Erislandy Lara trashes Golovkin for fighting Brook

By Boxing News - 07/09/2016 - Comments

Image: Erislandy Lara trashes Golovkin for fighting Brook

By Dan Ambrose: WBA World junior middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (23-2-2, 13 KOs) wasn’t happy to learn of the news of IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs) choosing to fight welterweight Kell “Special K” Brook (36-0, 25 KOs) for his next fight rather than choosing himself.

In fairness to Golovkin, he was in negotiations to fight middleweight Chris Eubank Jr. (23-1, 18 KOs) up until this week. The only reason the fight didn’t get made was because Eubank Jr. and his father Chris Eubank chose not to agree to the contract. Eubank Jr’s promoter Eddie Hearn came up with the idea of having Brook take the fight instead. The money will still be good for Golovkin, so it’s a smart business move on their part.

“Actions speak louder than words. Triple G will fight a 147-pound guy, but wouldn’t fight me, whose six pounds away,” said Lara to Fighthype.com about Golovkin choosing to fight welterweight Kell Brook rather than him. “As far as I’m concerned, Canelo and Triple G are twin brothers; typical business first and not old school throwback fighters.”

Lara also Tweeted a message saying maybe he’ll fight a lightweight next. This was Lara’s way of taking a shot at Golovkin for fighting welterweight rather than a middleweight or a junior middleweight like him.

Golovkin is facing Brook because there’s money in the UK in the pay-per-view market with Sky Box Office pay-per-view. Golovkin vs. Brook is a PPV fight in the UK, and there’s a lot of money that Brook can make from that fight otherwise he wouldn’t be taking it. Unfrotunately for Lara, there isn’t any money to be made in a Golovkin vs. Lara fight in the U.S.

It wouldn’t be a PPV fight, because Lara isn’t a big star and neither is Golovkin yet. The only way between them could make money is if it were put on PPV, and HBO probably would never agree to putting that fight on PPV because it would likely bomb badly.

“Golovkin have seen my fight, and the times I’ve fought an called him out,” said Lara. “Let’s sit down and negotiate. Let’s make the fight and give the fans a good show. The fighters I want is Canelo and Golovkin,” said Lara to boxingmundiel.

Lara, 33, has made it known for a while now that he would like to fight Golovkin. Lara says he would move up to middleweight to fight Triple G. However, there is no interest on the part of Golovkin and his management. According to Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez, there isn’t enough money in a fight against Lara to make it worthwhile.

With Golovkin not bringing in big money yet, there wouldn’t be enough money to pay Lara what he wants for that fight. Sanchez says Lara wants more money than what Golovkin would make for the fight. Obviously, it wouldn’t make sense for Golovkin to fight Lara while making less money than him. If Lara can move up to middleweight and make a name for himself in that weight class, then a future fight between him and Golovkin would be possible. Lara is said to rehydrate into the low 170s for his fights at junior middleweight. He’s the same weight as Golovkin, so he might as well move up to middleweight. There’s nothing holding Lara back from moving up in weight and working his way to a mandatory position to fight Golovkin.