Golovkin Will Face Willie Monroe May 16 in LA, on HBO

They wanted Cotto, and they couldn’t get him. So, they wanted a lefty, and they did get him. Triple G (32-0) couldn’t lure Miguel Cotto to see who the best middleweight titlist is. So, in keeping with his wish to stay busy, until the money pot and fan demand grows to where a Cotto or a Canelo or a Floyd or a Ward, if he wants to venture north, have to tangle with the misery-fisted Kazakh, Golovkin chose NY-state lefty Willie Monroe Jr. (19-1) for his next violent waltz partner.

Monroe is known to some fight fands, more than the man who may though would get this gig, Argentine Jorge Heiland. Monroe beat two undefeateds to snag the middleweight “Boxcino” tourney last year, and his promoter Art Pelullo told me that the climb will be hard, but his kid can do it. I’m dubious, as I think Golovkin is one of the five best boxers on this eart right now. And Monroe ain’t. But like all of you, I will be tuning in, on May 16, watching HBO and these two do a leather trade at the Forum in LA.

Here is the release which went out today announcing the tangle:

GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN VS. WILLIE MONROE JR.

TO HOST LOS ANGELES PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE FORUM

Tuesday, March 17 at 12:00 P.M.

Los Angeles, CA (March 13, 2015) Boxing Superstar GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and

Top-Rated Challenger WILLIE MONROE JR. will host a Los Angeles press conference to announce their World Middleweight Championship showdown on Saturday, May 16 at the Forum. Presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Banner Promotions and the Forum, the event will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing^® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

WHO:       GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN/WBA, IBO & Interim WBC Middleweight Champion

WILLIE MONROE JR./Top-Rated Challenger

ABEL SANCHEZ/Trainer of Golovkin

TONY MORGAN/Trainer of Monroe

TOM LOEFFLER/K2 Promotions

MATT ROWLAND/Banner Promotions

DANA DUFINE/the Forum

WHAT:    Los Angeles Press Conference

(Accredited Media Members Only)

WHERE:   THE FORUM

3900 West Manchester Boulevard

Inglewood, CA 90305

WHEN:     Tuesday, March 17

11:30 a.m. Media Arrival/Lunch

12:00 p.m. Press Conference

–Parking available through Prairie Ave. entrance

–Enter through marked door adjacent to Box Office/West side of building

FACTS:    World Boxing Association (‘WBA’), International Boxing Organization (‘IBO’) and World Boxing Council (‘WBC’) ‘Interim’ Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, 32-0-0 (19KO’s) of Los Angeles, California via Karaganda, Kazakhstan will make the 14th defense of his title against top rated challenger WILLIE MONROE JR.,

19-1-0 (6KO’s), of Ithaca, New York on Saturday, May 16 at The Forum in Inglewood.

On February 21 in Monte-Carlo, Golovkin stopped Martin Murray for his 19th consecutive win by knockout, the most in the history of the middleweight division. This will be Golovkin’s second fight in Los Angeles, having stopped former world title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio on October 18, 2014 before a record setting crowd of 9,323 at the StubHub! Center in Carson, CA.

Monroe Jr. won the acclaimed 2014 ESPN Boxcino Tournament defeating fellow contenders Donatas Bondorovas, Vitaliy Kopylenko and Brandon Adams towards the title.

Most recently Monroe Jr. won a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Bryan Vera on January 16 in a bout telecast on ESPN Friday Night Fights.

Monroe is currently ranked #2 by the WBA, #5 by the WBO and #9 by the WBC.

SOCIAL MEDIA: For more information, visit www.K2Promos.com, www.GGGBoxing.com, www.Banner-Promotions.com, www.FabulousForum.com and www.HBO.com/boxing.

Follow on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin @GGGBoxing, Willie Monroe Jr. @WillieMonroeJr, Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions @TomLoeffler1, Banner Promotions @BannerBoxing, the Forum @theForum and HBO Boxing @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook

www.facebook.com/GGGBoxing, www.facebook.com/WilieMonroeJrFanPage,

www.facebook/BannerPromotions, www.facebook.com/TheForum and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Use the hashtag #GolovkinMonroe to join the conversation on Twitter.