Gennady Golovkin did throw his name in the Floyd Mayweather, Jr sweepstakes recently though such is not expected to prosper.
With most fighters said to be avoiding the Kazakh express, what lies ahead for Golovkin? The answer to that could somehow address a previous goal by GGG, that of which is to unify the 160-pound division titles.
At the moment, Golovkin is the WBA and IBO champion so the IBF title could be a tempting belt to go after. And to do that, the Kazakh knockout artist will have to undergo negotiations with the camp of the current title-holder, David Lemieux.
Lemieux is the freshly crowned IBF champion after facing off against Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam last June 20, 2015. Among the highlights of that match included Lemieux dropping N’Jikam four times.
Despite the hard shots, N’Jikam impressed everyone by getting up each time though Lemieux eventually hacked out a unanimous decision win. Now, it is time to plan ahead and Golden Boy Promotions are weighing their options.
Latest reports have it that Golden Boy and K2 Promotions are currently in negotiations to have both Golovkin and Lemieux face off possibly this coming October 17, 2015 tentatively at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
As far as Golovkin is concerned, the Kazakh boxer has already fought twice this year. That included an eleventh round stoppage of Martin Murray last February 21 and another TKO win three months later (May 5) against Willie Monroe Jr.
Though a Golovkin vs. Lemieux fight should be something worth watching, it seems that Golden Boy is wary of how the Canadian boxer can stand up to the KO-conscious Russian fighter.
While Golden Boy reportedly has alternatives, a fight with GGG will certainly rack in more money compared to the other names on their list.
Aside from the Kazakh boxer, Golden Boy Promotions is also considering the winner between Tureano Johnson vs Eamonn O’ Kane to face off against the 26-year-old IBF champ. However, that tiff may not necessarily rack in the money compared to how much Lemieux would make against Golovkin.
Hence, it remains that the best viable option is to hold a Golovkin vs Lemieux face off despite the risks involved.
With all due respect to Lemieux, Golovkin is obviously an overwhelming favorite though a reversal is not totally discounted. Depending on how the IBF champion prepares for the Kazakh fighter, there could be a surprise in the end.
The thing is, if money is the issue, a Lemieux vs Golovkin fight is the way to go.
That tiff should benefit both fighters, particularly in the area of building their following for future and richer fights.
No matter how dominant Golovkin is, the fact remains that he doesn’t have a big fanbase – something many feel is a reason why he has not been primed for top ranked fights despite his incredible fighting record of 33-0, 30 of them through KO.