By Dan Ambrose: Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions already has booked the LA Forum for IBF/IBO/WBA middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin’s next fight on April 23, according to Dan Rafael. If Golovkin does indeed fight in Los Angeles, it is likely he will sell it out if he gets a halfway decent opponent.
Last year in June, Golovkin drew over 12,000 fans at The Forum to see him defeat Willie Monroe Jr. by a sixth round knockout. If Golovkin can get someone like WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders or Tureano Johnson as an opponent, then it is for sure that he will sell the place out. The Forum seats 17,500 fans when filled and that is many fans.
“With GGG Boxing slated to fight April 23, Tom Loeffler1 also has The Forum in LA on hold as a possible site. #boxing #bigdramashow #goodboy,” Rafael said on his Twitter.
Loeffler is in discussions with Golden Boy Promotions to setup Tureano Johnson as Golovkin’s next opponent on April 23rd. They’re going likely be stuck with him as an opponent for that date.
Loeffler is trying to get Saunders, 26, for Golovkin to fight in April, but he does not seem like he is going to take the fight. I think Sanders would agree to a fight against Golovkin if Loeffler were ready to throw some crazy money at him. Saunders is not a big enough name for Loeffler and Golovkin to give him huge money.
If they were to throw $6 million at Saunders to get him to agree to the fight, they would be in effect buying the title, because that is the only thing they really want Saunders for. He is not someone that is popular, and that Golovkin would seek out for a fight if he were just a contender rather than a champion. Saunders was in the right place at the right time in getting a fight against a vulnerable champion like Andy Lee rather than a dangerous fighter like Daniel Jacobs or Peter Quillin.
Golovkin needs to win his next fight in order to meet up with WBC middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez later this year in September. Golovkin is going to try to get the fight against Canelo in September, but there is no guarantee that he will get the fight because Canelo could drag his feet when it comes to giving him the fight.
Canelo has the perfect way to get out of the fight if he wants to if he starts talking about Golovkin fighting him at a catch-weight of 155lbs. I do not think Golovkin is going to allow a fighter that is heavier than him in Canelo to be in charge to try to get a weight advantage over him.
If Golovkin agrees to the catch-weight of 155lbs, then he will be weakened by draining down in weight to make weight. In contrast, the younger 25-year-old Canelo would likely have no problems making the 155lb weight limit, and he would then rehydrate to mid-170s to low 180s, and enjoy a weight advantage.
Golovkin wanted to face Canelo next, but the World Boxing Council elected to give Canelo a voluntary defense of his WBC middleweight title in order to supposedly let the Golovkin-Canelo fight be built up a little more. It’s doubtful that one fight will make any difference at all. The only way it would make a huge difference would be if Canelo and Golovkin were to face big named opponents for their next fights. That’s probably not realistic.
Golovkin looks to be fighting Tureano for April 23rd; while Canelo will likely be fighting Gabriel Rosado or Willie Monroe Jr. Those are the two leading candidates for Canelo’s next fight on May 7th on HBO PPV. What’s interesting is that Canelo’s next fight will be on HBO PPV, but not Golovkin’s next fight. If Golovkin were to fight a PPV fight on April 23rd on HBO, it would likely have a negative effect on Canelo fight on May 7th, because it would be a potential hardship for boxing fans to have to come up with $60 to $70 twice within a two week time frame. Golovkin isn’t a pay-per-view fighter yet, so it wouldn’t be realistic for him to make his April 23rd fight a PPV bout unless he could get someone like Miguel Cotto or Floyd Mayweather Jr. to fight him.
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