Gennady Golovkin is signed up to fight little-known Dominic Wade in April, after attempts to face several higher-profile fighters all fell through. Golovkin, who holds three major middleweight belts and owns the longest active knockout streak in boxing, has had a hard time finding opponents willing to step in the ring with him.
Golovkin is on a collision course with WBC middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, but Alvarez’s first defense is going to be against blown-up welterweight Amir Khan at a catch weight of 155 pounds. Catch weights may become a roadblock to an Alvarez-Golovkin bout, as Golovkin has previously stated he wants to defend his belt at the 160-pound limit. If talks fall through, Golovkin may only have one choice to land a big name opponent – move up to super middleweight.
Canelo-Khan Cash Grab Could Delay Golovkin Fight
Rumors are swirling that there is one brave man willing to try Golovkin’s power, 51-year-old Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins. Don’t laugh; Hopkins is a spry 51-year-old, who last fought in 2014 against light heavyweight destroyer Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and did not get knocked out.
Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler did not rule out a possible bout with Hopkins when he spoke with Boxing Scene. "Look, Bernard's the biggest name (Sergey) Kovalev fought so it would be a great opponent for Gennady,” Loeffler said.
"If (Billy Joe) Saunders isn't going to fight, if 'Canelo's (Saul Alvarez) is not going to fight, we would consider a marketable name at 168 and Hopkins is more active than (Andre) Ward is, so it makes sense."
Golovkin Considering British Opponents In The U.K.
Golovkin vs. Hopkins has some elements of intrigue to it. First, Hopkins would be the best defensive fighter Golovkin has faced by far, so it would be a good test of just how skilled Golovkin is as an offensive fighter. Second, it would be a jump up for Golovkin in weight, while Hopkins would be coming down. Should Golovkin knock out Hopkins, even at 51 years old, he would make himself a viable contender in as many as three weight classes.
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