By Charles Brun: Chris Eubank Jr. is calling out IBF/WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin following the loss of Canelo Alvarez last Saturday night against Dmitry Bivol.
Unfortunately for Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs), Canelo’s defeat at the hands of WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol has upended the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy match that was tentatively planned for September 17th.
Now, instead of Canelo fighting Golovkin in September, the Mexican star could potentially face Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) in a rematch. Canelo hasn’t made up his mind whether to take the immediate rematch with Bivol.
Don’t be surprised if Canelo’s trainer/manager Eddy Reynoso talks him out of taking the rematch with Bivol because that would be another disaster waiting to happen.
The 32-year-old Eubank (32-2, 23 KOs) is ranked #1 in the WBA, so if Golovkin needs an excuse to fight him, he’s got one. U.S boxing fans would prefer to see Golovkin fight a household name like Jermall Charlo, but he’s probably not going to go that route.
It’s too risky for the 40-year-old GGG, and plus, he’s got the chance to fight Canelo later this year in December or in 2023.
“Golovkin was a fight that Chris really wanted, and I think that’s a great fight for Chris,” said Ben Shalom to Sky Sports in questioning what direction IBF middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin goes following Canelo Alvarez’s defeat against Dmitry Bivol last Saturday night.
Well @GGGBoxing looks like your going to need a new dance partner now that Canelo has been dethroned. I’m ready to tango baby let’s get it on this summer 🕺🏾😎
— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) May 8, 2022
Golovkin and Eubank Jr. were supposed to fight in 2016, but the negotiations stalled out. Promoter Eddie Hearn quickly inserted Kell Brook as Golovkin’s opponent, and that took the rug out from under Eubank Jr’s big fight opportunity.
If Golovkin had fought Eubank Jr back then, it would have been a train wreck for Chris. Eubank Jr is was too raw back then, and sadly, he still is.
Again, what Golovkin does will depend on Canelo’s next move. If the Mexican star chooses not to take the rematch, he could turn around and take the fight with Golovkin as originally planned on September 17th on DAZN PPV.
There’s a TON of dough for Canelo to make fighting Golovkin in the trilogy, and this IS the fight that DAZN, Matchroom Boxing and the fans still want. Canelo should think about them and scrap the idea of facing Bivol again, and getting his head boxed off a second time.
“If Canelo’s now going to fight Bivol in a rematch, then CEJ – GGG could become more likely,” said Shalom. “I’d like to see him fight for world titles, whether it’s Golovkin, Zhanibek, Lara – that’s what he should be aiming for.”
“We’d like the Zhanibek [Alimkhanuly] fight potentially,” Shalom said.
“Eubank Jr wants a world title. We also think Liam Smith is a good fight, and I think it’s going to come down to those two.”
