Gennady Golovkin, the WBA Super World middleweight champion, is not pursuing a fight against WBC titleholder Miguel Cotto, according to trainer Abel Sanchez. But the Kazakh superstar is simply pursuing the WBC title that Cotto holds in his possession.
Golovkin was in attendance Saturday evening at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, as he witnessed Cotto annihilate Daniel Geale in four rounds. In July 2014, Golovkin defeated Geale in three rounds.
Golovkin was impressed with Cotto’s performance, but he didn’t seem too optimistic that the four-division world champion would ever fancy a fight with him.
“His performance was very nice. He looked amazing today,” said Golovkin.
After the fight when Cotto was asked about a fight with Golovkin down the road, Cotto shrugged his shoulders, hesitated, and finally gave a response.
“Why not? We need to do our fights. Canelo is supposed to be the next one. After that, if Gennady is available and wants to fight, I’m available too.”
However, when asked by HBO’s Max Kellerman if he was a real middleweight, Cotto was honest.
“I’m not,” he stated.
Tha Boxing Voice’s Nestor Gibbs asked Golovkin after the fight if Cotto should give up the title so he could claim what is his. The man who has knocked out his past 20 opponents consecutively showed nothing but respect towards the Puerto Rican.
“Right now, he is the WBC middleweight champion. It doesn’t matter how many bouts he’s won. He’s a great champion. But my goal is to win all the belts in the middleweight division. I want a fight with him [Cotto].
“It doesn’t matter, seriously [who I fight next]. I’m ready.”
What that translated to is that Golovkin wants to unify the middleweight division. If the fight happens with Cotto, great, but if it doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world because there are plenty of other fights.
Abel Sanchez concurred.
Sanchez told BoxingScene.com, “It’s not so much Cotto that we’re after. We’re after the 160-pound title. Gennady wants to see who’s who at 160-pounds. If it’s Cotto, then it’s Cotto, but it doesn’t seem like he’s heading our direction so we’ll go after that title if he vacates,” Sanchez said
The WBC ordered the winner of the Cotto-Geale fight to face Golovkin next. That’s not likely going to happen as Cotto appears to be fighting Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in the fall. The WBC will only sanction that fight if a step aside deal is reached with Golovkin and his team.
If no deal is reached, Cotto will likely vacate the title.
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