Golden Boy hoping Canelo-Golovkin 2 can be rescheduled for Aug. or Sep

Boxingnews24.com

By Jim Dower

Following Saul Canelo Alvarez pulling out of his May 5th rematch with Gennady Golovkin due to a potential extension of his suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Golden Boy Promotions are now looking to reschedule the fight in August or September.

It will depend on if the Commission gives Canelo a reduced 6-month suspension at their hearing on April 18th.

Canelo, 27, officially pulled out of his May 5th rematch with GGG earlier on Tuesdays. The reason for him pulling out of the fight was the lack of time that would be allowed to promote the rematch if he were cleared by the Nevada Commission. The hearing will be about Canelo’s 2 failed tests for the banned substance clenbuterol. He’s already been given a temporary suspension by the Commission.

If Canelo is suspended again when meets with the Commission, it could be much longer. If Canelo and Golden Boy are lucky, he’ll only receive a 6-month suspension. It could be for 1 year, which means he can forget about fighting Golovkin in 2018. The rematch would need to wait until early 2019 in May.

”Given the current regulations in Nevada we have been advised, and it is unfortunate, that Canelo won’t be cleared to fight in May,” Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez said during Tuesday’s news conference. ”We are hopeful this matter will be resolved and we are hoping Canelo will be cleared so we can reschedule the fight for August or September.”

(Photo credit: Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan Twitter)

Golovkin has now trained for nothing other than a title defense against a replacement opponent on May 5th. Golovkin could now be facing Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan (27-2, 19 KOs) on that date at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The knowledgeable boxing fans are completely unhappy with O’Sullivan being GGG’s potential opponent. It might not matter to the casual boxing fans in the States, as they just want to see Golovkin fight period. However, most fans do care about Golovkin fighting a good opponent, and unfortunately O’Sullivan is not viewed as a great option.

Golovkin says he’ll have news soon about his May 5th fight. It would be nice if Golovkin’s surprises the fans by selecting a good contender like Jermall Charlo, Daniel Jacobs or Sergiy Derevyanchenko for him to fight instead of O’Sullivan.

I will be defending my titles on Cinco de Mayo in Las Vegas!
Official announcement coming soon! pic.twitter.com/ewsXojzBdv

— Gennady Golovkin (@GGGBoxing) April 3, 2018

There are a lot of upset boxing fans over Canelo pulling out of the fight, and most of them seem to be blaming him due to his 2 positive tests for clenbuterol. Some people are wondering if Ring Magazine will strip the Golden Boy Promotions star Canelo of his Ring middleweight title that he’s held since beating Miguel Cotto in November 2015. Canelo has been able to hold onto the Ring title, even when he’s been inactive in the middleweight division for more than a year. If Canelo is given a 6-month suspension by the Nevada Commission on April 18, does Ring Magazine let him keep his Ring belt or do they strip him and give it to Golovkin.

“We’re going to have to cancel the May 5 rematch,” Gomez said. “As you all know there is a hearing on April 18 and it’s extremely unlikely this will get properly resolved by then and we need enough time to promote this fight.”

Canelo’s contaminated meat excuse is one that might not work in his favor with the Nevada Commission. They’ve got rules in place in which they state the fighter is responsible for what they put in their bodies. It’s a tough rule that doesn’t appear to give breaks to fighters that accidentally test positive due to food contamination. It’s unfortunate that Canelo might wind up being the first popular fighter that the Nevada Commission’s tough new rule makes an example of. But you can bet that after this, a lot of fighters in Mexico are going to be extra careful about where they purchase their beef from now on.

If Canelo does receive a suspension of 6 months, it really works in his favor in terms of the Golovkin rematch. It means that Golovkin, 35, will age some more, and possibly not be the same fighter that he was last September in his first fight. Golovkin plans on fighting at least 2 times in 2018, possibly 3 times. Golovkin will fight on May 5th, likely against O’Sullivan, and then in August or September potentially against Canelo, and then maybe in December if he doesn’t take too much punishment in the rematch with Alvarez.

Golovkin could be worn down from age by the time he faces Canelo. Of course, if Golovkin is the same fighter, then Canelo will be in trouble. Will Canelo be the same fighter? He’ll have been out of action for a long time by the time he faces Golovkin in August or September, and we don’t know how his body will be like when that fight happens. Physically, the Canelo that fought Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last year in May looked like a smaller, less muscular fighter than the one that fought Golovkin. If Canelo isn’t in the kind of shape he was in the previous GGG fight, he might wind up losing badly.

Canelo being inactive could help him. He doesn’t have to worry the wear and tear of another fight against Golovkin. It’ll be Golovkin that will be dealing with what could be a punishing fight on May 5th if his promoter Tom Loeffler picks out a good contender. WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders wants the fight with Golovkin, but he’s likely just talking and not being serious about wanting to step in as his replacement. Saunders is injured and he has a fight scheduled against Martin Murray on June 23.

Golovkin will eventually get the second fight against Canelo, but he’s going to have to wait for September or maybe even May of next year. That plays into Canelo’s hands unfortunately. He’s only 27 now, and he’s just now hitting the prime of his career. Golovkin’s prime was 5 years ago.

”I’ve spent the last three years staying ready so that I don’t have to get ready. Make this fight happen,” O’Sullivan said on his Twitter about a fight between him against Golovkin.

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