By Steve Kim

So how are negotiations proceeding between the camps of Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32KOs) and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (44-1-1, 31KOs), who are primed to hook up in a blockbuster pay-per-event in 2015?

"It's very preliminary, now," said Eric Gomez, the matchmaker for Golden Boy Promotions on Tuesday at the Conga Room at L.A. Live, which handles Alvarez.

"We're going to schedule more meetings. So far, everything is going good. I think it's a big enough fight that it can get made. I feel that the most important thing is that both fighters want the fight. It makes it so much easier when the fighters really, really want the fight because it's a give-and-take and I know that both guys are willing to give-and-take."

It would be safe to assume that such issues as the weight-limit (Cotto is the middleweight champion, who can still make 154-pounds relatively easy and Alvarez in his most recent bout against Erislandy Lara fought at a catch-weight of 155-pounds), which titles would be on the line, along with more ancillary issues such as who'd get top billing on the promotion have to be settled. Then of course, the splitting of revenues.

"They're moving ahead," said the chairman of Top Rank, Bob Arum, who is deferring to Todd duBoef, the companies president on these talks.

"Negotiations aren't easy, everybody has a position to take but I'm confident that these negotiations come to fruition and the fight gets made."

Both Cotto and Alvarez are legitimate attractions and have a large constituency. It would be another chapter in the historic rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico. This fight isn't necessarily slated to take place in Las Vegas according to Arum, who said:

"Las Vegas is a great venue to hold a fight but it's not the only venue and if boxing is to survive and thrive in this country it has to go to venues other than just Las Vegas. I know that Oscar( De La Hoya) and Todd and Gaby( Penagaricano) are considering other venues for the fight."

Then there is also the date of the fight. In the past few years the Cinco de Mayo weekend has become Floyd Mayweather's traditional pay-per-view platform but it's clear that those involved with Cotto and Alvarez, along with HBO Sports, would like to take over that slot which falls on May 2nd in 2015.

When Gomez was asked if he were a betting man if he'd wager on Cotto-Alvarez taking place on that weekend, he said simply - "Yes."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.