De La Hoya guarantees Canelo-GGG will happen, admits negotiations could get “complicated”

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Saul Canelo Alvarez, Gennady GolovkinSaul “Canelo” Alvarez can’t look past Amir Khan who he will be fighting on May 7 in Las Vegas.  However, there’s another name fighter that keeps popping up from the boxing media and even on his Instagram page.  That name is Gennady “GGG” Golovkin who is the current unified champion in the middleweight division.  Canelo since his victory over Miguel Cotto for the Lineal middleweight championship has been getting pressured with questions from the boxing media and fans on whether he will take on the dangerous fighter from Kazakhstan later this year.

After the surprise announcement that Canelo would be fighting Khan on May 7, there are many in the industry and fans alike that really doubt Canelo will fight Triple G in September.  That doubt comes from that fact the Canelo has yet to fight a legitimate middleweight and will be making the first defense of his title against a fighter that has shown a shaky chin in the lighter weight divisions and hasn’t even had one fight at the Jr. middleweight limit.

Canelo has received his fair share of criticism for fighting smaller men and demanding that if fighters want to fight him they have to fight him at 155 pounds, which some fans refer to as “Caneloweight.”

Still, despite some negative criticism towards this bout, considering the options that were on the table since GGG wasn’t an option for May, Khan was the best choice for Canelo in terms of what money can be generated from a PPV event.  Other names being considered like Gabe Rosado and Willie Monroe weren’t attractive enough for Canelo to headline as a PPV.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya who promotes Canelo, feels he presented the boxing public with an intriguing matchup of contrasting styles between name fighters that will produce a great fight.

“We felt that was the big event,” De La Hoya said in an interview with FightHub.

“Golovkin has a dancing partner and a tough one.  It’s not an easy walk in the park for Golovkin.

“Who else can we shock the world with?  We like thinking outside the box. I’ve known Amir Khan for many years, he’s willing to fight anybody.

“That’s what makes Amir Khan great, when has Amir Khan ever been in a dull fight?  This guy comes with everything and he has speed.  And the fights that given Canelo difficulties are fighters with speed.”

It’s true, difficult styles and speed have troubled Canelo in the past, but most feel Khan is not good enough defensively and hasn’t presented a sturdy chin against even fighters who are not considered punchers.

Canelo will be the heavy favorite and many are wondering what will happen after May 7.  If Canelo defeats Khan, he will have to fulfill mandatory obligations, meaning a mandatory challenge of his WBC title against GGG that has been ordered by the WBC.

Still, despite the potential of troubling negotiations and a matter of what weight that fight will be contested at, Oscar maintains that Canelo Alvarez vs Triple G will happen sooner rather than later.

“I’m telling you it’s going to happen sooner rather than later,” said De La Hoya.  “It’s a fight that is going to be a bit complicated to make, but not impossible.

“Obviously, when you have a superstar like Canelo and a fighter in Golovkin who thinks he’s a superstar.  He’s a great fighter, but he’s not a superstar yet.

“Can he get there?  Absolutely, he’s a tremendous fighter, but when you have a superstar like Canelo and a fighter like Golovkin, negotiations can get a little dicey, a little complicated but nothing that can be impossible to make.

“We’re looking forward to it down the line,” said De La Hoya.