Golovkin’s April 26th opponent to be announced this week, says Loeffler

By Boxing News - 02/17/2014 - Comments

golovkin454By Allan Fox: WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions will be making an announcement this week about who Golovkin will be fighting next on April 26th, according to Steve Kim. It’s expected to be fringe contender #11 WBA Andy Lee (31-2, 22 KO’s), because Loeffler ruled out a fight between Golovkin and the dangerous Erislandy Lara. Lee is far easier fight for Golovkin than Lara, and it’ll help avoid any slip ups on Golovkin’s part.

Lee isn’t an upgrade from the last opponent that Golovkin fought in beating Osumanu Adama on February 1st of this month. Lee is probably a downgrade from Adama, because he doesn’t have the chin or the stamina that Adama has, and he’s not nearly as clever. Adama was like a punching bag for Golovkin until the referee finally halted the fight in the 7th after watching Adama get dropped and then staggered.

The problem that Golovkin has is he – or his management – aren’t willing to take on the dangerous opponents outside of his weight class. He could easily get fights against IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch, WBA 168 lb champion Andre Ward of WBA interim 154 lb champion Erislandy Lara, but they’re not making those fights. So instead of seeing Golovkin against good opposition, we’re seeing him fight the likes of Adama, Curtis Stevens, Nobuhiro Ishida, Gabriel Rosado and Matthew Macklin. Golovkin wants to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr., Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Peter Quillin and Sergio Martinez, but he’s not doing the things that would make him more interesting to these fighters by taking on dangerous opposition.

Lee has been knocked out by Brian Vera and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. He’s faced two good opponents during his career and lost to both of them. He’s done very little since his loss to Chavez Jr. in 2012. He’s won three fights since then, but against very weak opposition. Lee is kind of in the same boat as Amir Khan is in not deserving a title shot right now, but it looks like he’s going to get one anyway.



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