Golovkin tells Jermall Charlo: If he wants, we’ll talk after my fight

By Boxing News - 04/24/2018 - Comments

Image: Golovkin tells Jermall Charlo: If he wants, we’ll talk after my fight

By Allan Fox: Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin says if interim WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo (27-0, 21 KOs) wants to fight him, then they can talk after his next voluntary title defense against replacement opponent Vanes Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs) on May 5 on HBO.

Jermall won the interim WBC 160lb. title to earn the fight with GGG last Saturday night with his 2nd round knockout of Hugo Centeno Jr. Charlo is now waiting for either Golovkin to agree to fight him or the World Boxing Council to order the fight.

“If he wants, of course we’ll talk after my fight,” Golovkin said on Monday when asked if he’ll face Charlo.

Golovkin needs to fight Charlo before Saul Canelo Alvarez does, because it’s a bad look if he doesn’t take that fight. To earn the respect of fans, Golovkin should forget about unifying the middleweight division until after he defends against his mandatory challengers Jermall Charlo, Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Daniel Jacobs. Golovkin wants to become the unified champion, and now he’s faced with the unpleasant task of having to defend the three belts he has in his possession right now against the what figures to be the murderer’s row of contenders. If Golovkin vacates any of his titles now, he’s going to look like he’s ducking those guys. If the IBF strips Golovkin of his IBF strap, they might be doing him a big favor.

It’s thought by a lot of fans that Golovkin will duck Charlo, as well as his IBF mandatory challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Earlier in Golovkin’s career, he was being avoided by former WBC middleweight champion Sergio ‘Marvilla’ Martinez and WBA 160lb belt holder Felix Sturm. Both fighters never fought Golovkin despite him showing interest in those fights. Now it looks to some boxing fans that Golovkin is doing the same thing by steering around Derevyanchenko and Charlo. Golovkin would impress a lot of doubters if he were to defend against those contenders, as they’re seen as very tough opponents. It’s assumed that Golovkin will look to face WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders after he fights Saul Canelo Alvarez in a rematch on September 15.

“Bring on GGG. I want that fight,” Jermall Charlo said last Saturday night after his 2nd round knockout win over Centeno Jr. “I would love for it to be Golovkin, because he’s on his way out, and I would get a chance to fight one of the best Hall of Fame fighters that ever did,” Charlo said.”A lot of people around the world want to see it too. The dude is amazing, so I want to get in there and test my talent too. I haven’t taken the easy route,” Charlo said.

Golovkin will need to be at his level best for him to beat Charlo, because that guy is looking very hard to beat. Charlo’s 2nd round KO win over Hugo Centeno Jr. last Saturday opened the eyes of a lot of boxing fans, who hadn’t taken much interest in him until that fight. Charlo now has a lot of believers that think he might be the next star in the middleweight division. Charlo might be the best middleweight in the division right now, but it could take a long time for him to be given the chance to prove it. GGG and Canelo don’t appear to be in a great big hurry to fight Charlo, especially after the way he looked last Saturday night in dispatching Centeno Jr.

Charlo’s best chance for an important fight next could be if Daniel Jacobs chooses to face him. Jacobs is fighting this Saturday night against Maciej Sulecki. Jacobs says he wants to fight Charlo. If he does agree to fight him, then the fans can see which of these two talented fighters will move on to go after the winner of the Canelo-GGG 2 rematch.