Gennady Golovkin has opened talks with DAZN over the possibility of joining Canelo Alvarez on the platform.
The news comes just days after promoter Eddie Hearn, whose Matchroom stable operates on the streaming service, warned ‘GGG’ he must sign up to fight Canelo for the third time.
Golovkin drew (highly controversially) and lost to Canelo on consecutive September dates in 2017 and 2018, with a third fight open at both ends.
Hearn had said it would be impossible for a trilogy to happen unless Golovkin opened dialogue with DAZN. A move which is now underway, according to Mike Coppinger of The Ring Magazine.
WBN speculated that Canelo v Golovkin would probably happen on DAZN, and even as high as 168 pounds, as soon as reports emerged of HBO’s decision to leave boxing behind after 45 years of broadcasting in 2019.
A super-middleweight clash looks unlikely, though, since Matchroom picked up two versions of the 160 crown in recent weeks.
Wins for Daniel Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade would have almost certainly swayed Golovkin’s thinking on a new TV deal.
ESPN+, who has close ties to Bob Arum at Top Rank, is willing to take Golovkin. Whilst Showtime seems an unlikely destination.
Promoter Tom Loeffler would be looking for a Pay-Per-View platform with Showtime. Something Canelo would never be able to commit to.
This means Golovkin has only one real option. And with his career fast approaching the end, the big-punching Kazakh has to move fast.
TRILOGY
Canelo v GGG III has a short shelf life. The encounter would likely go down in September once again after the Mexican has two bouts in the interim.
The middleweight king faces Rocky Fielding on December 15 in a bid to make waves at 168. Then six months later, a Las Vegas unification showdown with Jacobs is planned for Cinco de Mayo weekend.
This leaves Golovkin free to get his feet under the table at DAZN, potentially in a WBO title challenge against Matchroom’s Demetrius Andrade.
Winning the only belt to elude him at 160 would be a massive achievement for Golovkin. It would also mean any meeting with Canelo would be for all the middleweight marbles in the fall.
Both coming through respective clashes with world champions in the spring would see Canelo v GGG 3 competed for the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF straps.
All sides will reveal more in the coming days, but with a master plan like that in the offing, it’s hard to see how Golovkin doesn’t put pen to paper with DAZN.
