By Elisinio Castillo
Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya says WBC middleweight champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (46-1-1, 32KOs) is not ducking any fighter and took on all challenges in his young 25-year-old career.
This Saturday night, Canelo will defend his title against Amir Khan at a catch-weight of 155-pounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The winner of the fight has been ordered, by the World Boxing Council, to make a mandatory defense against IBO/WBA/IBF middleweight champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin in the fall.
Canelo has received some criticism for his refusal to confirm that he intends to make the fight with Golovkin in 2016. De La Hoya says the contest will require some additional time to build it up.
De La Hoya explained his Canelo fought the dangerous Erislandy Lara of Cuba in 2014 and won a very close twelve round split decision, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. De La Hoya and other members of Golden Boy had tried to persuade Canelo to fight someone else, but the Mexican star was mentally focused on Lara and ordered his promoter to make the fight.
De La Hoya says a lot of fighters, including Golovkin, wanted no part of Lara in the ring. Lara unsuccessfully tried to campaign for a fight with Golovkin last year.
"Canelo beat [Lara]. It was difficult, it was close, but the pressure of Canelo made ??the difference in the fight. Lara is one of the best I've seen. Golovkin did not want to fight him, Cotto did not want to fight him. Nobody wants to fight Lara. Personally, I was surprised that Canelo agreed to fight him," De La Hoya told George Ebro.