Golovkin to skip June fight, focus on fall showdown with Canelo

According to a report by Yahoo Sports, Gennady Golovkin will elect to pass on a undisputed title unification with Billy Joe Saunders this summer and wait on a September fight with Canelo Alvarez.

It seems that Golovkin’s close 12-round decision win over Daniel Jacobs took a little bit of a physical toll on Golovkin. Saunders’ promoter, Frank Warren, recently suggested that a summer fight with Golovkin was being held up by Golovkin’s team claiming injury, but although Golovkin’s trainer denied that Golovkin being injured, he does admit that Golovkin was a little banged up after a hard fight.

“He was sore,” Sanchez told Yahoo Sports. “He had a 12-round fight. I didn’t see it the first day in the dressing room. Usually the second or third day you start to feel it and I didn’t check in with him right after. After a long training camp, I’m the last person he would want to see. He is not a complainer. It’s just natural soreness. It was a difficult fight.”

There was also a declaration from Golden Boy promotions stating that if Golovkin pursued a summer fight with Saunders it would jeopardize a fall fight with Canelo Alvarez. Perhaps that position, however dubious, combined with Golovkin not wanting to rush into another training camp after an arduous fight, made him reconsider fighting Saunders and instead place his focus squarely on the mega-fight he’s been looking for. He just better hope that Golden Boy is willing to negotiate in good faith when the time comes.