Daniel Geale's trainer says his man is 100 per cent ready to tackle hard-hitting WBA middleweight boxing world champion Gennady Golovkin, though it's likely to be several months before the mouth-watering matchup will happen.
Geale nominated Golovkin as his opponent of choice after crushing Garth Wood in Sydney on Wednesday.
Fighting for the first time since losing his IBF world title to Darren Barker last August, Geale dominated the bout.
He floored Wood three times before his opponent's corner retired their fighter after the sixth round.
Geale recently knocked back a chance to fight Golovkin, the champion with the best KO percentage in boxing, as the bout wouldn't have been shown in Australia, as Foxtel is already committed to covering a UFC promotion on that date.
If that fight doesn't eventuate on another date, Geale is eyeing other attractive matchups against Sergio Martinez and Felix Sturm. the WBC and IBF title holders respectively.
"We will go back and see if we can arrange something, whether it is Golovkin or Sturm, there's even talk about Martinez at some stage," Geale told AAP.
"They are all there, I'm just waiting for my chance to get in there with them."
With Golovkin still expected to fight on April 26, Geale may not get a crack at him until at least the middle of the year.
Geale's trainer Graham Shaw has no qualms about his man waiting till then for his next fight and also has no doubt his charge is ready to fight Golovkin.
"100 per cent, I think Daniel Geale rises to the challenges," Shaw told AAP.
NSW and Cronulla Sharks captain and forward Paul Gallen says he may look to have a second professional fight towards the end of this year, after a successful debut on the Geale-Wood undercard.
Gallen climbed off the canvas in the first round to stop the much heavier and younger Herman Ene Purcell in the second.
Among the approving onlookers at ringside was former heavyweight star Joe Bugner.
"I was impressed," Bugner said of Gallen.
"To see a footballer go to the boxing ring and actually put on a performance the way he did, it was a good sign.
"The man had a lot of guts and a lot of determination."
Another person impressed with Gallen's effort was the most successful league player turned boxer, Anthony Mundine.
"He went good, he showed good fitness and tenacity," Mundine said.
