Boxing News: Freddie Roach favours bigger, stronger Canelo over Golovkin

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach predicts Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will be bigger and stronger than Gennady Golovkin when the two middleweights meet in the boxing ring in September.

Roach, who trains Miguel Cotto and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, believes Alvarez would be a big test for Golovkin, who, despite boasting an untainted streak of 34 wins and 31 KOs, has not fought anyone as huge as the Mexican yet.

“I think it’s a big test because I don’t think he’s [Golovkin] ever been tested,” Roach told Fight Hype . “I like the way he fights, Triple G, but he really hasn’t faced anyone that great yet – against a Mexican fighter that’s tough and had a good chin, and a guy that’s going to be bigger than him in the ring, and maybe stronger than him also, maybe not a better puncher.”

Alvarez, who won the WBC middleweight title against Cotto last year, has been insisting a catchweight-stipulated match for his opponents, including Golovkin, the mandatory challenger for the Mexican’s title belt. But interestingly, Alvarez looked massive in his last four fights, most recently against Puerto Rico’s Cotto and the 25-year-old could probably come out 10 or 20 pounds heavier when he gets in the ring with “GGG.”

Meanwhile, Golovkin, who is set to fight on Apr. 23 at the Madison Square Garden, remains without an opponent for his boxing ring return. K2 Promotions, on behalf of the unified middleweight titlist, was reported to have offered WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders $4 million to be Golovkin’s first opponent in 2016. However, Saunders’ promoter Frank Warren seems to have other plans for the undefeated British middleweight.

“Yeah, it looks like BJ Saunders is not going to take the fight right now, although we feel that he’ll fight with him [Golovkin] at some point in the future,” K2 Promotions managing director Tom Loeffler told Boxing Scene . Loeffler also added their top priority is the unification bout with Alvarez, brushing off worries about who Golovkin’s next opponent is.

With Saunders out of the picture, Golovkin would likely fight his IBF mandatory challenger Tureano Johnson. IBF recently stated that if Golovkin’s camp fails to complete a deal with Saunders, they will have the Kazakh knockout artist defend his title against Johnson.