Gennadiy Golovkin is not only prepared to move on from a third fight with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez but also any such questions on that topic.
The former middleweight titlist looks to ignite a second title reign beginning with his upcoming showdown versus top-rated contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko. The two collide on Oct. 5 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) 160-pound belts at stake.
The titles are among the four which Alvarez lifted off of Golovkin following a 12-round majority decision win in their rematch last September, which once again became available after the Mexican superstar failed to come to terms for a mandatory title defense for Ukraine’s Derevyanchenko (13-1, 10KOs), a 2008 Olympian who now lives and trains in Brooklyn, NY.
Interestingly, the fight falls in line with Alvarez’s demand that Golovkin secure a title in order to be considered among his future plans—although it’s not why this particular fight is happening.
“We have this fight,” Golovkin (39-1-1, 35KOs) stated to an intimate group of media members during an invitation-only press conference luncheon Monday morning in Los Angeles. “After we win this fight, we will continue moving forward with unification and other bouts. Right now, our focus is only on this fight.”
The bout is Golovkin’s second since his aforementioned loss to Alvarez to end his eight-year run with at least one middleweight title around his waist. His first fight back came this past June, scoring a 4th round knockout of Canada’s Steve Rolls in the main room at MSG, where he returns for his first title fight in more than a year.
It will also mark his second straight appearance on sports streaming service DAZN, whom signed Kazakhstan’s 2004 Olympic Silver medalist to a lucrative long-term deal. A key selling point in signing him to a reported nine-figure pact was the idea of the platform staging a third fight with Alvarez. Those plans have stalled due to Alvarez’s outright refusal to entertain such a bout, at least for his immediate future.
His own stubbornness ended up creating an opportunity for Golovkin upon making the IBF title available, easing the decision to move on with his own career—a mindset that won’t necessarily remain limited to his next fight.
“A lot of attention is paid to what Canelo says, and what he is and is not willing to do,” Golovkin notes. “There is little we can do. We had the contract signed, we had the date. Canelo said no. His promoter (Golden Boy Promotions) tried to persuade him; he said no.”
From there, as far as Golovkin is concerned, came a close to that chapter.
“Let’s talk reality. Let’s talk about today,” Golovkin urged the media. “Talking about the IBF and IBO titles, we can do that because we’re fighting for those fights.
“We can’t talk about Canelo because we are not fighting him. We are fighting (Derevyanchenko). “
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox