Gennady Golovkin, the WBA and IBO middleweight champion with an exploding fan base and 20 straight knockouts, wants to get back in the ring this fall. The names he wants—Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, and Canelo Alvarez—are not in the mix. There are three clear-cut possibilities in front of him now though.
Here are the pros and cons of each fight.
David Lemieux (34-2-0, 31 KO)
Pros: Lemieux, like Golovkin, is a knockout artist whose profile is rising. He has not risen to the level of being known by the coveted casual fans, but hardcore boxing observers are tuning in every time he fights. Lemieux also just won the IBF title from Hassan N’Dam, whom he knocked down six times en route to a unanimous decision. Golovkin’s stated goal is to unify the whole middleweight division, so Lemieux makes a ton of sense both from that angle, and the prospect of a fire fight. This would also likely be a pay-per-view fight for Golovkin, per BoxingScene.com, so it would be an opportunity for “GGG” to show off to the big names that he’s not as anonymous as they say he is.
Cons: Lemieux is entertaining and all, but he isn’t a major name, and may not be able to generate huge PPV buys. Hardcore fans will drool over the knockout potential, but if the fight does underwhelming numbers, it may work against Golovkin at the bargaining table. There’s no guarantee that it won’t do well, but it’s a bigger risk than playing the B-side to either Cotto or Alvarez down the line.
Erislandy Lara (21-2-2, 12 KO)
Pros: Lara is as respected in the boxing community as it gets as far as skill is concerned. Lara frequently brags about taking opponents to “Cuban school,” meaning they will get a boxing lesson and be unable to touch him. Both of Lara’s losses—to Paul Williams and Canelo Alvarez—were controversial. He lost by split decision to Williams and majority decision to Alvarez, and firmly believes he won both times.
Golovkin’s been accused of fighting B-level fighters, so if he can knock out a defensive specialist like Lara, it would be impressive.
Cons: There are several. For one, Lara is not a big name, despite having fought name fighters like Alfredo Angulo and Alvarez. He is also not particularly entertaining because of his evasive style. He prefers to avoid being hit and pot shot opponents; it will be up to Golovkin to corner him and make it exciting.
Lara is also a 154-pounder, which derails Golovkin’s quest for unification a bit. His trainer Abel Sanchez said he’s not interested in pitting Golovkin vs. Lara for style purposes, and also because Lara’s recent performances don’t warrant it.
“Lara has not earned the right to fight Golovkin,” Sanchez said. “And the reason I say that is because he takes fights like Delvin [Rodriguez], and Delvin is not a bad fighter but he does not belong at that level. He struggled with Delvin. Yes he won every round, but he did not do what he needed to do in order to be in that mix.”
Lara has the potential to make a fight dull, and he doesn’t bring much name value to the equation. Unless Golovkin looks spectacular against him, he can’t gain much from beating Lara.
Andre Ward (28-0-0, 15 KO)
Pros: Ward was once considered the No. 2 fighter in the world pound-for-pound, and he can easily regain that status with a quality win or two. He was knocked off his perch because of long layoffs, and not his performance inside the ring. Fighting Ward lends Golovkin immense credibility, especially because Ward would be the larger fighter coming down a weight class. It is also a major risk for Golovkin to put his unbeaten record on the line against such a skilled, big fighter.
Cons: There are a few. For one, as talented as Ward is, he’s never resonated outside of the hardcore boxing fan base. That probably has to do with his infrequent fights. Now that Ward is linked up with Roc Nation that could change, but for now he’s still little-known, and beating up Paul Smith on BET won’t change his status.
Second, the risk can be a positive for Golovkin as it would really boost his stature if he wins. If he loses though, the narrative that Golovkin’s feasted on B-level fighters and is overrated may take hold. On top of it, this fight may not reach as many people as one vs. Alvarez or Miguel Cotto would.
Finally, Ward would represent the big name on his resume that would make him undeniable to the big-money fighters. But it’s also a major chance to take for a 50-50 split of the purse. Golovkin is the obvious A-side vs. Lemieux or Lara; while he probably should be an A-side against Ward too, that fight will have to be cut right down the middle. Against Ward, winning is everything.
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