Abel Sanchez says he wants WBA ‘regular’ middleweight champion Ryota Murata (14-1, 11 KOs) to be the next opponent for IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) to fight if a rematch against Saul Canelo Alvarez can’t be made for Triple G in September.
Sanchez feels that Murata, 32, brings the most to the table for Golovkin because of his ability to sellout arenas in his home country of Japan. The contenders just want paydays against Golovkin and none of them have done enough to create a lot of interest for GGG to fight them, says Sanchez. He wants the top contenders like Daniel Jacobs, Jermall Charlo and Sergey Derevyanchenko to fight each other so they can eliminate each. Sanchez says Golovkin can’t fight all of them in one year, so he wants them to eliminate each other so that one guy is standing for GGG to fight. For now, Canelo remains the guy that Golovkin would like to fight next in September, as long as he enrolls in a drug testing program.
“Canelo,” Sanchez said when asked who he wants Golovkin to fight next. “Whoever is willing to step up to the table. The only reason this fight with Vanes was made was because he was reason with the situation. Every time someone fights Golovkin, they want lottery money. The best fight for me is the Murata fight now. That’s who I’d want…because of the selling out of arenas in Japan. He’s he the one trying to be somebody. Everyone else in the U.S is waiting for a payday. He’s a gold medalist, and the WBA regular champion. He’s probably had 14 or 15 fights,” Sanchez said.
Murata brings Golovkin the biggest payday outside of a fight with Canelo. If Golovkin can’t get the rematch with Canelo in September, then a fight against Murata in late 2018 is the next best option. Right now, Canelo is acting in a way that suggests that he might not want to fight Golovkin in September. He hasn’t enrolled in drug testing since his 6-month suspension was handed down by the Nevada State Athletic Commission last April. With Canelo coming off knee surgery a 1-year layoff from boxing, he and his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions might not want the Golovkin fight in September.
Golden Boy has Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan ready to step in to take the fight with Canelo in September, and it won’t be surprising if he’s the one that gets picked out for the fight. Golden Boy would have the excuse for matching Canelo against O’Sullivan. He’s coming off of knee surgery and a long 1-year layoff. Oscar De La Hoya said Canelo will fight twice this year, which means he’ll fight in September and then in December. O’Sullivan would be the ideal opponent for Canelo to fight in September, and then David Lemieux in December. Canelo isn’t likely going to fight Golovkin on a non-Mexican holiday, because the fight will bring in more money if it takes place on a holiday. That’s where Canelo brings in high ratings.
”All these guys here want paydays,” Sanchez said about the contenders. ”Derevyanchenko fought an 8 round fight against a fighter with a 22-22 record in his last fight. That qualifies him to fight Golovkin. It doesn’t make any sense. If Jacobs and Charlo were to fight each other and fight somebody…Jacobs looked terrible in his last two fights. Now if he’s in a good fight, then we’re talking. Go after Saunders. Go after Derevyanchenko. Go after some of these guys that are claiming to be tough. Golovkin is not going to fight all of these guys. There were five or six guys. He’s not going to fight all of those guys in one year. They’re going to have to eliminate each other somehow. Derevyanchenko had a great amateur career. He has a similar style as Golovkin. He’s not the puncher Golovkin is but Jacobs and Saunders have already proven they’re good fighters, and Charlo is an ex-world champion. So they’re all difficult,” Sanchez said.
Jacobs and Charlo will very likely fight each other next unless one of the backs down and chooses to go in a different direction. Golovkin isn’t going to fight them next anyway. They might as well fight each other, because the winner of the fight will see their career get a big boost. Golovkin will have to some of the top contenders if he wants to keep his three major titles. It’s looking like right now that he could lose his IBF title if he doesn’t fight Derevyanchenko by August 3. Sanchez says they’re waiting to see what the IBF does. Team Golovkin has appealed and they’re trying to steer around the Derevyanchenko fight so that they don’t have to take it by August 3, because if they take the fight, it will mess up the Canelo fight in September. If the appeal is declined, then Golovkin could lose his IBF title.