FOR all intents and purposes, GGG Gennady Golovkin and Saul Canelo Alvarez appear set on a mutually destructive collision course. The WBC have ordered their middleweight champion Alvarez to face Interim titlist Golovkin – who also reigns as IBF and WBA Super ruler – after each man has taken a fight in the meantime. Golovkin returns on April 23 – probably to fulfil his IBF mandatory against undefeated American Dominic Wade – while Canelo has indicated a desire to take possession of the May and September Mexican holiday dates previously monopolised by Floyd Mayweather. With the mouthwatering unification contest seemingly moving closer, Tom Loeffler, the promoter of GGG, has moved to reassure fans he believes it will happen in the summer.
“Certainly from Gennady’s side the highest priority is to become WBC champion, they ordered the Canelo fight, he was allowed one voluntary then he has to fight Gennady or give up the title,” Loeffler said to Boxing News. “This fight with Canelo is the most significant that can be made right now in boxing but you can’t force somebody to fight so if Alvarez chooses not to for whatever reason the WBC will strip him. But Canelo is a real warrior and he has fought guys in the past that he didn’t need to, like Erislandy Lara and Austin Trout, so he seems willing to take dangerous fights. Against Floyd Mayweather he was too young but now he has more great wins, over Miguel Cotto and James Kirkland, and he’s much stronger and more experienced.
“Right now we are working on his next fight which is scheduled for April 23. After that Canelo and after that we will see what’s happening with [Billy Joe] Saunders. He still has the Saunders fight, and other high-profile fights.”
Loeffler rejected any suggestion that with a Canelo showdown looming he may seek a far less taxing assignment for April 23.
“We always look for the most dangerous opponents that will get in the ring with Gennady,” Loeffler explained. “That’s why we chose Martin Murray when we had no obligation to fight him. Also Daniel Geale, the list goes on, we never look for an easy fight for Gennady. David Lemieux was one of the biggest name in the middleweight division and you saw what Gennady did. He is so good he makes fights look easy and all of a sudden critics make it look like the opponent was never that great. Murray was in the top three of the division, Lemieux was a champion and one of the biggest punchers middleweight.”
