By Radio Rahim
Tom Loeffler, promoter for WBA/IBO/WBC interim-middleweight champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin (32-0, 29KOs), tried to secure a fight with full WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32KOs) - but failed to get any type of response to his inquiry.
Golovkin is the mandatory challenger to Cotto's title. The Puerto Rican star captured the WBC crown last June with a TKO of division ruler Sergio Martinez. Cotto has yet to make a defense of that title and recently signed a highly publicized promotional agreement with Roc Nation Sports.
Cotto returns in June, but has no opponent. Because no opponent is set, Loeffler reached out to make the fight happen - but no response came back. Very few insiders expect Cotto to face Golovkin.
"We didn't get a response from Cotto. I reached out to his people....and you can't negotiate if you don't even get a response. That's one of those fights where Cotto either has to fight him in the future or vacate the title, according to the WBC," Loeffler told BoxingScene.com.
Golovkin returns on May 16th against Boxcino tournament winner Willie Monroe Jr. (19-1, 6KOs).
"It's getting tough to get people to agree to fight him. I have to give Willie Monroe a lot of credit. As soon as I approached [promoter] Artie Pelullo with it, he was actually surprised and said' 'people don't usually want to fight southpaws,'" Loeffler said. "Right now this is the best fight available for Gennady."
