By Bill "Two Scoops" Emes

Freddie Roach, trainer of WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33KOs), denies the notion that his fighter is being protected from a unification with WBA/IBO middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (33-0, 30KOs).

Golovkin is the mandatory challenger to Cotto's WBC title. But Cotto is going in another direction. He is likely heading into a fall mega-fight with Mexican star Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Cotto-Canelo can't get done unless the Puerto Rican fighter vacates his belt or reaches a step-aside deal with Golovkin.

If the fight presents itself, Roach is confident that he can properly prepare Cotto to win.

"I've never shied away from that fight......never," Roach told BoxingScene.com.

"Golovkin is a good fighter, I think he's a very good fighter. Sometimes I look at him and he looks like he's only good for a couple of rounds, because it seems like if you stay with him for a couple of rounds his punches aren't as sharp as they are in the third and fourth rounds. He gets a little sloppy [as the fight goes on]. He doesn't like shots to the body that much. He got a little tired in his last fight because he's been knocking everybody out in one or two rounds, so he's not used to going the distance. I do like him, but I'm not scared to fight him."