By Victor Salazar
New York - With few big fight options on the table for Gennady Golovkin (35-0, 32KOs), his team decided to go a route that has brought some criticism to the popular IBO/WBC/WBA/IBF middleweight champion.
With fighters like Canelo Alvarez, Billy Joe Saunders, Chris Eubank, and Danny Jacobs seemingly not interested in fighting him this coming fall - Golovkin signed on to fight IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (36-0, 25KOs), who may not be his toughest test but is certainly the biggest name that Gennady has fought in his career.
Certainly when the agreement was announced, Golovkin vs. Brook shocked the boxing world.
The managing director of K2 Promotions, Tom Loeffler, explains that it was the best option and biggest fight to make for his boxer.
“We couldn’t get Eubank in the ring,” Loeffler told BoxingScene.com. "We couldn’t get Saunders in the ring and this fight with Brook is the best possible fight to be made.”
The fight with Brook was easy to make, according to Loeffler, but the promoter explains that not all things come easy.
“We had an agreement to fight the winner of Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez and we couldn’t get Cotto or Canelo in the ring and so that’s how that progressed,” explained Loeffler.
"People mention the Andre Ward offer but we got the Andre Ward offer after we announced a fight with David Lemieux literally a half hour after. Whether it was intentional or not. You can’t negotiate a fight once another fight is already announced.”
Although Ward's name appears on many of the top of pound for pound lists, Loeffler feels his inactivity has derailed his popularity. However, should he win his next two fights, Loeffler believes that it puts him right up there with the biggest names of the sport.
If Golovkin and Ward continue to win and remain at the top of the sport, Loeffler could see them collide in what he predicts would be a huge event.
“Andre Ward is in a great fight. If he beats Alexander Brand and Sergey Kovalev, all of a sudden he’s (Ward) at the top of the sport and if Gennady stays at the top of the sport, then you got a mega-fight,” Loeffler said.
