Team Golovkin Awaiting Clarity From WBA On July 26 Foe

Published

11 years ago

May 23, 2014

Time is a-wastin,’ and Gennady Golovkin’s July 26 date to fight at Madison Square Garden’s Theater draws nearer, with still no word on who Triple G will be staring across from.

Team Golovkin is keen to meet ex champ Daniel Geale, who was freed up to fight after his May 24 date against Matthew Macklin blew up because the card it was appearing on, topped by Mike Perez-Bryant Jennings, was scrapped, because Perez was injured. But first, the WBA needs to rule on a petition submitted by the Golovkin crew, asking for a ruling to allow the Kazakh boxer to face Geale, instead of the WBA No. 2 at 160, one JarrodFletcher.

The WBA sent out this release on May 13, regarding their stance, at the time, regarding their belt, and the 32-year-old Golovkin (29-0 with 24 KOs; last fought on Feb. 1, beat Osumanu Adama TKO7), and Golovkins’ next.

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Gennady Golovkin, World Boxing Association middleweight world champion, was ordered to begin negotiation his next mandatory fight with Jarrod Fletcher. Fletcher, rated Nº 2 is the leading available contender to challenge Golovkin, so he was order to begin negotiations according to the WBA regulations. The period will consist of 30 days, starting this May 13, 2014. If they do not reach an agreement, or they are not willing to negotiate during this time, the WBA will open the fight to purse bid. If no agreement is reached, or not be willing to negotiate during this time, it will call for auction. Fletcher became the leading available contender because the interim champion Dmitry Chudinov will fight the Nº 4 rated contender Patrick Nielsen on June 1, 2014.

I asked Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, for an update. “Nothing to update, we’re waiting on the WBA decision to petition to fight Geale, who HBO will accept, instead of Fletcher, who HBO won’t accept,” he said.

No, the talk of a Golovkin-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. tiff on that July date hasn’t been re-born, said Loeffler, despite what I heard being peddled out of one rumor mill.

Geale’s promoter, Gary Shaw, also said he was waiting it out. “I have no idea what the WBA will rule,” Shaw said. “We will most likely know next week. How could they deny the request, when they let Felix Sturm (avoid fighting his mandatory challenger Gennady Golovkin for more than two years)? But then again, they are the sanctioning body, and can do anything.”

Fletcher holds an 18-1 record; he last fought on Feb. 1, beating Max Bursak UD12 on the same card in Monaco which Golovkin beat Adamu. The 30-year-old Aussie turned pro in 2009, and his best win is probably the Bursak effort. He stepped up against then 14-0 Billy Joe Saunders in 2012, and was a TKO2 victim. Based on that video, it’s hard to conjur a scenario where Golovkins’ power doesn’t touch Fletcher the same way, to be frank.

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