Gennady Golovkin (Photo : West Ham United via Getty Images)
K2 Promotions managing director Tom Loeffler said that there is a low possibility for unified middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin to fight veteran boxer Bernard Hopkins this year, with GGG focusing more on bigger bouts.
Boxing fans may never have the chance to witness Golovkin and Hopkins clash this year, with the undefeated Kazakh focusing on unifying the middleweight belts.
"GGG is completely focused on the [Dominic] Wade fight in April and the priority is the winner of the Canelo-Khan fight, as ordered by the WBC, if GGG is successful against Wade," Loeffler said, reports the RingTV.
"If they don't fight and the WBC strips the title [from Canelo, who also holds THE RING middleweight championship], then the next priority is Billy Joe Saunders for the WBO unification fight."
Loeffler confirmed last year that Golovkin plans to fight three times in 2016, which means the unified middleweight titlist only has two more bouts left this year, with a battle against Dominic Wade already set on Apr. 23 at the Forum in California.
The plan is still for GGG to fight 3 times in 2016, he is the most active world champion in boxing https://t.co/QV9YsWFlbm
— Tom Loeffler (@TomLoeffler1) December 15, 2015
Golovkin's next target would certainly be the winner of Canelo vs Khan bout in May, with the Kazakh having a contract to fight whoever prevails in the bout, according to FightHype.
Saunders, on the other hand, is also being eyed by Golovkin because of the British fighter's WBO middleweight belt, which he won against Andy Lee last year. Saunders was also linked to a fight with Golovkin, but talks did not materialize.
However, Loeffler may not have much choice but to book Golovkin against Hopkins later this year, especially if potential future opponents like Alvarez, Khan and Saunders back off from fighting the Kazakh knockout artist, according to Dan Ambrose of Boxing News 24.
"Loeffler may have no choice but to set Golovkin up with a fight against Hopkins later this year, because I don't think Canelo or Saunders are going to agree to fight him in 2016," Ambrose wrote.
"I think they're going to wait him out until he starts graying up top before they fight him."
Hopkins has admitted that he accepted to fight Golovkin as reported by Boxing Scene. But while it would be interesting for fans to see Hopkins for one final match against a tough opponent, there is not much to expect a fighter in his prime and a retiring boxer.
