By Dan Ambrose: EBU middleweight champion Grzegorz Proksa (28-1, 21 KO’s) could step in to face unbeaten WBA World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (23-0, 20 KO’s) on August 25th, according to Dan Rafael. Proksa, 27, would be replacing Dmitriy Pirog, who was supposed to be fighting Golovkin next but the fight was cancelled after Pirog injured his back while training in Russia.

Proksa-Golokin would be an excellent fight if it can be made. Proksa recently recaptured his European Boxing Union 160 pound title in a rematch against Kerry Hope last weekend. Proksa scored an 8th round TKO in a dominating performance from start to finish. This was a big improvement for Proksa, because he’d been battered by Hope in a 12 round majority decision loss last March.

Although I really like the idea of Proksa facing Golovkin, I don’t see it happening. Proksa just fought an eight round fight, and I don’t think his handlers will allow him to fight so soon after that bout. Besides that, Golovkin is a monstrous step up from fighting the likes of Hope, and I think Proksa would be way over his head int his fight against the harder punching Golovkin. Proksa can punch, but he’s not in the same class as Golovkin in punching power, and he’s also really wild with his shots. Proksa has a lot of flaws in his defense with the way he fights with his hands down by his sides the way faster fighters typically do.

Unfortunately, Proksa doesn’t have really fast hands and he gets hit a lot. That’s fine when you’re talking about a fight against a 2nd tier fighter like the ones he’s built his resume on, but against a world class fighter like Golovkin, Proksa will get knocked cold. Proksa’s not ready for this fight, and if he doesn’t learn to keep his guard up, he never will be.