(video) Gennady describes his opinion on Ward fight

[Simurgh]

After watching this it's even funnier how Golovkin fans bashing Cotto and label him as a coward, while Cotto started out from 140 and proved himself plenty of times and their favourite is now exclude the option to go up one single division.
I'm okay with it if a fighter really doesn't want to go up, if they really feel that way but:
1: Then I advise to his fans to not disrespect fighters like Cotto or Mayweather who proved themselves many more times than Golovkin did and they are accomplished in bigger weight classes too.
2: Let's not forget that Golovkin wasn't that adamant about not going to 168 when a Froch or Chavez Jr. fight was on the plate. You can say that Ward should move up but at least we can say that he never said that he goes up to 175 for Fonfara (just example) but will demand a 171,5 pounds catch weight to Kovalev.
3: Many people come with Hagler's example as a champion who has never been in other weight class than middleweight but still ATG. Problem is, Hagler's age of middle weight division is not even comparable to this lackluster 160 division where out of the Cotto vs Canelo fights's winner there are not a single remarkable name for Golovkin.

Ok lets go one by one.

1. Analogy between Cotto and GGG is not really valid. Nobody called Cotto to fight GGG, when Cotto was at 154. Now the fight is demanded only because Cotto has 160 belt and he is not willing to fight the mandatory. Not only that but he is not willing to fight at 160 at all (he fights at CWs). All of that is fine, but DROP the belt and do whatever you want.
Nobody should disrespect Floyd. He has no business at 160 and he doesn't need to give GGG shot at 154. If he does all kudos in the world!

2. Fighting Chavez or Froch is not 'going to 168' per se. Yes, he would fight those fights at 168, get LOADS of money and GO BACK to 160 probably unbeaten. Ward doesn't bring that money. Ward is a much harder fight. Ward is not even a star he was 3 years ago. So why give it ALL to fight Ward. You loose a lot if you get beaten, you get some (not as much as you should) if you beat Ward.
So in that view 164 is not unreasonable. It is a middle ground. In 1-2 years, after Ward (hopefully) cleans 168 again (DeGale, Direll..) and becomes verge of PPV, then YES - it should be 168.

3. Sure. Hagler generation was probably deeper. But don't forget that Duran fought Hagler and what is Duran's natural weight.. Every fighter should fight at his natural weight as long as they can accomplish something at that weight. Gennady still has a LOT to do at 160..

[SplitSecond]

Considering the reward I think a catchweight is reasonable. But it should be at atleast 166 as losing weight is the tougher task to tackle, 164 isn't really fair considering Ward is fairly big.

Hopefully talks start and both sides aren't too high on themselves and are willing to make some compromises to make this fight happen.

[ThatDude44]

Lets see if he gets bashed for wanting a catch weight.

[Eastcoast]

He reiterates the 50/50 stance on ESPN as well. Let me know when Ward brings in the same money as Froch or Chavez before we start comparing apples to apples.

Ward's allowed to make a counter offer. However I'm guessing Andre will pull the same p*ssy moves he made when both Bute & Stevenson offered to fight Ward and passed on the fights.

[just the facts]

by asking for a catchweight that Ward can't possibly make, it show how much interest team ggg has for this fight - NONE! If team ggg thought he could beat Ward this fight would get made.

[AL_Camino]

That's sucks. I don't see why ward had to go to 164 but ok for froch to be 168. I think going up to fight ward at 168 is a big fight even though he won't be making as much, it's huge for ggg legacy.

[xhiddenx87]

is clearly that gennady adopted the words from what his team told him, and sorry GGG but the CW is sh_it, I understand the 50-50 in everything but at least say that the Weight is negociable, and not fix it already with the CW.

Hope this fight happen, but I see probably the Ward team will rspond with " 168 or nothing"

Hope the fight happens, because I see this the biggest fight in terms of skills other than the Loma-Rigo.

[just the facts]

He reiterates the 50/50 stance on ESPN as well. Let me know when Ward brings in the same money as Froch or Chavez before we start comparing apples to apples.

Ward's allowed to make a counter offer. However I'm guessing Andre will pull the same p*ssy moves he made when both Bute & Stevenson offered to fight Ward and passed on the fights.

Team ggg wants a catch weight but Ward is gonna pull a p*ssy move? Replay that in your mind once............................it'll come to you

[kafkod]

After watching this it's even funnier how Golovkin fans bashing Cotto and label him as a coward, while Cotto started out from 140 and proved himself plenty of times and their favourite is now exclude the option to go up one single division.
I'm okay with it if a fighter really doesn't want to go up, if they really feel that way but:
1: Then I advise to his fans to not disrespect fighters like Cotto or Mayweather who proved themselves many more times than Golovkin did and they are accomplished in bigger weight classes too.
2: Let's not forget that Golovkin wasn't that adamant about not going to 168 when a Froch or Chavez Jr. fight was on the plate. You can say that Ward should move up but at least we can say that he never said that he goes up to 175 for Fonfara (just example) but will demand a 171,5 pounds catch weight to Kovalev.
3: Many people come with Hagler's example as a champion who has never been in other weight class than middleweight but still ATG. Problem is, Hagler's age of middle weight division is not even comparable to this lackluster 160 division where out of the Cotto vs Canelo fights's winner there are not a single remarkable name for Golovkin.

What annoys and frustrates me about Cotto is not that he is fighting Canelo instead of GGG - that's understandable for several reasons. But he is using his name and leverage to hold on to those MW titles without defending them at the MW limit, and there is no reason or justification for him doing that.

Cotto/Canelo will be a huge fight, with or without the WBC MW title at stake. Cotto has a contract with Roc that guarantees him big pay cheques, no matter who he fights. He doesn't need those titles and has no intention of defending them against his mandatory, so why doesn't he do the honourable thing and relinquish them?

I'm not sure how the present day MW division compares to Hagler's time. But GGG vs Canelo or Lemieux would be bigger than anything Golovkin could find at 168, and he would have a better chance of winning them, of course.

If he ever fights Ward it will be at 168, maybe after Canelo and Lemieux. I'm baffled why the 164 CW is suddenly being talked about by GGG and his team, when it was never mentioned before. It's not like Ward himself is asking for the fight, so they don't need an excuse to duck him, as some people have suggested.

[Joe Beamish]

GGG and Ward are totally different sizes. GGG is tiny. Ward is 6'1".

GGG is no 168 fighter. He might beat guys like Junior up there (the original idea for Golovkin moving up to 168 WAS a big money fight with Junior, after all) but he won't beat the best in the division.

Similarly, Cotto is possibly too small for GGG. However, he holds a MW belt.

Caneli is 5'9" and should fight GGG, who is 5'10". They're about the same size. Lots of posters here feel he would win. But as he Canelo really doesn't fight at MW, he doesn't need to be pressured into it.

But I'm old school. I think weight classes exist for a good reason.