By Miguel Rivera
Eric Gomez, Vice President of Golden Boy Promotions, says IBO/WBA/IBF middleweight champion Genandy 'GGG' Golovkin (35-0, 32KOs) is pushing for Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez to face him at the middleweight limit of 160-pounds - but GGG refused to fight Andre Ward at the full super middleweight limit of 168-pounds.
Golden Boy promotes Canelo, who holds the middleweight championship of the World Boxing Council. Golovkin is the mandatory challenger to the WBC belt currently around the waist of Canelo (46-1-1, 32KOs).
Canelo is scheduled to defend his belt on May 7th against Amir Khan (31-3, 19KOs) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
On Saturday night, Golovkin knocked out IBF mandatory Dominic Wade in two rounds at The Forum in Los Angeles. He is now fixated on the Canelo vs. Khan winner.
One of the biggest issues in making Canelo-Golovkin is the weight. Canelo wants a catch-weight of 155-pounds, where the Mexican superstar fought his last four bouts. He also faces Khan at 155. But Golovkin is standing firm for the full middleweight limit of 160-pounds.
Gomez brought up the weight issue which involved Golovkin and Ward in 2015. Golovkin and his team were willing to face Ward, who ruled the realm at super middleweight - but GGG's handlers refused to make that fight at the super middleweight limit of 168. They wanted a catch-weight of 164-pounds, which Ward and his team rejected.
"Team Golovkin is asking Canelo to move up to another weight class to face him, yet they didn't accept moving up one weight class to face Andre Ward. We are fully engaged and concentrated on May 7. If [Canelo] is successful, we will then sit down as a team and discuss all options," Gomez told The Los Angeles Times.
If Canelo refuses to fight Golovkin in the fall, he will be stripped of the WBC belt and Golovkin will become the champion.
