By Jordan Moskowitz



Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach said that WBA/IBO middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin is very close to earning a fight with Miguel Cotto, who holds the WBC crown and defends the title this Saturday night in an HBO televised fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.



But, Roach said that Golovkin still needs to work on improving his profile. And he said that Manny Pacquiao walked by him recently at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles and had no idea who Golovkin was, proof that Golovkin isn't prime time enough yet to be a PPV attraction.



“I think he’s probably very close, he’s done it, he’s fun to watch, he’s a great puncher,” Roach said. “Maybe he was exposed a little bit in his last fight but his trainer said he took a lot of shots on purpose to look good. I don’t believe that but he’s a good fighter."

"He came by my gym a couple times. He’s a gentleman. He’s a very nice guy. I like the guy. I think we’re friends but the thing is that when Manny Pacquiao walked by and didn’t know who he was I was surprised because most fighters know other fighters and Manny Pacquiao had no idea who he was. If Manny Pacquiao doesn’t know who one of the best fighters pound for pound in the world is - there’s a lot of people who don’t know that and maybe that’s why he needs a little more exposure in America, I think."

"They’re still building him. He’s not a big ticket seller here (in America) yet. You have your choice of fighting two guys and so forth are you going to fight the guy who is going to make you more money? That’s the guy you’re usually going to go with; it’s risk and reward.”