Boxing News 2014: Bob Arum Wants Miguel Cotto to Face Canelo Alvarez, Not Gennady Golovkin
Gennady Golovkin is lobbying for a title unification bout against Miguel Cotto, but the unbeaten middleweight champion might have to wait. Reports are indicating that Cotto's camp is eyeing a different opponent.
Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum said that a showdown against Golovkin, the reigning IBO and WBA welterweight champion, is intriguing, but he pointed out that they want Cotto to defend his WBC title against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
Arum said that Golovkin is a great fighter, as proven by his unblemished 30-0 record with 27 knockout victories, but a fight against Alvarez is more attractive to fight fans, considering Canelo's popularity.
"Certainly, it's up to Miguel who he wants to fight, but I think the Canelo fight is a much more attractive fight," Arum said in an ESPN interview. "Even though I love Golovkin and [K2 Promotions managing director] Tom Loeffler -- and nobody can say that Golovkin isn't a great fighter -- it's risk-reward in boxing. We don't know about Golovkin's ability on pay-per-view."
Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach also sounded cold about the idea of facing Golovkin, saying that a showdown against Canelo is their top priority for Cotto's next fight.
Alvarez previously offered a guaranteed $10 million fight purse to Cotto earlier this year, but the Puerto Rican champion turned down the offer, citing lack of time to prepare for the big fight.
But while the Cotto-Alvarez showdown looks set in stone, Golovkin's camp is not yet ready to raise the white flag.
Loeffler, Golovkin's promoter, said that a title-unification bout between Cotto and Golovkin has the makings of blockbuster, especially if the fight will be staged at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
"I think that's an electric fight at Madison Square Garden. [MSG] has such a tremendous history. It's clearly the biggest fight that can be put in New York right now," Loeffler said via BoxingScene. "We would be happy to have it here in the Garden. Again, Cotto would be the A-side in the fight so we would let him dictate the terms, and Top Rank."
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