Gennady "GGG" Golovkin is boxing' premier knockout artist these days, but his quest to remain more active than most champions is making it difficult to line up quality opponents.
The WBA and IBO middleweight champion called out Miguel Cotto after a third round knockout of Daniel Geale at Madison Square Garden in July, but that seems highly unlikely to happen in 2014.
Canelo vs. Cotto "not an option" for 2014
Cotto is scheduled to headline a card on December 13; Andy Lee has been mentioned as a possible opponent for him, and Golovkin would likely not be ready for that date if he fights in October or November. Cotto also has the potential to earn big money from a fight vs. Canelo Alvarez down the road, so Golovkin may be waiting quite a while for him.
Another option may be James Kirkland, but he's reportedly in the running to be the next opponent for Alvarez this year. Golovkin is a larger opponent, with more knockouts and a lower profile than Alvarez, so facing him instead of the superstar Mexican is an unwise choice.
A bout with super middleweight champion Andre Ward has been talked about by fans and media, but constant bickering between the camps about which fighter would serve as the A-side paints a bleak picture of what negotiations would be like.
Abel Sanchez says Ward wants too much money to face Golovkin
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s promotional issues and previous breakdown in talks with Golovkin likely preclude him as well. Golovkin's stated his mission is to unify the middleweight division, so he may turn to IBF champion Sam Soliman for his next fight.
Soliman's reportedly been linked to a fight with Jermain Taylor, but nothing is official and Golovkin represents a larger payday. Soliman isn't the type of opponent to do much for building Golovkin's mystique-despite being a champion his record stands at 44-11-0 with 18 knockouts. He is also 40 years old.
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