Golovkin Vacates IBF Middleweight Belt

[Ruthless-RKO]

Gennadiy Golovkin To Relinquish IBF Middleweight Title; Esquiva Falcao First In Line For Vacant Belt

Gennadiy Golovkin is back down to one mandatory challenger.

Boxing Scene has learned that Golovkin has vacated his IBF middleweight title after holding the belt for more than three years. The development comes nearly four months after the two-time unified titlist was ordered to next face unbeaten mandatory challenger Esquiva Falcao.

Next steps weren’t immediately identified as this goes to publication. Standard protocol will call for the IBF to identify the two leading available contenders to fight for the vacant title. At present moment, Brazil’s Falcao (30-0, 20KOs) and Australia’s Michael Zerafa (31-4, 19KOs) are ranked number-one and number-two, respectively.

Kazakhstan’s Golovkin (42-2-1, 37KOs) outpointed Sergiy Derevyanchenko in their October 2019 thriller to regain the vacant IBF middleweight belt. Just two successful defenses followed over a 40-month period—an eighth-round stoppage of previously unbeaten mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta in December 2020; and a ninth-round knockout of Ryoto Murata in their IBF/WBA unification bout last April 9 in Saitama, Japan.

The win over Murata came with an inherited mandatory, as the winner was to be instructed to later face WBA ‘Regular’ middleweight titlist Erislandy Lara in a title consolidation clash.

Golovkin was granted permission to take a fight outside middleweight, where he challenged undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (58-2-2, 39KOs) in their September 17 trilogy clash at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was an unsuccessful venture, as Alvarez claimed a twelve-round, unanimous decision to defend his fully unified championship and went up 2-0-1 in their three-fight series.

Alvarez and Golovkin fought to a controversial draw in their September 2017 lineal/WBA/WBC/IBF middleweight championship. Alvarez earned a twelve-round, majority decision exactly one year later, ending Golovkin’s title reign which dated back to his holding a secondary WBA middleweight title since 2010.

The WBA surfaced less than a week after Golovkin’s repeat loss to Alvarez, when they ordered a Golovkin-Lara title consolidation bout last September 23. The two sides were given 30 days to reach terms but Golovkin used that time to find another loophole when one didn’t exist with the WBA. Instead, he turned to the IBF to have his mandatory with Falcao enforced. The two sanctioning bodies got together and agreed to allow the IBF to go first, with the winner to then face Lara who in the meantime was granted a voluntary defense of his secondary title.

True to present-day form in the middleweight division, the development produced a grand total of zero fights.

Falcao became the mandatory challenger following a technical decision win over Patrice Volny in their November 2021 IBF middleweight title eliminator between unbeaten middleweights. Just one fight has followed, a ten-round decision over Cristian Fabian Rios last May 29 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Lara’s last fight came one day earlier, when he scored an eighth-round knockout of Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan on May 28 in Brooklyn, New York.

The previous ruling permitted Lara an optional defense before the WBA would order a title consolidation bout. It remains unclear if those plans are altered now that the IBF mandatory will no longer take place. An inquiry to the WBA by BS.com seeking clarification wasn’t immediately returned as this goes to publication.

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBA should force their mandatory..

See if GGG will be fighting Lara or not.

There was rumours that he’d be fighting Zerafa in Aus.

Looks like Zerafa could be getting a shot at the IBF belt though.

[DrDuke]

Golovkin finally decided to abandon fighting the lesser opposition and to cashout before the retirement. Good idea. Although the other current 'champions' wouldn't want a part of the oldman, while he looks credible enough.

[apollo creed]

Good for him. No need to be forced to fight lesser opposition. GGG could retire very well or fight Mung or maybe Charla in big money fights.

[apollo creed]

WBA should force their mandatory..

See if GGG will be fighting Lara or not.

There was rumours that he’d be fighting Zerafa in Aus.

Looks like Zerafa could be getting a shot at the IBF belt though.

G should dump that belt too. His name is bigger than that strap.

[Las Vegas boxing guy]

Are we ever going to see a GGG vs Munguia showdown? That's what I want.

[apollo creed]

Are we ever going to see a GGG vs Munguia showdown? That's what I want.

I hope so, maybe in the May of 2023?.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[margaret thatcher]

ya i'd love ggg-mung

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Perseus]

Are we ever going to see a GGG vs Munguia showdown? That's what I want.

If GGG was interested in Munguia it would have already happened.

[margaret thatcher]

Are we ever going to see a GGG vs Munguia showdown? That's what I want.

If GGG was interested in Munguia it would have already happened.

based on what? mung's been into can crushing for a while now, and turned down multiple title shots, including giving up a mandatory spot. especially lately he's been stinking it up, with his last two opponents being jimmy kelly and gonzalo coria while ggg's were unificiation with murata in japan and canelo. geej even at his advanced age has been on a far more ambitious schedule, there's more to suggest he'd face be open to fighting mung than mung would be to fighting him

mung's never had a fight with a top 10 middle, maybe his best opponent was curtis stevens victim taureano johnson. that's some elite level ambition LOL

[apollo creed]

GGG is 41 y/o and he's the money-man at 160. Mung would want this fight because it makes a lot of sense atm.

Its like a cash in for both fighters. Also G is known by the mexican boxing fans. Its the biggest money fight at 160 atm.