bounced back with wins against Delvin Rodriguez and Sergio Martinez, the latter earning him his WBC middleweight belt. 

Geale is coming off an up-and-down 2014, as he was knocked out by Gennady Golovkin before responding with a unanimous decision against Jarrod Fletcher.

Boxing writer Steve Kim thinks Geale will be stiffer competition than Cotto last faced:

Should Cotto win the fight, the WBC announced in February that he would have to fight Golovkin in a title unification bout that boxing fans have been craving. So for Cotto, quite a bit is on the line. 

For Geale, this match against Cotto is all about proving that he can compete with the top boxers in the sport after losing to Golovkin. His loss against Golovkin didn't exactly put him in the best light, and now he must work his way back to the top.

Cotto is incredibly dangerous when he gets in close on an opponent, using a powerful jab and his ability to attack from multiple angles to crowd and overpower other fighters. Geale will surely want to keep his distance, which is generally his style anyway, as he prefers to feint and wait for his opponent to commit before throwing his shots. 

If Cotto can crowd him, he'll win this fight. But if Geale can remain on the outside, keep his distance and pick his spots, he should be able to snag the middleweight title and perhaps earn a rematch with Golovkin.