Khan vanquished, Canelo turns focus to GGG

12:42 PM ET

LAS VEGAS — Even before middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez knocked Amir Khan out cold with a monstrous right hand in the sixth round Saturday night, the pressure was on him to face the fearsome Gennady Golovkin.

After the fight, in which Alvarez made a successful first defense of the title he won from Miguel Cotto six months ago, there was no escaping questions about Golovkin, who owns two world title belts as well as an interim one that makes him Alvarez’s mandatory challenger.

Editor’s PicksAlvarez faces crossroads with Golovkin decision

Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin is the biggest and most lucrative event the sport can produce in 2016, with each fighter at the peak of his respective prime. What will Alvarez’s decision be?

“I’m willing to make [Golovkin] an offer,” Alvarez said through a translator. “I’d be happy to not only fight him but also to beat him. If the fight happens, I’m happy to fight him. It’s no problem.”

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya, who represents Alvarez and had previously been noncommittal about making a Golovkin fight, gave hope to those who want to see it so badly.

“Those negotiations will happen behind closed doors, and when we come to an agreement, we will let everyone know,” De La Hoya said at the postfight news conference. “That’s the fight to make. [Sunday] I will make the call. I will start negotiating, and I really hope we can make an agreement.

“If that’s the fight Canelo wants, I will get some well-deserved rest and when I wake up start making some phone calls. I’ve always said come May 8 we will start negotiating with Golovkin’s people.”

De La Hoya, however, made it clear who he says has the leverage in such talks.

“Canelo is the superstar. There’s no doubt who the man is in boxing,” De La Hoya said. “It’s like a game of poker. I have four aces, and …

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