Hearn: Golovkin vs. Eubank Jr. will happen in 2016

By Boxing News - 05/25/2016 - Comments

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By Dan Ambrose: Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn says a fight between his fighter #2 WBA, #3 WBC Chris Eubank Jr. (22-1, 17 KOs) and IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs) will be taking place in 2016 in September, October, November or December.

Hearn is confident the fight will take place. He says he’s made an offer to Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler. Whether he accepts the offer is unclear, but Hearn says it’s the second most money Triple G can make behind Canelo. He believes it’s a fight that can definitely get made.

Eubank Jr. will be fighting (Tom Doran 17-0, 7 KOs) next month on the undercard of Dominic Breazeale vs. Anthony Joshua on June 25 at the O2 Arena in London, UK. This is another mismatch for the 26-year-old Eubank Jr. similar to his last fight against Nick Blackwell but far worse. Doran is not in Blackwell’s league and he’s going to be in trouble against Eubank Jr.

“He [Golovkin] has three real options now, and that is Canelo, and that is 100 percent their #1 choice. They’re chasing the fight like mad. Billy Joe Saunders, which is another belt for him, and I know they’re trying to make that fight as well, and Chris Eubank Jr. Outside of Canelo, the biggest money fight for Golovkin. We’ve put in some numbers and offers Tom Loeffler that will go today actually. I think the Eubank fight is going to happen, whether it’s September or whether it’s November or December, it’s another story. I think the three main options for Golovkin right now are Canelo, Eubank and Saunders. Canelo is in a tricky spot right now because the world has changed in social media and the pressure it brings now. You see it every day. If Canelo doesn’t fight Triple G, every other fight is a disappointment. Yeah, other fights can do numbers, but the world wants to see him fight Golovkin. I think he’s [Canelo] been in enough fights to take the risk and roll the dice. Maybe his advisers think that’s a fight that should happen in three or four fights time after they have made their money. But he boxed Mayweather. He’s boxed Cotto. He’s beaten Khan. I think he’s got a chance against Golovkin as well. I’ve got a feeling it won’t happen next,” said Hearn.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Golovkin vs. Eubank Jr. does happen in 2016. If it does, it’ll be a good number two option for Golovkin if Canelo and his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions intentionally drag their feet on the negotiations intentionally so that they don’t have to take the fight. Hearn is probably right about Golden Boy wanting to make their money off of Canelo by matching him in as many winnable money as possible before they eventually turn to Golovkin for the big cash out option.

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The money that they can make for the Golovkin fight will be there for a long time because Golovkin doesn’t look like he’s going to get beaten by any of the current crop of middleweights, and that includes Eubank Jr. He’s probably not even as good as some of the guys that Golovkin has already beaten like Curtis Stevens, Martin Murray and David Lemieux. Those guys would give Eubank Jr. all he could handle due to their power and experience.