By Mike Coppinger

LOS ANGELES: Gennady Golovkin takes on the rugged Martin Murray on Feb. 21 on HBO.

While GGG is expected to win as always, there's a larger unknown for the middleweight destroyer: Will a big-time fighter step in the ring with him?

Negotiations continue toward a May 2 matchup between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez. If Cotto comes out on top, Golovkin trainer Abel Sanchez is highly dubious the Puerto Rican star ever steps up to face his fighter.

"WBC mandated that the winner of the May Cotto (versus) somebody fight has to fight the interim champion, which is Golovkin. ... If Cotto wins, I don't believe Cotto steps in the ring with Golovkin. I think that Cotto gets knocked out in five rounds and he knows it," Sanchez told BoxingScene.com at a Wednesday news conference promoting Golovkin-Murray.

Fighters such as Cotto can no longer argue that Golvokin is high-risk, low-reward. GGG has continually garnered high ratings on HBO and most recently sold out the Stub Hub Center in the L.A. area.

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