By Carlos Boogs
Former four division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez gives WBC middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (46-1-1, 32KOs) a very good chance to decision WBA/IBO/IBF champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (34-0, 31KOs), but says the 25-year-old Mexican superstar should stay away from a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. (49-0, 26KOs), who may return to the ring in 2016.
Canelo got his signature win on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas with a twelve round unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto.
The mandatory challenger to the WBC title is Golovkin, but there is no concrete decision as to Canelo's willingness to remain at middleweight. The fight with Cotto took place at 155-pounds and Canelo has no interest in facing Golovkin above that weight.
Marquez hopes the fight happens.
"Hopefully the WBC respects the official challenger and they give Golovkin the opportunity and not wait for the Golovkin fight after two years. That would be unjust if that happens. From what I saw of Canelo, he would give a great fight to Golovkin. It would be an important and good fight, because we saw [Canelo] evade punches [with Cotto] and we know Golovkin is a come forward fighter,"
"If Canelo boxes him like he did tonight, evading punches, but [creating] counter attacks afterwards then it would be an interesting fight, a fight he could probably win on points."
Canelo's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy, would like to see him face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a rematch. Mayweather dominated Canelo over twelve rounds in 2013. Marquez strongly discourages him from taking that fight.
"We know Mayweather doesn’t like to exchange and fight, and to fight that style is tough for Canelo. We saw tonight in some rounds Cotto made him look bad [by] moving well on his feet. The important thing is Canelo has advanced well, but if he fights an elusive fighter, a fighter that moves, it’s hard for him," Marquez said.
