Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin is a tough nut to crack in the division, but Mexican veteran boxer Juan Manuel Marquez believes compatriot Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has the tools to beat the undefeated Kazakh.
Alvarez, who owns a 46-1-1 record with 32 knockout victories, became a world champion again after scoring a unanimous decision win against former World Boxing Council middleweight ruler Miguel Cotto.
Marquez said that he watch the fight between Alvarez and Cotto. And based on what he saw from Alvarez, the future Hall of Famer is convinced that Canelo can run away with a decision win against Canelo.
"From what I saw of Canelo Alvarez, he is capable of giving Golovkin a great fight, a fight where Canelo could end up winning on points," Marquez told ESPN Deportes, when asked two give his prediction on the proposed bout.
Golovkin is considered as the best natural middleweight fighter in the world today, as he has a perfect 34-0 record with 31 knockout victories, including his last 20 bouts.
The 33-year-old, who is the reigning International Boxing Organization, World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation middleweight champion, is coming off an impressive eighth-round knockout win against David Lemieux in October.
But despite winning against Lemieux and in his last 19 fights by knockout prior to his October fight, Eddie Reynoso, Canelo's trainer, is not too high on the unbeaten middleweight champion.
"Golovkin is a great fighter and we acknowledge that, but he is not the wonder that everyone believes he is," Reynoso said told ESPN Deportes. "We also have a great boxer."
Golovkin is the mandatory challenger to the WBC middleweight title, which means Alvarez will be required to face the Karaganda, Kazakhstan native if he wants to keep the title.
WBC recently announced that they will allow both fighters to have another tune-up bout until May next year before colliding for the title in the second half of 2016. It remains to be seen, though, whether or not the two camps will find a common ground in terms of catch weight.
Golovkin and his camp are insisting that the fight should be staged at 160 pounds, which is the weight limit in the middleweight division, but Canelo and his handlers are pushing for a 155-pound catch weight. Reynoso said they will remain firm on their stance because they feel it is the logical move for Canelo.
"I am blunt, we are pretty good at 155 pounds," Reynoso reiterated. "We are going to do what is beneficial for us and not for someone else."
