By Abdi Haid: IBF/IBO/WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin would like nothing better than to face WBC 160lb champ Saul Canelo Alvarez in his next fight in April so that he can get the fight over with and pick up the WBC strap from the catch-weight champion, but Canelo and his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions don’t want the fight with Golovkin yet. The two fighters are supposed to take interim fights in April and May before working out a deal for a fight later this year in September.
Golovkin doesn’t have an opponent for his next fight. That’s a problem. His promoters at K2 couldn’t work out a deal with WBO champ Billy Joe Saunders.
The IBF ordered Golovkin to defend against mandatory Tureano Johnson. He suffered an injury and he won’t be able to take the fight. The IBF has now ordered Golovkin to face unbeaten #3 IBF Dominic Wade (19-0, 12 KOs) next. Golovkin vs. Wade would be a decent fight for April 23 on HBO.
K2 can possibly have Golovkin sidestep the fight against Wade if they come up with a step aside fee. There would need to be someone good enough for Golovkin to bypass the Wade fight, however, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone out there for him. Wade might be as good as it gets.
Wade was last seen battling hard to beat 42-year-old Sam Soliman in 2015. In the eyes of many fans, Soliman won that fight. Wade is the hyped fighter, and he’s reportedly with Al Haymon. It’s not surprising that an old veteran like Soliman would come up short in a fight against a young guy on the rise. Wade doesn’t have much power, he’s easy to hit, and he doesn’t look like a future star. He appears to be a good solid fringe level contender. The IBF has given Wade a high ranking that he arguably doesn’t deserve at this point.
It’s thought that HBO will approve Wade as an opponent. You never know though. It’s a mismatch on paper, and HBO might not be willing to give the green light to a fight that looks to be a non-competitive one. Wade is closer to Willie Monroe Jr. in talent than someone like Chris Eubank Jr. in my view. Wade’s lack of punching power will make it difficult for him to hold Golovkin off for long.
