Home Boxing News Freddie Roach has no problem with a Cotto vs Golovkin fight

Freddie Roach has no problem with a Cotto vs Golovkin fight

During an interview with Dan Rafael of ESPN Freddie Roach, trainer of WBC Middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, said that he would not be against a possible fight between Cotto and WBA Middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. While Roach said he would be more in favor of a fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, he also said in regards to a bout with Golovkin “I’d have no problem taking that fight,” Roach said on Friday, over the phone from his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California.

Roach was at ringside for Golovkin’s recent fight with Daniel Geale last week and came away impressed. “He hits very well. I don’t think he has the best defense in the world, but he is a very offensive fighter and a strong puncher,” Roach said. “If we did fight him I’d like the fight to be closer to 154 [pounds] to make him come down a little bit. He’s very strong, but I think we definitely could negotiate that fight for sure… Cotto made 155 last time [for the Martinez fight]. He’s a little smaller than Golovkin, so I’d like him to come down as far as possible.”

Interesting that Roach wants a possible clash with Golovkin at Jr. Middleweight even though both Cotto and Golovkin both currently hold titles at Middleweight (Cotto is the current WBC Middleweight champion). Miguel Cotto has been fighting at 154 for the past few years and that’s probably his best weight at this point even though he went up to 160 and took apart Sergio Martinez to win WBC title. Team Golovkin has already stated they have no problems coming down 154 for a fight with Cotto.

Freddie Roach’s remarks on a possible fight between Miguel Cotto and Gennady Golovkin are very interesting, and very telling. First off it seems that in spite all the buzz over a possible Cotto – Golovkin battle (in the aftermath of Cotto’s stoppage over Martinez and GGG’s stoppage over Geale last week) is not first and foremost on his mind. If were up to Roach, he would much favor a Cotto fight with Canelo Alvarez. Second, if a possible fight between Cotto and Golovkin were to occur, he wants it with Cotto being at full strength and his natural weight of 154 pounds and with Golovkin coming down to 154 pounds possibly not a full strength. Bottom line, Roach is Cotto’s trainer and he wants all the advantages he can get for his fighter because after seeing GGG fight live for the first time last week, he knows how dangerous he is. If it were up to Roach, he wants no part of GGG at 160 pounds because he fears Golovkin would be too strong for Cotto at that weight.

Will we see Miguel Cotto and Gennady Golovkin actually in the ring? Well it all depends. It depends on money, and most importantly on what can be negotiated as far as the weight. The old saying is that size matters and that applies to boxing as well. If the fight indeed does happen (if it ever happens) Roach is laying down the law insisting that it will be on his terms.