CORK MIDDLEWEIGHT SPIKE O’Sullivan has confirmed negotiations with Gennady Golovkin’s team are underway ahead of a prospective fight for the Kazakh kingpin’s IBF, WBC and WBA World middleweight titles.
‘GGG’ needs a dance partner for the MGM Grand Las Vegas on 5 May after Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez pulled out of their T-Mobile Arena rematch after failing two drug tests in February.
As reported by The42 last week, 33-year-old Mahon puncher O’Sullivan (27-2, 19KOs) had been earmarked by Golovkin’s team as a potential substitute opponent even prior to the official cancellation of Golovkin-Canelo II.
He remains firmly in the mix for a career-biggest fight and career-best payday, but nothing has been signed, sealed nor delivered quite yet.
“My job as a professional boxer is to say yes to fights and to make sure I’m ready for them. After that it goes to the people who negotiate deals to make the fights possible,” O’Sullivan said in a statement released on social media today.
I’ve said yes to fighting GGG, I’ve been training nonstop since my last fight and now I’m waiting to see if it can be arranged, just like you. I trust my team to do what’s right for me, one way or another.
“As soon as I know what’s going on I will tell you. If I get the opportunity to go in against the best I won’t let you down. I truly believe that it is my destiny to become the world champion.”
— Gary Spike OSullivan (@spike_osullivan) April 4, 2018
O’Sullivan had been tentatively scheduled to face Canelo in September regardless of the soon-to-be suspended Mexican’s result against Golovkin.
The Celtic Warrior-based banger was already deep in preparation for a 4 May bout – also in Las Vegas – which would have served as a de facto eliminator for a hugely lucrative Canelo bout. He may now instead benefit from the 27-year-old’s enforced absence from the sport.
