Canelo has been ordered to negotiate with GGG should he come through Khan on May 7 in Las Vegas, and says talk of the future mandatory fight should be put on the backburner until next month.
“I know it’s only natural that people want to talk (about GGG), but Khan should be shown respect. He’s a terrific fighter and that kind of boxer we need to be prepared for,” Canelo exclusively told World Boxing News this week.
“We are ready for a faster Khan or a slower Khan, for bigger or smaller, and we have worked very hard to be ready for any situation that arises on May 7th.
“This is a championship fight and is scheduled for 12 rounds, so I want my fans to be happy at the finish.”
Asked whether he watched the Golovkin fight last week as the Kazakh demolished a previously undefeated contender, Canelo gave a fairly blunt answer and promised the fans a better spectacle against the Briton.
“In truth, it was a very one-sided fight and I think my fight with Khan will be much more entertaining,” he predicted before brushing off a question on possibly facing Golovkin or even switching his attention to securing a rematch with Floyd Mayweather later this year.
“Right now, I am concentrating on Amir Kahn don’t even think about the other guys. It doesn’t help looking ahead to a future fight. It is not good and too many plans have been spoiled that way.”
Finally, asked whether he was worried about the possibility of losing his green strap due to a current weight disagreement with Golovkin, Canelo once again deflected giving a definitive response.
“Please, I can’t answer that question. I love and respect the WBC and treasure the green belt,” stated Canelo.
“Again, the future is in the future. Let’s think about Canelo versus Khan May 7 as I believe It will be a very entertaining fight for everyone,” he added.
A rematch clause in the contract with Khan could be activated if a shock occurs or if the battle turns out to be a close call on the cards, which would then leave Golovkin free to possibly face mandatory Danny Jacobs.
Rather than accept Jacobs, the pound for pound star could choose to step up his efforts to challenge WBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders over the summer as an eagerly-anticipated fight with Canelo seems more and more unlikely to happen this year.
