By Dan Ambrose: WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (31-0, 28 KOs) has been in the pro game for the past 9 years and he’s yet to face one high caliber fighter. Golovkin’s not been able to get the bigger names like Miguel Cotto, Peter Quillin, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Floyd Mayweather Jr or Manny Pacquiao to fight him.
He’s not even gotten guys like Daniel Jacobs, Jermain Taylor, Carl Froch or Arthur Abraham to fight him. Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez believes that’s slowly going to change starting in 2015, with some of the top guys finally agreeing to step inside the ring with Golovkin.
I’m not so sure that’s going to happen, but that’s what Sanchez believes.
“In 2015, it’s going to get to the point where these guys will stop making the excuses that they are making,” Sanchez said via Thaboxingvoice.com. “And we will get somebody in the ring that proves to everybody that Gennedy is whatever we say he is.”
That sounds like Sanchez is having a pipe dream. I don’t see it happening. If Canelo and Cotto face each other on June 6th or 13th like Cotto’s adviser is talking about, then the winner of that fight is likely going to sit out of action for at least 4-5 months, possibly the remainder of 2015 and lick their wounds while enjoying the huge payday they received for the fight.
I don’t expect the winner of the Cotto-Canelo fight to drag himself to the ring and take on an even tougher foe like Golovkin after what will likely be a life and death struggle in June.
Golovkin has a title defense next month on February 21st against Martin Murray (29-1-1, 12 KOs) in what amounts to be a stay busy fight at the Salle des Étoiles, Monte Carlo, Monaco.
That’s not a big fight. Golovkin wants to get back in the ring in May against a still to be determined opponent, but that obviously is going to be another soft job as well. Golovkin surely won’t get a big name to jump inside the ring with him in May. That’s too early and the big name guys aren’t going to want to face him with so little time to prepare.
Golovkin might be able to get a fight against contender David Lemieux in 2015, but that hardly counts for being a big name. You can’t sell Golovkin-Lemieux on pay-per-view in the U.S because Lemieux lacks the name to make boxing fans want to pay to see a fight between him and Golovkin.
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