The 25 year-old asked ‘GGG’ to enter the ring on the back of his stunning one-punch knockout of British star Amir Khan in Las Vegas and proceeded to fire verbal jabs at Golovkin regarding a clash with his mandatory challenger.
With the WBC already stating that talks have to get underway soon, Canelo’s actions have placed him and promoter Oscar De La Hoya in a situation where they have nowhere else to go despite a considerable disagreement in weight terms.
Canelo wants to continue fighting at 155 pounds whilst holding the 160 belt, although Golovkin is adamant any fight must take place at the divisional limit. Hopefully, both will relax their stance and come together to give the fans the encounter they long for.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman is keen to avoid a situation similar to that of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao where the two pound for pound stars failed to sign on the dotted line when at the height of their powers.
Given that Golovkin is now 34, the fight has more urgency about it than ever and putting it together this year seems to be a must for all concerned.
It’s hard to fathom how Canelo would be able to delay the bout after this weekend’s post-fight show of machismo, although the two-weight world champion may well hold out for an agreement by Golovkin to at least come in one or two pounds lighter on the scales.
The Kazakh had stated in the past that he could make 154 for a fight with Mayweather or Pacquiao, so hitting 158 or 159 at Canelo’s request is quite possible and could put an end to constant delays hampering the contest.
Should Canelo ultimately decide against facing Golovkin, the WBC will move to take his precious green belt and a certain amount of respect with the boxing fraternity will be lost.
