Saunders, Eubank Jr, DeGale in the mix
Thursday 28 January 2016 16:22, UK
Gennady Golovkin has held negotiations to fight at West Ham's stadium before the end of 2016, his promoter has confirmed to Sky Sports.
Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr are the two likeliest targets for the unbeaten pound-for-pound king, although stepping up to super-middleweight to fight James DeGale is also an option.
The WBA 'Super' and IBF middleweight champion was in attendance with his representatives as West Ham drew with Manchester City at the weekend, sparking speculation that he would try to arrange a fight at the east London location.
We sat down at the table in the chairman's room at the stadium and [David] Sullivan said he was a fan.
Golovkin's promoter Tom Loeffler has now confirmed that he spoke to the West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan about staging a fight at either the Hammers' current or future home.
"Absolutely, at Upton Park or the Olympic Stadium," Loeffler told Sky Sports. "We were invited by David Sullivan. He expressed interest in Gennady fighting there so now we have to explore the opponent. It's an interesting option to have the owner of a football club host an event for Gennady.
"We sat down at the table in the chairman's room at the stadium and Sullivan said he was a fan.
"If they don't make a big local fight for Eubank then that could potentially be big, but the one that makes the most sense just because he's the champion would be a unification fight with [WBO champion] Saunders.
"By the end of 2016 or spring in 2017, depending on the opponent. If Saunders makes a defence then wants a fight in July, that's a stadium fight.
"It's certainly possible before the end of 2016. England has become an important market for Gennady whether it's against Saunders or Eubank Jr, ever since he fought Matthew Macklin and Martin Murray."
The 33-year-old from Kazakhstan could yet be roped into defending his gold against mandatory IBF challenger Dominic Wade, while a Stateside unifier with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez also looms.
But Loeffler is confident that neither of those commitments, should they be finalised, could scupper the opportunity to fight in London.
"[Eubank] would be the perfect scenario because he's a self-promoter who stirs the pot," Loeffler said.
"Gennady is so respectful that sometimes it helps to have a brash opponent. Curtis Stevens did it but crossed the line - that's Gennady's Eastern Bloc mentality. Gennady punished him for a couple of extra rounds more than he needed to.
"We made an offer [to fight Saunders] and they didn't turn it down, they just wanted a couple of defences to build up a future fight."
Writing in a column on his official website, Saunders' promoter Frank Warren said that no negotiations took place between the camps on Golovkin's recent visit to the UK, but discussions had happened previously.
Loeffler added: "I have a feeling that Andy Lee, if he had won [against Saunders] would have been a massive fight in New York because we made a deal with him once before but unfortunately Gennady's father passed away. Andy is still on the radar.
"DeGale is another big fight in the UK. Sure, it's been discussed, that's something that's interesting on our side too. If the timing is right, if DeGale makes another couple of [IBF super-middleweight title] defences that fight could be out there by the end of 2016."
