Gennady Golovkin and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez destinies 'intertwined', says Tom Loeffler
Friday 29 April 2016 12:01, UK
Gennady Golovkin's priority is to unify the middleweight division against Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez before entertaining the idea of catchweight super-fights, his promoter has reiterated.
Tom Loeffler had welcomed the prospect of IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook stepping up in weight but has stressed that Golovkin must first add another middleweight world title to his collection.
The unbeaten Kazakh, the WBA Super and IBF champion, is mandatory challenger to Alvarez's WBC belt but has been waiting nearly two years to cash in his opportunity. He is now hungry to end the wait, according to Loeffler.
"There's a long history of Gennady being WBC interim champion and being mandatory challenger," Loeffler exclusively told Sky Sports.
"He's always wanted to add the WBC title to the belts that he has. We tried to fight Sergio Martinez, but he chose to fight Miguel Cotto at a catchweight of 159lbs. That's where it all went downhill for the WBC middleweight title.
Gennady wants to restore respect to the middleweight division.
"Sergio had a great reign but since then, he went from 159 against Cotto [who then fought at] 157 against Daniel Geale. Then 155lbs for Cotto-Canelo, and now 155 again for Canelo-Amir Khan. Gennady wants to restore respect to the middleweight division."
Golovkin's team plan to force through his mandatory shot at the WBC belt in the immediate aftermath of Alvarez's next defence against Khan.
Loeffler insists the mutual respect between the two world champions means a future clash is inevitable, even if Alvarez fails to come through his upcoming defence.
"The position of the WBC is clear - it's not as though Gennady has just become the mandatory, and they're forcing the champion to fight him immediately," Loeffler said. "It's been over a year-and-a-half that he's been mandatory.
"It was clear that the winner of Canelo-Cotto was obligated to face Gennady. When Canelo won they asked us for a voluntary defence and we allowed it.
"At this point, the winner of Canelo-Khan fights him or Gennady will just take the title. Canelo is a warrior who has fought guys that he didn't need to fight, like Austin Trout and Erislandy Lara. Right now, a fight between Canelo and Gennady is the biggest fight in the sport.
"Their destinies are so intertwined that it will certainly happen in the future."
