By Keith Idec

The high-risk, low-reward nature of fighting Gennady Golovkin has prevented several high-profile opponents from facing the knockout artist from Kazakhstan in bouts fight fans want to see.

Canelo Alvarez claims he won’t join a noteworthy list of fighters that already includes Sergio Martinez, Julio Cesar Chavez and Miguel Cotto. Alvarez says he wants to square off against Golovkin in a fight that’ll be much easier to make now that the Mexican star has signed a long-term contract to fight exclusively on HBO.

“Without a doubt, that fight can be made in the future,” Alvarez said recently during an informal gathering with reporters at HBO’s headquarters in Manhattan. “In the next couple of years, it can be done. We’re not that far apart on the weight. He’s a strong fighter and I think it would be a good fight.”

Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs) has dominated five opponents on HBO since making his debut on the premium cable network two years ago, yet needs to beat a star to strengthen his resume and expand his growing fan base. Cotto (39-4, 32 KOs) is much more likely to box Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) before either fighter even considers a fight against Golovkin.

Cotto and Alvarez are expected to meet May 2 in one of the most marketable fights the sport can offer. The 32-year-old Golovkin, meanwhile, is scheduled to defend his WBA and interim WBC middleweight titles against Mexico’s Marco Antonio Rubio (59-6-1, 51 KOs) before a capacity crowd Saturday night at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. (HBO; 10 p.m. ET).

A Cotto-Alvarez showdown likely will take place at 154 pounds or a catch weight close to the junior middleweight limit, despite that Cotto owns the WBC middleweight title. The 24-year-old Alvarez is not sure, however, how much longer he can fend off a complete move to middleweight.

“Two years, one year,” Alvarez said. “I can’t really determine that right now. My own body will tell me when.”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.