Golovkin eyes historyagainst Alvarez stand-in

LOS ANGELES, California: Gennady Golovkin will have one eye on history here Saturday (today) as he chases a record-equalling defence of his world middleweight crown in a hastily-arranged showdown with Vanes Martirosyan.

Golovkin can equal Bernard Hopkins’ record of 20 middleweight title defences if he defeats Martirosyan at Los Angeles’s StubHub Center in a bout put together at short notice following the cancellation of the Kazakh’s rematch with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

The 36-year-old Golovkin had been due to battle Alvarez in Las Vegas this weekend, in what was likely to be one of the highlights of the 2018 boxing calendar.

Alvarez’s failed drug test and subsequent suspension by Nevada authorities scuppered that showdown, however, leaving Golovkin with a blank date in his diary that Martirosyan was only too happy to fill.

Martirosyan, who normally fights at light middleweight, will be stepping up a division to face the hard-hitting Golovkin, who is unbeaten through 38 fights, including 33 by knockout.Unsurprisingly, bookmakers have installed Golovkin as a heavy favourite against the 32-year-old Martirosyan, who has 36 wins in 40 fights including 21 by knockout.

If the encounter unfolds as expected, Golovkin will join Hopkins as the only man to successfully defend a middleweight title 20 times.“It will mean a lot, but compared to Bernard Hopkins my record is much bigger,” Golovkin said. “Stronger and bigger. This is a good situation for me and for my fans and that’s it.”

The smart money is on a comfortable victory inside the distance for Golovkin, setting up the prospect of a rescheduled rematch with Alvarez in September. Alvarez will be free to fight later this year once his suspension ends in August.“That would be a new story. Why not?” added Golovkin.

Golovkin’s trainer, the respected veteran Abel Sanchez, believes that if his fighter matches Hopkins’ record, it will be the greater achievement.“If you look at his record he hasn’t had any rematches in there,” Sanchez said.