By Mike Smith: Superstar Gennady Golovkn is close to inking a multi-fight deal with the streaming platform DAZN, according to Mike Coppinger. Three fights are said to be guaranteed for GGG. You have to expect that Canelo would be part of the three guaranteed fight deal for GGG.
It’s a win-win for DAZN if Canelo and Golovkin fight each other as much as possible, as long as the two win their fights in between their match-ups.
Golovkin will be getting $15 million for his first fight of the deal in the spring or early summer when he fights next, according to Coppinger. After that, Golovkin will be getting $30 million for his trilogy fight against Canelo this September.
The deal would have GGG fighting as many as six fights with DAZN, as well as having equity with the streaming giant. Additionally, there would be dates for Golovkin’s GGG Promotions. This said to be a deal straight between GGG Promotions with DAZN rather than Golovkin signing with Matchroom Boxing USA. That’s the same way Saul Canelo Alvarez signed his deal with DAZN. He didn’t go through Matchroom Boxing USA promoter Eddie Hearn. He’s said to have gone straight to DAZN for the deal. Canelo is a big enough star to do that, and apparently GGG is as well.
There’s no word on how much the contract is for Golovkin in total. Saul Canelo Alvarez recently signed a 10-fight, 5-year, $365 million contract with DAZN. Whether the entire contract is guaranteed isn’t known. That’s a lot of money for Canelo be getting. It’s unknown if DAZN has any say so about the level of opposition that Canelo and Golovkin will be able to face. Canelo recently took on a relatively easy opponent in Rocky Fielding in his last fight in December. If GGG signs with DAZN, he’ll likely be facing guys like Canelo and Demetrius Andrade for starters. Both of those fighters are with DAZN.
BREAKING: Gennady Golovkin and DAZN are close to finalizing a multi-fight deal, according to industry sources. The package includes three guaranteed fights on the platform and as many as six. Deal also gives GGG equity in the company and guaranteed dates for GGG Promotions
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) February 24, 2019
Golovkin will be turning 37-years-old on April 8. However, he’s still fighting at a very high level, and more like someone in their 20s rather than someone nearing their 40s. GGG fought well enough to deserve wins in both of his fights against Canelo Alvarez, which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. It goes without saying that the scoring for both of GGG’s fights with Canelo were controversial with massive amounts of boxing fans disagreeing with the judges with them scoring the first Canelo-Golovkin fight a 12 round draw, and the second one a 12 round majority decision win over Canelo. Golovkin does have to shoulder some of the blame for him failing to get wins in those two fights. In both cases, he decided to box when he should have been looking to go to war. In the rematch, Golovkin gave ground to Canelo, and that looked really bad. GGG was backing up in the 12th, which was an important that he needed to win for him to at least make it a draw. Golovkin obviosly thinks he deserved a decision win in both fights, but the way he fought, he made it possible for the judges not to give it to him by failing to be aggressive against the A-side fighter Canelo. When a B-side fighter faces a popular A-side guy that means a lot to the city he fights in, it’s important that he take the fight to the popular guy and do more than just beat him. Golovkin failed to do that in his two fights with Canelo, and the results didn’t go his way because of that.
“Golovkin is expected to earn around $15 million for his return in late spring/early summer before a potential third fight with Canelo Alvarez in September that would pay him upward of $30 million,” Coppinger said.
With Golovkin’s first fight of his multi-fight contract with DAZN, it’ll be interesting to see who he winds up facing. It could be a tune-up, but it might be someone potentially tough like World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade. That might not sit too well for Andrade to have to face GGG, because if he stands pat, he’s going to get a fight against Canelo if he beats IBF middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs in their fight on May 4. Canelo will have three of the middleweight titles if he beats Jacobs. Canelo would then target Andrade to take his belt. If Andrade had his choice between Canelo and the hard hitting GGG, he’ll likely choose the former. Golovkin hits hard, and Andrade was shaken up each time he was hit cleanly by his last opponent Artur Akavov, who isn’t much of a puncher. If DAZN is okay with Golovkin taking a tune-up fight, then it could be almost anyone. If Golovkin wants to create the most amount of interest for a third fight with Canelo, he’ll need to face the southpaw Andrade in his first fight. That’s a tough fight for him given that he’s coming off of a loss to Alvarez. That was a grueling fight for both Canelo and GGG. Golovkin has been out of the ring ever since, so it’s going to be tough potentially for him to fight Andrade. The toughest part of Golovkin facing Andrade is needing to deal with his mobility. Golovkin would have to chase Andrade around the ring. It’s not the ideal fight you want to have if you’re coming off of a loss, and trying to look good to create fan interest in a third Canelo-GGG fight. DAZN would be better off letting Golovkin fight a hand picked slugger that’ll be standing in front of him to exchange shots rather than someone that he’s going to need to chase for 12 rounds like Andrade.
DAZN will obviously want value for the contract they’re giving Golovkin, so it’ll likely need to be someone that the streaming giant believes is popular enough to attract subscribers. We could see someone like Matt Korobov, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Jeff Horn, Maciej Sulecki, Ryota Murata or David Lemieux. Those aren’t easy outs for Golovkin, but DAZN would obviously want him to be facing someone that can bring in the subscribers. GGG can’t fight obscure guys and bring in subscribers.
If Golovkin had signed with Premier Boxing Champions, he would have been looking at fighting guys like Jermall Charlo, Jermell Charlo, and Jarrett Hurd. Those would have brought far less attention to GGG than a third and possibly even a fourth and fifth fight against Canelo Alvarez. Those two have such a great rivalry that they can easily face each other another three times without the boxing public losing interest. Jermall looked bad against Matt Korobov in his last fight. The interest in the Charlos has arguably dropped of since their disastrous December 22 card in which Jermell lost to Tony Harrison, and Jermall was given a gift decision over Korobov in the eyes of a lot of boxing fans. If Golovkin signed with PBC, his fights with the Charlo brothers might attract any interest due to their poor showings last December.