By Dan Ambrose: WBC super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell is picking WBA Super World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin to beat WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto by knockout if the two fighters end up facing each other in 2015.
That’s a big if because Cotto will likely face Saul “Canelo” Alvarez next, and that could prove to be one step too far for the 34-year-old Cotto. He’s won his last two fights against Delvin Rodriguez and Sergio Martinez, but we’re talking about two fighters that have seen their best days already in the ring.
Cotto’s trainer Freddie Roach has bragged about how Cotto has improved his game in the last two fights since he started training him, but he looks to be the same fighter that was beaten in back to back fights by Austin Trout and Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2012.
The only real difference is that he was matched up against older fighters in his last two fights, and those fights made Cotto arguably look better than he actually is.
“I think Golovkin knocks him out. I think it will come in the middle rounds, because Cotto is a warrior,” Dirrell said via esnewsreporting.com.
Golovkin may not get a shot against Cotto if he gets beaten by Canelo or if he decides to vacate his WBC 160 pound title. Cotto moved up to middleweight in order to pick up his fourth division world title last June against the aging 39-year-old Sergio Martinez. Cotto wasn’t expected to stay at middleweight.
It was thought to be a one off time thing with Cotto picking up an easy belt against a fighter coming off a yearlong layoff and two knee surgeries. However, Cotto has decided to stay at middleweight at least for now.
If he faces Canelo on May 2nd, it’s a fight that will likely take place at a catch-weight of 155 pounds rather than at the full weight for the division. If Golovkin is on the verge of facing Cotto for the title, then it’ll be interesting to see what Cotto does.
Cotto can fight Golovkin or vacate the belt. If Cotto does decide to fight Golovkin, then you have to figure that he’ll ask him to agree to a catch-weight of 155 pounds. The more that Cotto drags Golovkin down in weight the better chances Cotto has to win the fight.
Golovkin, 5’10 ½”, would have a three and a half height and a three inch reach advantage against Cotto. That might prove to be too much for the Puerto Rican fighter.
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