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

[Eff Pandas]

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.

When was this? Ward? I mean that fight was on the table for about 7 seconds it sounded like & lets be honest no one has or should have much confidence in RN doing good business in boxing so who knows if that fight was ever really makeable. And even if we count Ward there are still far far more guys who've opted out at various stages vs GGG from the pure talk stages to further down the line that I can forgive the guy for doing it once.

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.

As far as name brand guys they aren't wrong. And at GGG's age I can't blame him all that much for going for name brand guys vs the Tureano Johnson's or other guys who would have likely filled in for Brook if Brook hadn't stood up. I mean they were already trying to get Eubank who's a not ready for prime time player in my opinion, but does have some name brand appeal.

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?

This is the issue I'm really super split on & is the really tough issue. GGG has made his name at 160. He's got the biggest active name in the game who's proudly avoiding him at this point & he has been close to making fights with big names at 160 more than any other weight & thats where most of the best paying fights are at for him. And then we got the 168 option, which gives GGG a 2nd division to dominate, but the reality is what exactly is there to dominate? What are the big fights that look anything like the big fights at 160? And if he moves up even for a fight or two does that lower his chances even more of enticing Canelo or even Jacobs or BJS or Eubank? Should he even move up at all for a Ramirez or hold out for a Froch or for Ward to come calling again maybe? Or what if he's not able to handle that weight as much as he or some fans think & he catches an L or just looks bad? Does that completely devalue him or get the fights he wants than? Then again if everyone is so scared to fight him there is some **** or get off the pot logic in play as well & maybe he should just move up & forget about the Canelo fight or 160 entirely? **** man idek tbh, but I can see the lack of drive to move up to a who gives a f#ck division when they have been super close to getting the big fights while at 160.

[kafkod]

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.

If Canelo would stop draining himself and face GGG at 160, maybe he would be strong and powerful enough to have a real chance of winning?

Here's a taste of what we should have been looking forward to seeing very soon ...

[The Big Dunn]

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.....

Those are other reasons as well.

In an ideal boxing world I understand your point about leverage. That said, and I keep coming back to this as did the article-NO ONE WANTS TO FIGHT HIM AT 160!

(Side point-Respectfully, you and other GGG fans are extremely frustrating.You agree with the premise in this article that the other guys are likely never to fight him. However, as soon as moving up is mentioned (and I mean in a reasonable debate, not the usual BS) then you say he may get these fights down the road. Is it too much to ask that you not switch narratives so much?)

That is reasonable and all I am suggesting. I am not saying abandon all hope of getting Canelo, just make a compelling fight when possible at 168 and then come back for the Canelo fight at 160 if he somehow finds the balls to fight.

[soul_survivor]

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?

This whole idea that ggg could just move up to 168 whenever is over looking the state of boxing. The divisions two best names will fight each other, so degale and Jack would not be viable opponents. There's groves but his future is uncertain and he doesn't have a belt.

Who else? The new champion ramirez? Highly unlikely considering they'll want to build that brand for a while and a ggg fight is too risky. Plus all this takes months and months of negotiations. Which moves us to the next very pertinent point: negotiations had already been underway for months between ggg and eubank.

Those negotiations themselves were a result of canelo turning down his post khan obligations of facing ggg. So this left an easy negotiation path through hearn for a Brook fight, in the designated September date, plus ppv for ggg.

When you have at least 3 middleweights turning down the fight and a move to 168 without an opponent you end up with a Brook type opponent. Which still isn't bad as before the fight Brook was regarded as the best 147 pounder on the planet.

[kafkod]

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?

Sturm and his crooked former promoter are the reason GGG could only call himself the WBA "regular" champion for 4 and a half years, rather than THE WBA Champion, which is clearly what he should have become after beating Nilson Tapia back in 2010.

[The Big Dunn]

When was this? Ward? I mean that fight was on the table for about 7 seconds it sounded like & lets be honest no one has or should have much confidence in RN doing good business in boxing so who knows if that fight was ever really makeable. And even if we count Ward there are still far far more guys who've opted out at various stages vs GGG from the pure talk stages to further down the line that I can forgive the guy for doing it once.



As far as name brand guys they aren't wrong. And at GGG's age I can't blame him all that much for going for name brand guys vs the Tureano Johnson's or other guys who would have likely filled in for Brook if Brook hadn't stood up. I mean they were already trying to get Eubank who's a not ready for prime time player in my opinion, but does have some name brand appeal.



This is the issue I'm really super split on & is the really tough issue. GGG has made his name at 160. He's got the biggest active name in the game who's proudly avoiding him at this point & he has been close to making fights with big names at 160 more than any other weight & thats where most of the best paying fights are at for him. And then we got the 168 option, which gives GGG a 2nd division to dominate, but the reality is what exactly is there to dominate? What are the big fights that look anything like the big fights at 160? And if he moves up even for a fight or two does that lower his chances even more of enticing Canelo or even Jacobs or BJS or Eubank? Should he even move up at all for a Ramirez or hold out for a Froch or for Ward to come calling again maybe? Or what if he's not able to handle that weight as much as he or some fans think & he catches an L or just looks bad? Does that completely devalue him or get the fights he wants than? Then again if everyone is so scared to fight him there is some **** or get off the pot logic in play as well & maybe he should just move up & forget about the Canelo fight or 160 entirely? **** man idek tbh, but I can see the lack of drive to move up to a who gives a f#ck division when they have been super close to getting the big fights while at 160.

I think there are reasons to both stay and to go up to 168. IMO it comes down to if you believe GGG can get fights at 160.

From where I sit, the guys he wants are asking for paydays that can't be met unless GGG takes a miniscule amount, which as the name he isn't going to do nor should have to. SO how about going up and fighting bigger men in fights that aren't sure KO's.

I think its better for all of us to see a GGG fight where the outcome isn't a foregone conclusion against a huge underdog.

[MDPopescu]

If Canelo would stop draining himself and face GGG at 160, maybe he would be strong and powerful enough to have a real chance of winning?

Here's a taste of what we should have been looking forward to seeing very soon ...

Canelo is young, he wants to fight GGG, but Oscar won't let him) because he knows)...

[The Big Dunn]

This whole idea that ggg could just move up to 168 whenever is over looking the state of boxing. The divisions two best names will fight each other, so degale and Jack would not be viable opponents. There's groves but his future is uncertain and he doesn't have a belt.

Who else? The new champion ramirez? Highly unlikely considering they'll want to build that brand for a while and a ggg fight is too risky. Plus all this takes months and months of negotiations. Which moves us to the next very pertinent point: negotiations had already been underway for months between ggg and eubank.

Those negotiations themselves were a result of canelo turning down his post khan obligations of facing ggg. So this left an easy negotiation path through hearn for a Brook fight, in the designated September date, plus ppv for ggg.

When you have at least 3 middleweights turning down the fight and a move to 168 without an opponent you end up with a Brook type opponent. Which still isn't bad as before the fight Brook was regarded as the best 147 pounder on the planet.

no Brook wasn't. He was a top 3 WW, no better than Thurman or Bradley. Please do not lmake up stuff to justify this because you like GGG.

The article makes the same point I and others have for months-no one meaningful at 160 will fight GGG. So he has 2 options:

1. Stay at 160 and fight J/LMW and WW moving up or

2. Go to 168 to make fights.

I can see why a GGG diehard fan would choose #!. You should be able to see why others would choose #2.

Ideally, MW's will step up.

[bojangles1987]

Middleweight is by far the worst division in boxing. Everyone not only blatantly ducks the best fighter in the division, they also duck each other. Has there been a more cowardly division in the history of the sport? It's an even worse example of what heavyweight went through for years where hypejobs were built up without fighting each other just so they could be fed to Wlad. Difference being Wlad got the chance to beat the best and prove he was the man, where Golovkin has been refused that chance.

[TripleGFightFan]

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?

Because he won't have a size advantage there...or any stationary targets to make him look good...you know triple g hits like a heavyweight and KO's Light Heavies...but he has designated his power only for the middleweight division...go figure...