Abel Sanchez, the trainer of WBA and IBO middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin, believes that Canelo Alvarez would accept a challenge from the feared knockout artist while WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto would not.
"If Canelo wins very likely," Sanchez said of a matchup following a bout between Alvarez and Cotto. "If Cotto wins, never in a million years because Cotto knows he will get knocked out. Canelo is confident because he's young. He's still brash, he's still young. He still thinks he can conquer the world. But he gets knocked out in less than eight rounds."
When asked how long Cotto would last, Sanchez replied "Cotto doesn't go five."
Before facing either Cotto or Alvarez, a number of obstacles must be hurdled. Golovkin has to get past Martin Murray in February in Monte Carlo, while Cotto and Alvarez must actually negotiate a bout.
The talks are underway, according to Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya. "There are preliminary talks with the Cotto camp and obviously with Golden Boy on behalf of Canelo. So the fact is that Cotto wants the fight and the fact is that Canelo wants the fight," De La Hoya said.
It will be for Cotto's title, absolutely. This is the biggest fight that can be made and that people are talking about for next year, which is Cinco de Mayo. I have no doubt in my mind that this fight does closer to 1.5 million homes."
Murray will likely be a prohibitive underdog, but Golovkin has called him the top European challenger in the division and views him as someone who could defeat Cotto.
"I think Martin Murray is a top middleweight," Golovkin said. "He is very big for middleweight. He did very well with Sergio Martinez in Argentina. I never got the chance to fight Sergio, but fighting the guy that knocked him down will be nice, it will be a great show."
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