Bleacher: Unwillingness to Fight Gennady Golovkin Has Created a Middleweight Mess

[OnePunch]

Fair article. The only problem is GGG has done the same thing in the past that the article criticizes others for-putting money ahead of challenge.

My only other problem with the article is it says he is fighting a WW because no other MW is going to fight him. I guess for the GGG fans that is one way to look at it.

For those not GGG diehards, he is fighting a WW rather than going up to 168 since its clear no one in the division will fight him.

We can't blame GGG for not being able to find a MW to fight him. However, knowing this reality, why is he still staying at 160 rather than going to 168 to find quality opposition?

why do people believe that 168 is some magical promised land stocked full of credible, willing opponents? Besides Degale (who is tied up with Jack and then a mando) and possibly Ramirez (who is currently injured), who exactly is there at 168 that is so compelling? The Dirrells? Abraham? Sturm? And what makes you think those fights would be any easier to make than Canelo, Saunders or Eubank?

[The Big Dunn]

because canelo - golovkin is the biggest fight in boxing.

I get that but very few of us believe Canelo is ever going to fight him despite the fact that Sept 2017 is the alleged plan.

[mlac]

why do people believe that 168 is some magical promised land stocked full of willing opponents? Besides Degale (who is tied up with Jack and then a mando) and possibly Ramirez (who is currently injured), who exactly is there at 168 that is so compelling? The Dirrells? Abraham? Sturm? And what makes you think those fights would be just as difficult to make as Canelo, Saunders and Eubank?

nail on head. 168 is garbage.

[Weltschmerz]

Come on Weltz. If no one is going to fight him at 160 then why stay there and just fight WW and JMW coming up for a payday?

Is that really what you prefer rather than seeing him go to 168?

He would have been in there with Canelo in an ideal world, we all know that. He might fight Jacobs soon after Brook, I don't see the big fuss about all this. But of course all of his NSB straight up h8ers will jump on him for just trying to stay active

[MDPopescu]

because canelo - golovkin is the biggest fight in boxing.

... this is the biggest fight in boxing because of Canelo's following, tbh... in pure boxing terms it isn't.

[New England]

I get that but very few of us believe Canelo is ever going to fight him despite the fact that Sept 2017 is the alleged plan.

why go to 168 lbs for the same HBO money when the only megafight in boxing is at 160 lbs? it makes no sense unless you have some kind of agenda when you move golovkin. take a guy in his mid 30s and intentionally move him away from the biggest fight in boxing? if he's getting ducked because he's a middleweight, you think going to 168 is going to get him the fight?

you guys, very obviously, [very very very obviously, mind you,] just want to detract from him and see him lose.

[The Big Dunn]

why do people believe that 168 is some magical promised land stocked full of credible, willing opponents? Besides Degale (who is tied up with Jack and then a mando) and possibly Ramirez (who is currently injured), who exactly is there at 168 that is so compelling? The Dirrells? Abraham? Sturm? And what makes you think those fights would be any easier to make than Canelo, Saunders or Eubank?

Who said anything like that? It's the next division up. Historically, when a guy cleans out a division or can't find fights in the division they go up. Someone with your history in the business should know this.

At 168, GGG will likely find people willing to fight him, which is what he isn't getting at 160. For us as fans, the bigger men will allow us to see more of GGG's skillset and not just watch him get an easy KO. He might even be in with people that might beat him.

Wouldn't that be better for you as a GGG fan?

I have no idea the difficulty in making fights, neither do you. However, you assuming difficulty is done only to justify staying at 160 where you KNOW he can't make deals and get fights.

GGG can't get fights at 160. What is better for you as a GGG fan bringing up WW and JMW or going to 168?

[MDPopescu]

why go to 168 lbs for the same HBO money when the only megafight in boxing is at 160 lbs? it makes no sense unless you have some kind of agenda when you move golovkin. take a guy in his mid 30s and intentionally move him away from the biggest fight in boxing? if he's getting ducked because he's a middleweight, you think going to 168 is going to get him the fight?

you guys, very obviously, [very very very obviously, mind you,] just want to detract from him and see him lose.

I think that, in case Ward beats Kovalev, Golovkin would go after Ward even at 175...

[The Big Dunn]

He would have been in there with Canelo in an ideal world, we all know that. He might fight Jacobs soon after Brook, I don't see the big fuss about all this. But of course all of his NSB straight up h8ers will jump on him for just trying to stay active

Agreed but Canelo is *****ing out as we all are aware. OK, maybe , but the article points out (and we on NSB have discussed over and over) that Jacobs wants "the right price", a price we all think can't be met.

Why whenever this question is asked do you guys frame it as " a fuss"?

The problem with staying active, as you put it, is that this is not enough for GGG fans when it comes to other fighters, even those who can't get the fights they want like GGG.

why go to 168 lbs for the same HBO money when the only megafight in boxing is at 160 lbs? it makes no sense unless you have some kind of agenda when you move golovkin. take a guy in his mid 30s and intentionally move him away from the biggest fight in boxing? if he's getting ducked because he's a middleweight, you think going to 168 is going to get him the fight?

you guys, very obviously, [very very very obviously, mind you,] just want to detract from him and see him lose.

I answered-because the other half of the mega fight doesn't seem to want to be part of the fight. If Canelo wont fight, what is the point of staying?

Going to 168 doesn't mean he can't come back for a Canelo fight. I am not moving him away-as the article points out NO ONE AT 160 WANTS TO FIGHT HIM!

You keep avoiding the obvious-you, just like many of us, doubt Canelo is ever going to fight GGG, even with the Sept 2017 date out there. If this wasn't the case I agree that staying makes sense.

[OnePunch]

Who said anything like that? It's the next division up. Historically, when a guy cleans out a division or can't find fights in the division they go up. Someone with your history in the business should know this.

At 168, GGG will likely find people willing to fight him, which is what he isn't getting at 160. For us as fans, the bigger men will allow us to see more of GGG's skillset and not just watch him get an easy KO. He might even be in with people that might beat him.

Wouldn't that be better for you as a GGG fan?

I have no idea the difficulty in making fights, neither do you. However, you assuming difficulty is done only to justify staying at 160 where you KNOW he can't make deals and get fights.

GGG can't get fights at 160. What is better for you as a GGG fan bringing up WW and JMW or going to 168?

I disagree with your premise 100%. Historically fighters move up when either they cant make the weight anymore, or there is a more lucrative match available in a higher division. Neither one of those scenarios apply to GGG.

As for moving up, if I were managing GGG I would not do it just yet. Any leverage he has gained by amassing 3 of the 4 titles would be washed away, and he would be starting from scratch at 168 without any true "mega" fights on the horizon. And just because having 3 of the 4 titles hasnt gotten him saunders (only important for the significance of full unification) or canelo just yet, that doesnt mean it wont happen in the next 12-18 months. The quickest way to guarantee that it NEVER happens would be for him to move to 168 right now.

That being said, if there was a way to make a compelling fight at 168 as a one-off in the meantime while he is waiting for canelo, saunders, or jacobs to find their testicles, I would be all for it.....