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Gennady Golovkin puts Miguel Cotto atop his wish list

Fighters Network
04
Nov
Marco Antonio Rubio (R) winces as he absorbs a bodyshot from Gennady Golovkin on Oct. 18, 2014. Golovkin would beat Rubio by knockout in the second round. Photo by Naoki Fukuda.

Marco Antonio Rubio (R) winces as he absorbs a bodyshot from Gennady Golovkin on Oct. 18, 2014. Golovkin would beat Rubio by a knockout in the second round. Photo by Naoki Fukuda.

 

Gennady Golovkin captured the world’s attention yet again with his second-round stoppage of Marco Antonio Rubio earlier this month.

Having earned his 18th straight knockout with the 12th defense of his WBA belt, the destroyer from Kazakhstan already is focused on his next HBO-televised appearance, against Martin Murray on Feb. 21 in Monte Carlo.

But that didn’t prevent Golovkin (31-0, 28 knockouts) from weighing in on his post-Murray future during a Q&A with RingTV.com, specifically on potential fights against RING middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, super middleweight champion Andre Ward, No. 1-rated junior middleweight Canelo Alvarez, No. 1-rated 168-pounder Carl Froch or No. 10-rated super middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.



Golovkin-Rubo took place before an arena-record 9,323 boxing fans at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., on Oct. 18 and was watched by 1.3 million viewers on HBO, according to Nielsen Media Research.

That made Golovkin’s destruction of Rubio the second-highest viewed premium cable boxing event of 2014, ranking only behind Chavez’s unanimous decision over Bryan Vera in their rematch, which drew 1.39 million viewers.

In his previous fight, Golovkin scored a third-round technical knockout over Daniel Geale at New York’s Madison Square Garden, representing the fourth time Golovkin had fought in New York and the fifth time on the East Coast. The Rubio fight represented a 33 percent increase in viewership from the Geale fight.

Golovkin shared some thoughts with RingTV.com below:

RingTV.com: If you could, for a moment, could you specifically address the notion of fighting Andre Ward and/or Miguel Cotto or Canelo Alvarez?

Gennady Golovkin: I have big respect for Andre Ward. He has accomplished many things in the ring. My focus is to fight at middleweight unless there is a big fight at 154 or 168 that would be on pay-per-view. I think both Canelo and Cotto are warriors in the ring. They both have big hearts and both would be a big event and pay-per-view fights.

RingTV.com: What are your thoughts on Martin Murray as an opponent?

GGG: I think Martin Murray is a top middleweight. He is very big for middleweight. He did very well with Sergio Martinez in Argentina. I never got the chance to fight Sergio, but fighting the guy that knocked him down will be nice, it will be a great show.

RingTV.com: Specifically, who would you like to fight if you’re victorious against Murray?

GGG: My priority would be Cotto, since he is the WBC middleweight champion and he beat Sergio. I could not get Sergio to fight me, so I would like to fight the guy that beat Sergio.

Canelo is another great fight, a big Mexican legend. Chavez Jr. would be a great fight. We tried to make a fight with him, but he doesn’t seem to want to fight me. Froch would also be a great fight. All of these guys are big names, and I always want to fight the biggest names possible.

RingTV.com: What is your reaction to your growing status with every fight and your thoughts on why people watch you?

GGG: I am happy with the fans that support me. I think they like my style. I like to fight, not just box in the ring.

RingTV.com: Do you go out with the intention of entertaining your fans by breaking down your opponent and providing constant action with the specific goal of delivering a knockout?

GGG: I try to give everyone a good show when I am in the ring. I put on pressure in the ring. I know the fans like knockouts.

RingTV.com: Your thoughts on fighting abroad and establishing your brand there after having done so in New York and California?

GGG: My priority is fighting in America, but I always want to keep the contact with the fans in Europe and abroad. It is important not to lose the connection with the international fans.

Note: Interview facilitated by Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions

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