It’s hard to understand in many ways how Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin still has not found himself in a number of big fights at middleweight. The top 160lbs protagonists continue to evade him as we come towards the end of 2016.
Sure, he secured a pay per view fight in the UK against IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook this year.
It was a big fight in the regard that is was shown on Sky Box Office. Indeed it was an entertaining fight too while it lasted. But that ‘big one’ at 160lbs still eludes him.
It’s one he more than deserves too. In my view we are watching a future great in the making.
He’s built up not only the highest knockout percentage in middleweight history but possibly also soon, a record equalling title defence tally level with the great Bernard Hopkins.
Talks appeared to have taken a snag recently with the negotiations for a showdown against WBA (Regular) middleweight champion Daniel ‘Miracle Man’ Jacobs.
However the WBA recently ruled the purse split in Golovkin’s favor. Hopefully it gets over the line as a consequence.
This is the type of fight boxing fans and indeed Golovkin himself wants. Legitimate tests in the middleweight division against other champions and big names.
The other belt holders in the weight class have escaped a fight with Golovkin yet again this year to the frustration of fans.
Big matchups with the likes of Canelo Alvarez, WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr have fallen by the way side (for one reason or another).
Even fights against big hitters and former world champions Andy Lee and Peter ‘Kid Chocolate’ Quillin are matchups I’d watch Golovkin in next year. If he does have to take a fight between Jacobs and the Canelo fight that is.
Preferably Canelo as soon as possible is the order of every fight fan’s day of course.
Looking back on 2016 as a whole for Golovkin it was a solid enough, yet unspectacular year.
He recorded two stoppage victories over Dominic Wade and Kell Brook. But I know fight fans wanted so, so much more at the beginning of the year for him.
It’s not through any fault of his own it must be noted though. Working on Golovkin’s team must be one of the most frustrating jobs in the business.
Trying to get the top names to actually physically sign a contract to step in with their charge seems like an unenviable task.
Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin (36-0-33KO) turns 35 years old next April.
He will be hoping 2017 will be kinder to him than 2016 was and finally get those big fights at 160lbs.
Namely the one everyone wants against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. Although there are some other fights fans would like to see Gennady in too next year.
Recently one of our writers James Sullivan detailed his five fights here that he wouldn’t mind seeing Golovkin in.
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