By Radio Rahim
Los Angeles - For quite some time, Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach was predicting very big things for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs).
Roach made some bold predictions that Golovkin was capable of going to 168 and cleaning out the division, and even said GGG could rise all the way up to light heavyweight to beat unified champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs).
But after Golovkin's two most recent performances, Roach admits that his opinion has changed - and he no longer believes Golovkin is capable of beating Ward.
According to Roach, Golovkin's ability to deal with a good boxer was exposed two weeks ago, when he won a tough twelve round decision over Daniel Jacobs at New York's Madison Square Garden.
And Roach views Ward a being a better boxer than Jacobs.
While Roach is still confident that Golovkin can beat Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, he believes Golovkin' team will keep him away from super middleweights with good boxing ability.
"He's still one of the best fighters in the world today. I thought at one time he could move up to light heavyweight and beat Ward. Ward is a very good boxer and maybe a better boxer than Triple G's last [opponent] is - I've changed my mind on that one a little bit now, because I like the boxer and [Golovkin] was exposed, he does have trouble with people who box and so forth," Roach explained to BoxingScene.com.
"They ask me what about Canelo, and I say that 'Canelo is not a boxer though.' He's a puncher and I say Triple G is too big and strong for him. I think Triple G will get to him sooner than he can get to Triple G. But, that's just my opinion though. I don't think he will go up right now to fight very good boxers, because he was exposed a little bit with a boxer fighting from the southpaw stance."