Now with DAZN, GGG has many fights on the table
Gennady Golovkin has entered DAZN.
The former unified middleweight champion of the world, who was the biggest remaining television free agent in boxing, made the decision to sign a three-year, six-fight deal with the streaming platform as he resumes his career.
So with Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KO), on this side of the street, just who is available for him to fight as he heads into a new phase of his career?
GGG vs. Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs): This one is rather obvious given that a third chapter to this heated rivalry is still among the biggest and most lucrative bouts that can be made in all of boxing. There is certainly a lot of history between the two standout middleweights the past few years.
Their first matchup in September of 2017 ended in a highly controversial draw (where the large majority of observers believed Golovkin should’ve been given the nod), while their rematch this past September was a superior fight with opinions being split down the middle on who won. But it was Alvarez, who was awarded a razor thin split decision and is now the recognized middleweight champion of the world.
Alvarez, who is scheduled to face Daniel Jacobs on May 4 in a middleweight unification fight, signed a much ballyhooed deal with DAZN that will pay him upwards of $360 million over the next five years. Whoever wants to face him, must do so on this platform, bottom line. Like Reggie Jackson, he is the straw that stirs the drink.
GGG vs. Jaime Munguia (31-0, 26 KOs): We nearly had this matchup last Cinco De Mayo weekend as Munguia was in line to replace Canelo when he was placed on suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for failing two drug tests that cancelled the original date of the Alvarez-Golovkin rematch. However, the NSAC deemed that the young Munguia simply wasn’t qualified to face a fighter the caliber of Golovkin under these circumstances.
Perhaps they did him a favor of sorts. Munguia would then be tabbed as a late replacement for an injured Liam Smith and he battered Sadam Ali over four rounds for the WBO 154-pound title. Munguia proceeded to make two more title defenses in 2018 and quickly became a fan-favorite. He looks to be the next big Mexican star, with his boyish enthusiasm for the sport and hell bent for leather style.
Just 22, Munguia is still learning the finer points of the game, but there is no denying his fighting spirit or his heavy hands. His lead promoter is Zanfer Promotions, entered into a co-promotional pact with Golden Boy Promotions that will place his fights on DAZN. In his first bout with the company, Munguia successfully defended his WBO junior middleweight with a unanimous decision over Takeshi Inoue in January.
GGG vs. Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs): At this present moment, Jacobs, who is aligned with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sports (which is tied to DAZN), has a fight pending with Canelo on May 4. For Jacobs to be in the mix for another lucrative and meaningful middleweights bouts, he needs to beat Alvarez.
Canelo Alvarez has nine victories fighting in Las Vegas, five of them by decision. But Daniel Jacobs believes he has what it takes to impress the judges and get a victory against the Mexican superstar if the fight goes all 12 rounds.
It’s clear that Jacobs’ priority is to win his fight against the Mexican star. But another go around between Golovkin and Jacobs would hold some interest. They met in March of 2017 with Golovkin winning a 12 round decision that is still disputed by Jacobs and some boxing fans.
Since that bout, Jacobs is on a three-bout winning streak, having bested the likes of Luis Arias, Maciej Sulecki and most recently, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, for the vacant IBF title.
How different would the rematch look between these two?
GGG vs. Demetrius Andrade (26-0, 21 KOs): OK, admittedly, this will be a bit of a hard-sell, here, but “Boo Boo” Andrade does have a major title around his waist, having captured the vacant WBO belt versus the relatively anonymous Walter Kautondokwa back in October. He was originally scheduled to face Billy Joe Saunders, who failed a drug test beforehand, and was then pulled from this fight.
A victory over Saunders would’ve held much more weight than the win against Kautondokwa. Say what you will, but Saunders is a skill craftsmen, who is undefeated and it would have brought a certain credibility that Andrade’s resume still lacks. Matter aren’t helped by the fact that Andrade’s first defense of his WBO strap was a unanimous decision against little-known Artur Akavov on January 18.
But Andrade is still undefeated and is a tall, long, lanky, left-hander, who can box. He is a match-up nightmare for just about anybody with his style. And by virtue of being promoted by Matchroom Sports and on DAZN, he is in the mix in the middleweight division.