By Scott Gilfoid: IBF/IBO/WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler sent out a Tweet on Saturday showing him and Golovkin at the We Ham United vs. Manchester City game in the UK. It’s unclear what the circumstances are for Golovkin going all the way to England just to see a football game.
I can’t imagine them wanting to BOTH go through the hassle and the expense of having to travel over to the UK just to see a football game. As such, it gives he a hunch that they’re both in the UK trying to set up a fight against WBO 160lb champion Billy Joe Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs) for a unification fight on April 23rd.
I mean, why else would Golovkin and Loeffler fly over to the UK if they weren’t trying to setup an important fight? Golovkin’s next fight is expected to be announced within two weeks from now. Come on, let’s put one and one together here. The only reason I could see Golovkin wanting to bother to go all the way to the UK is if it’s on business.
Team #GGG at West Ham United vs Manchester City game, great atmosphere, would be a great place for a boxing match! pic.twitter.com/GXJvdj5EGO
— Tom Loeffler (@TomLoeffler1) January 23, 2016
If it’s not Saunders, then I wouldn’t be surprised if Golovkin faces WBO 154lb champion Liam Smith. Both guys are unbeaten, and both are non-punchers. It would make for an interesting fight if Golovkin fought either of them, because he could add their scalps to his collection and maybe get a little interest from the UK, especially if the fight is held in a football stadium like what Saunders was talking about wanting.
If Golovkin comes over to the UK and fights Saunders or Smith in a football stadium, he might be able to make some good cash from the deal. It would be even better if it wound up on pay-per-view in the UK. Golovkin could dip his beak into that cash and share some of the UK money.
Obviously, there’s no way on earth you could ever sell a Golovkin vs. Saunders or Golovkin vs. Liam Smith fight in the U.S on HBO PPV, because the fight would not sell. Saunders and Smith are too unknown for Golovkin to be able to fight them on HBO PPV. But it would at least bring in decent ratings on regular HBO.
Golovkin wants to pick up the WBO middleweight title so that he can add that belt to his collection of middleweight titles. If he whips Saunders to take his WBO strap, then Golovkin would have three of the four titles in the middleweight division. He would then only need to defeat WBC middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to win the last remaining title in the middleweight division.
Hopefully after that, Golovkin could move up to the super middleweight division and take on the Dirrell brothers and Andre Ward. That’s where Golovkin would have a really tough time because those fighters have a ton of talent, and I’m not sure that Golovkin could hang.
Golovkin could even fight Top Rank fighter Gilberto Ramirez while he’s up there. Ramirez’s promoter Bob Arum is already talking about wanting to match Ramirez up against Golovkin after Ramirez’s next fight against WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham on April 9.
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