While the boxing world obsesses over who’s ducking who at 160 pounds, a certain 154-pounder says he’s ready to fight Gennady Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs, Miguel Cotto or a rematch with Canelo Alvarez: junior middleweight Erislandy Lara.
Following his smooth 12-round decision win over Vanes Martirosyan, Lara told the Tha Boxing Voice’s Sean Zittel that he’s more than willing to fight any of the aforementioned middleweights should such an opportunity arise.
“It’s all on them,” Lara said through a translator. “I’m ready to go and I showed what I (can do against Martirosyan), so it’s all on them.”
“I like all four of them. I don’t care, they can pick. I’ll fight all four of them. I got to get money. This is all about money — and making big money and making big fights and winning,” Lara added.
Luis DeCubas Jr., Lara’s manager, also recently confirmed that Team Lara is seeking a fight with a big-name middleweight in an interview with FloBoxing.tv’s Patrick Connor.
“We’re looking to get the biggest fights, whether it’s Golovkin or the rematch with Canelo. That chapter’s not closed,” DeCubas told Connor. “There’s also Cotto, and those big names are the fights we want, but if we can’t get them, then we have to keep going.”
Take a look back at @Laraboxing‘s win over @VanesBoxing: https://t.co/DHXhKqsMVS
Who should the Champ fight next?https://t.co/s2y7KnJysO
— PBC (@premierboxing) May 25, 2016
Of course, the issue of weight comes into play. Lara didn’t specify if he’s willing to move up to 160 pounds, expects his opponent to come down to 154, or wants to do it at a catchweight.
Given that he would likely be the B-side against Canelo, GGG, Jacobs or Cotto — and thus not calling the shots — the 33-year-old Cuban is probably better off making the jump to 160 if he’s serious about fighting those guys. Obviously Canelo might be willing to come down in weight, and perhaps Cotto too, but a fight with GGG or Jacobs would almost certainly have to take place at middleweight.
Lara will rest up after going the distance with a game fighter like Martirosyan, and when he’s ready to return to the ring, he and his team have made their intentions crystal clear: Lara wants a big-money fight against a big-name middleweight.
