BoxRec

This fight is in negotiations for April 23 on HBO.

Both sides say they are willing.

Andy Lee stopped Korobov 1 year ago.
I'd rather have seen Lee in there...

I suppose there aren't many exciting and realistic options, but still, bleh.

stupid fight. Anyone that blames GGG for this one should have their login credentials removed.

Korobov hadn't even occurred to me as a possibility. Garbage fight, HBO should reject it, but of course they won't.

GGG is a blast to watch. But no one can get excited about these types of match ups.
Excluding the chance of Canelo there is not another opponent I care to see in the ring with GGG.
And I honestly do not see it happening in the next 2 years.

So we are stuck with squash matches for now

I would prefer they throw a fighter with an unbeaten record at him and try to sell it that way rather than a fighter who lost, to a fighter who just lost, to a current MW champ...

Have they tried Heiland? Obviously not the greatest either but on good form (recently avenged losses with KO wins; heavily stopped Macklin in a showing of impressive stamina) and with a more entertaining style than Korobov. He also wasn't knocked out two fights ago.

Who are the realistic options (so in other words, ruling out Haymon fighters, opponents GGG beat, Canelo, BJS, etc.)? Anyone suitable who could be brought up or down in weight?

crusader wrote:Have they tried Heiland? Obviously not the greatest either but on good form (recently avenged losses with KO wins; heavily stopped Macklin in a showing of impressive stamina) and with a more entertaining style than Korobov. He also wasn't knocked out two fights ago.

Who are the realistic options?

Lara has called out GGG, though I'm not sure HBO would want to work with Haymon.

Heiland is an option.

Tureano Johnson is injured so he's out.

I guess there's nobody else. Though I don't see why they couldn't call up Lara, Heiland or Andy Lee and at least feel 'em out.

Would Lee be ready in time? Even with the defeat to Saunders he'd still probably be better than anyone else who would realistically take the fight, and I'd much prefer him to Korobov.

Michael Soro? He won the EBU middleweight title about 6 months ago, knocked out Glen Tapia in the US, and doesn't have anything scheduled. His only loss was controversial and to my knowledge he hasn't shown durability problems.

Far from a big name but in my opinion a credible opponent in the circumstances.

crusader wrote:Michael Soro? He won the EBU middleweight title about 6 months ago, knocked out Keith Tapia in the US, and doesn't have anything scheduled. His only loss was controversial and to my knowledge he hasn't shown durability problems.

Far from a big name but in my opinion a credible opponent in the circumstances.

I read the other day he just vacated his EBU title,i thought he might have been in with a shout

I'd take Korobov over BJ Saunders if they were to fight. Still if Lee can stop him, it's hard to imagine him going the distance with GGG.

It's really sad that the MW division is slowly becoming what the HW division once was, a bunch of nobodies unwilling to fight the one or two somebodies in the weight class.

As a boxing fan I'm going to watch it even though we all can predict the outcome but I'd rather be watching GGG finally face someone with a better name.

I don't get why they wouldn't go with Heiland. He's the most credible guy out there (aside from Canelo, Jacobs, and Saunders, none of which are happening) and he can't possibly cost that much.

Division sucks balls. Canelo isn't a middleweight. Please vacate it and go to 168 so we can see some reasonable opponents. DeGale. Andre Dirrell. Either would suffice. Maybe Froch would crawl out of retirement for him. Hell I'd rather see him fight Bute than anyone at 160. Now that Ward is no longer at super middle there's no reason at all to avoid the division. There's nothing for him at 160. Nothing. 168 is also poor without Ward but at least those bigger men could actually challenge him and stand in there with him moreso.

After Saunders and Tureano Johnson are not an option anymore, why he not fight WBC #1 Jorge Sebastian Heiland? Heiland is one helluva fighter and for sure would give GGG all he can handle.

GGG signed an agreement with canelo to allow canelo his cinco de mayo defense
instead of honoring his contract to fight GGG, the WBC manatory challenger. GGG
already let cotto get away with this bitchery for like 2 years by agreeing to step aside.
at this point, i am starting to place much of the blame on GGG. STOP AGREEING TO
STEP ASIDE!! the week after canelo-cotto, the contract was supposed to be signed.
when it wasn't signed, GGG should have straight up held a press conference and told
canelo he was a bitch who doesn't honor his word and won't be allowed to hold GGG's
rightful title any longer and to vacate and hand it over if he won't fight. watch canelo
vacate after that. it would have been the most humiliating thing canelo ever had to
do. let's face it. this is as much GGG's fault as anyone's for continuing to agree to step
aside. watching canelo vacate and flee with his tail between his legs tells the world as
much as a win over him. GGG says taking all the titles is his priority, which is a good
strategy as the big fight will come when he has set up the bottleneck pointing directly
at him, but he keeps taking step aside money with the hopes of big money fights down
the road which turn out to be mirages. with the WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO, GGG could have
then found someone in the WBO rankings who is also in the rankings of his other titles
and fought him for the WBO intercontinental and become the WBO mandatory challenger,
while satisfying defenses of the others at the same time. he should probably call the WBO
right now and work on that to ensure by the end of the year he adds both the WBC and WBO.
he needs to stop stepping aside in the hopes these bitches are going to fight him later, and
just collect all the titles. with all the titles, every fight becomes a ppv and he won't need to
chase opponents.

IMO not a bad fight

diddy wrote:Division sucks balls. Canelo isn't a middleweight. Please vacate it and go to 168 so we can see some reasonable opponents. DeGale. Andre Dirrell. Either would suffice. Maybe Froch would crawl out of retirement for him. Hell I'd rather see him fight Bute than anyone at 160. Now that Ward is no longer at super middle there's no reason at all to avoid the division. There's nothing for him at 160. Nothing. 168 is also poor without Ward but at least those bigger men could actually challenge him and stand in there with him moreso.

Canelo is a MW for all intents and purposes. He and Golovkin are damn near the same exact weight in the ring.

Well Korobov > Johnson AT LEAST.

But as many stated above I would also prefer lee since Saunders doesnt want to fight.. Golovkin will add another Former World champ on his resume.

Aaronide_ger wrote:Well Korobov > Johnson AT LEAST.

But as many stated above I would also prefer lee since Saunders doesnt want to fight.. Golovkin will add another Former World champ on his resume.

Who has Korobov beaten that's better than Johnson. Neither has any real noteable wins

world ranked wrote:

Aaronide_ger wrote:Well Korobov > Johnson AT LEAST.

But as many stated above I would also prefer lee since Saunders doesnt want to fight.. Golovkin will add another Former World champ on his resume.

Who has Korobov beaten that's better than Johnson. Neither has any real noteable wins

Jose Uzcategui is miles better than anyone Johson has beaten (His best win is Okane)

Jose Uzcategui is the IBF Mandatory challenger who just beat undefeated Julius Jackson

Aaronide_ger wrote:

world ranked wrote:

Aaronide_ger wrote:Well Korobov > Johnson AT LEAST.

But as many stated above I would also prefer lee since Saunders doesnt want to fight.. Golovkin will add another Former World champ on his resume.

Who has Korobov beaten that's better than Johnson. Neither has any real noteable wins

Jose Uzcategui is miles better than anyone Johson has beaten (His best win is Okane)

Jose Uzcategui is the IBF Mandatory challenger who just beat undefeated Julius Jackson

I agree Uzacategui is better than any Johnson opponent but Uzacategui or Korovbov vs Johnson to me are even fights right now.

uzcategui fighting de gale
heiland a good option but not known in the US
korobov has amateur win against gig need to verify that but he was 2 time am world champ so very sellable also they want to cash out.
embank jr could be viable also.
there is derychenko, khrtov, magomedov, antoine douglas.
all too green but could still get a shot