Gennady “GGG” Golovkin improved to 37-0, 33 KOs following his razor-thin unanimous decision win over Daniel Jacobs (32-2, 29 KOs) Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Although the win for Gennady Golovkin gave him the most impressive name on his resume, many felt Daniel Jacobs won, and the only reason Golovkin got the win was because of a potential mega pay per view fight between himself and Canelo Alvarez.But it’s not a guarantee that Golovkin will face Alvarez next. There are two other possible and realistic opponents for him to fight next.
1. Billy Joe Saunders
Golovkin has three out of the four major middleweight belts (WBA, WBC, IBF). The only belt he does not have is the WBO, which is held by Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs).
The undefeated Saunders is the least known fighter on this list, but the reason he’s the most likely opponent for GGG is because it gives him the opportunity to hold all four major middleweight titles and because the fight would take place in Golovkin’s homeland of Kazakhstan
Saunders has only fought twice over the last 15 months and despite his undefeated record, it’s expected that Golovkin would make short work of him.
2. Canelo Alvarez
Golovkin vs. Canelo is a fight fans have been wanting to see for over a year and it’s the biggest fight that can be made in boxing. Canelo is arguably the biggest name in the sport and has a tremendous fan base that will spend money to see him on pay per view.
Negotiations for this fight have broken down before because of money and if the fight should be fought at a catchweight. Fighting Canelo would easily be Golovkin’s biggest payday, and considering he’ll turn 35 next month, he needs to cash in on his biggest payday before it’s too late.
Canelo’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya said a fight with Golovkin will happen, but more than likely it will happen in September since Canelo has a fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in May.
3. Daniel Jacobs
After such a highly contested fight on Saturday in which many felt Jacobs won, a rematch is definitely warranted. Despite being knocked down in the fourth round, Jacobs showed heart by getting up and ending Golovkin’s 23 wins by knockout streak. Jacobs possess the speed and power that may give Golovkin even more trouble in a rematch. The risk of fighting Jacobs may not be worth blowing a possible showdown with Canelo.
