Cotto loses 160-pound title in advance of fight with Alvarez

LAS VEGAS (AP) Miguel Cotto has lost his piece of the middleweight title even before his fight Saturday night with Canelo Alvarez.

The WBC said Tuesday it has stripped Cotto of the title for not agreeing to the organization's rules, which reportedly included paying a sanctioning fee to the organization in return for the WBC title being at stake in the middleweight showdown.

The WBC issued a release saying that Alvarez will be regarded as its champion if he wins the fight, but the title will be vacated if Cotto wins.

Though the fight was technically a middleweight title bout, it is being fought at a catch weight of 155 pounds instead of the 160-pound limit.