By Edward Chaykovsky
According to Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, in order to claim the status of being the pound-for-pound king - IBO/IBF/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin (35-0, 32KOs) would have to beat an opponent on the level of Andre Ward (29-0, 15KOs).
Since the retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr. last September, there have been countless debates over which fighter should be considered as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
Several reputable lists have WBC flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez as the top pound-for-pound guy.
Golovkin vs. Ward was discussed a few times, but there were any meaningful negotiations between the two camps.
The fight is further apart, and not likely to ever happen, with Ward moving up to 175-pounds earlier this year. Ward is scheduled to face Alexander Brand on August 5th, and if successful he will move forward with a showdown against IBF/WBA/WBO champion Sergey Kovalev on November 19th. Golovkin is still fighting at 160-pounds and not likely to consider a move to 168 until next year at the earliest.
“I think Triple G could have [taken over for Mayweather] if he had more opponents, but I don’t think there are any opponents in that division at this point,” said Roach to Fight Hub
"If he beat Andre Ward, that would be the icing on the cake for Triple G, that's what he would have to do to become the best pound-for-pound fighter of this era. That’s a tough task because [Ward is] a good boxer. He’s a little bit boring, but he’s a good boxer. He’s like Floyd a little bit."
"Floyd wasn’t always boring. When he first came out of the amateurs he was a fun fighter to watch. He was a very talented guy. By the time he fought Manny [Pacquiao last May], he was a little bit too defensive I think. But again, that's what boxing is about to hit and not get hit."