Gennady “GGG” Golovkin has formally announced that he will fight Vanes Martirosyan on May 5 at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles, bringing an end to the search for a replacement opponent for him to fight following the withdrawal of Canelo Alvarez.
Originally, Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) was expected to fight Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) in Las Vegas on May 5. The fight was a highly anticipated rematch following the controversial split decision draw the two fought to last September.
However, the fight fell apart after Alvarez twice tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug clenbuterol. While Alvarez and his team claimed the drug came from contaminated meat, GGG accused him of being a cheater.
Ultimately, the source of the drug didn’t matter. On Wednesday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission voted 5-0 to suspend Alvarez six months for the infraction. Normally, a positive test for clenbuterol would carry a year’s suspension, but Alvarez received a deduction for fully cooperating with the investigation.
Martirosyan Steps Up on Short Notice
With Alvarez out of the picture, Golovkin and his team scrambled to find a new opponent. While they were forced to change venues and discard a handful of potential opponents before the fight could be finalized, they were finally able to book a fight with Martirosyan (36-3-1, 23 KOs) on Wednesday, just 17 days before the date of the bout.
While Martirosyan may not be the opponent GGG originally wanted to see in the ring, he says he won’t be taking the fight lightly.
“Vanes Martirosyan is now the might important fight of my career,” Golovkin said in a press release. “He has my respect and I am training hard to defend my titles against him.”
For Martirosyan, this fight represents an unexpected opportunity to take on a world class opponent – an opportunity he plans to take full advantage of.
“This will be my best camp. I will win. I already know,” Martirosyan told the Los Angeles Times. “The world will be shocked, but I’ve seen it happen already.”
Despite his bravado, oddsmakers aren’t giving Martirosyan much of a chance to score a career-defining upset. At Paddy Power, Golovkin is a 1/40 favorite, with Martirosyan listed at 12/1 to win.
IBF May Strip Belt from GGG
Even if GGG does pick up the victory as most expect him to, he might not leave the ring with all of his world championship belts. Golovkin holds the middleweight world titles of the WBC, WBA, and IBF, and while the first two are sanctioning the May 5 fight, the IBF said on Tuesday that it would not approve the bout, and that GGG would be stripped of their championship if he fought Martirosyan.
At issue are the rules for the mandatory challenges that are dictated by the world’s major boxing organizations. The IBF was next in the rotation of challenges for Golovkin following the Alvarez fight. With that fight cancelled, the IBF wants mandatory challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko (12-0, 10 KOs) to be Golovkin’s next opponent.
Golovkin is expected to file for an exception to these rules in a bid not to lose his belt. If Derevyanchenko opposes that request, then the IBF would be required to review the case and make a determination as to what should be done with the title. However, the fact that the IBF has already objected to the fight would not seem to bode well for Golovkin’s chances at such a hearing.
