Daniel Geale explains why he didn't accept the Gennady Golovkin fight on April 26

Boxing fans have been wondering when Gennady Golovkin, considered by some to be the top middleweight in the world, will have the chance to step up and face the best that the middelweight division has to offer. It was hopeful that Golovkin's next fight, scheduled for April 26 on HBO, would finally be that time. Unfortunately, it's looking more like Golovkin will be facing gatekeeper Andy Lee, a solid boxer in his own right but not one of the true top guys in the division.

With Sergio Martinez preparing to likely fight Miguel Cotto in June, the opponent of choice was reportedly Daniel Geale, a former WBA and IBF middlewight champion. But Geale turned down the offer, causing fans to ponder if any top boxer at 160 pounds is even willing to get in the ring with GGG.

However, Geale is now claiming that he is not ducking Golovkin at all. In fact, he says "it would have been perfect" but the main pay-per-view provider in Australia was already committed to showing a UFC event on April 26. If the fight was a week earlier or later, according to Geale, he would have accepted the deal without question.

Here is all of what Geale said, via Boxing Scene's Adrian Warren:

"Because it's the truth, we weren't ducking him," Geale told AAP. "If they had given us a week later or a week before, it would have been perfect. But they wouldn't budge on the date and I want the people of Australia to be able to see a fight like that. Golovkin has built his name up so well, he's stopped pretty much everybody he's been in there with. I don't want to go over there and do something great and nobody see it."

So it's pretty simple from Geale's point of view. He bluntly says that if the date had only been moved a week back or forward, there would be a fight taking place. As it is, we don't get the fight and who knows if Geale will be offered the same thing in the fall? Isn't boxing wonderful?

If what Geale is saying about the PPV provider is true, I think it makes sense from his side. He would naturally want his home fans to be able to see him face Golovkin, win or lose. I have to wonder why HBO couldn't move it either back or up a week. There could be a number of factors like the availability of the arena or HBO's TV schedule. They do have other stuff beside boxing for some reason on that channel.

I would look forward to seeing GGG fight Geale as that would undoubtedly be his toughest test to date, at least on paper. But who has any idea if it will ever happen. And don't get your hopes up on GGG fighting Martinez this fall. After facing Cotto, he will need four or five surgeries and require a get-well fight in Argentina. Maybe GGG will get his Big Test in 2016.