by David P. Greisman

Freddie Roach spoke with BoxingScene.com on July 25.

BoxingScene.com: What did you think of the bout between Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara?

Roach: “I was in China. I didn’t get to see the fight. I heard it was a pretty close fight. I heard it could’ve went either way, but I didn’t get to see it. I had four fights in China last week.”

BoxingScene.com: You’re working with Miguel Cotto and coming off the big win over Sergio Martinez. Do you know what’s next?

Roach: “Still to be determined. Right now I’m waiting for the dates to fall, and then that’ll determine if I take Cotto to camp with [Manny] Pacquiao and where the camp’s going to be. It could be Macau. Nothing’s really decided on who Cotto’s fighting next.”

BoxingScene.com: Are your thoughts going to be that it will be a — not necessarily a keep-busy fight — but a lower-level fight, and then a big fight in May or June of next year?

Roach: “Well, I was hoping for a big fight right away. I was hoping Canelo Alvarez would come to the table after he won that fight. But he didn’t look that impressive in the fight, so he wants one more fight before. I was hoping for a big fight, because I don’t like stay-busy fights so much. At this stage, they’re not necessary in his career.”

BoxingScene.com: What do you think of James Kirkland as a potential opponent?

Roach: “A walk in the park. It’s not too hard.”

BoxingScene.com: In terms of the big fight, would you prefer Cotto face Canelo, or a rematch with Floyd Mayweather?

Roach: “Either one’s attractive. I like them both. Maybe we’ll see how GGG is.”

(Roach was in New York City to corner Glen Tapia, whose fight ended up being canceled. After the weigh-in, another reporter asked if Roach was treating the main event between Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Geale as a sort of scouting mission)

Roach: “Maybe I like him for Cotto, I don’t know. I hear a lot about him. Let’s see if it’s true. He’s going against his best test. This is his best opponent, they say. We’ll see.”

Pick up a copy of David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsamazon or internationally at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsworldwide. Send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com