By Norm Frauenheim-

CARSON, Calif. — Going the distance with Gennady Golovkin is a dead end.

That, at least, is big part of the sales pitch for GGG’s starring role in a Cinco De Mayo bout that is still an annual rite despite Canelo Alvarez’ withdrawal and subsequent six-month suspension for two positive PED tests in February.

The Fiesta has moved west, from Las Vegas to StubHub Center at Carson, Calif. The opponent has changed too, Vanes Martiroysan instead of Canelo. But, make no mistake, the story is about GGG, who is a little bit older and angrier than the friendly face who once was known for saying “Big Drama Show.’’

The GGG smile is still there. But mention Canelo and a grin once considered cute suddenly looks menacing. He has no patience for the rival middleweight. He doesn’t believe Canelo when he says he tested positive for Clenbuterol because of eating meat the Mexican says he didn’t know was tainted with the banned substance.

Inevitably, the Canelo question has been asked. There really is no other question, at least not in the two-and-half weeks promoters had to stage the HBO bout at a new location and against a different opponent. Time has been a challenge, also the biggest one of all for GGG, a fighter entering middle age and furiously pursuing a legacy. In Canelo, perhaps, he sees a fighter who has stood in his way, first with judging that he called “terrible” in a Las Vegas draw last September and now with a PED suspension.

There are moments when GGG’s frustration flares. These days, it’s as if it is always there, a little bit like that grin was. And, for the most part, still is. Hard to blame him. He’s 36, an age when most fighters are beginning to exit their prime. He doesn’t want to be kept waiting for any reason. He can’t afford it. Finances are just one factor.

According to multiple sources, he is guaranteed close to $3 million for Martirosyan, a capable junior middleweight who is moving up to 160 pounds after a couple of years of inactivity. That’s a fraction of the $15 million GGG reportedly got for last September’s draw. There were reports he could have collected $20 million for a rematch originally scheduled for Saturday. Now, there’s talk that the Canelo rematch will happen on September 15.

But most of that talk is coming from Canelo’s Golden Boy promoters. GGG continues to throw cold water on the possibility. He did so again this week when he told Yahoo there was only a 10 percent chance the rematch will happen. Guess here: He’s already negotiating. He wants to make Canelo pay, both financially and in the ring.

In the ring, at least, the rematch has emerged as the one fight fans want to see, in part because GGG seems to be saying that he intends to punish Canelo in what would be defining moment for the Kazak.

That brings us back to what GGG promoter Tom Loeffler and trainer Abel Sanchez have been saying about him.

“Once you go twelve rounds with Golovkin, you are never going to be the same,’’ Sanchez said Monday during an international conference call.

It was a comment that Sanchez made when asked about Danny Jacobs, who won a decision over Polish middleweight Maciej Sulecki in Brooklyn last Saturday. Jacobs is 2-0 since losing a 12-round unanimous decision to GGG in March 2017. Sanchez said he has seen a decline in Jacobs since the 12-round battle with GGG.

“It’s not only Jacobs,’’ Sanchez said. “If you go back to (David) Lemieux, to (Curtis) Stevens, to (Dominic) Wade, to Willie Monroe, they are never the same. (Martin) Murray, also. They are never the same after they go rounds with Gennady.’’

The danger in all of this, however, is that GGG often looks as is if he’s not exactly who he was anymore, either. He took a lot of punches against Jacobs in a bout that some thought Jacobs won. Bruising, often an early symptom of aging in a fighter, has been evident.

Against Martirosyan, GGG is expected to win easily. But Martirosyan, who fought at the 2004 Olympics when GGG won a silver medal, is clever. He knows his way around the ring. He might not win, which is another way of saying he doesn’t have much to lose.

Going the distance against GGG would be victory for Martirosyan. But don’t expect it, not in a bout that looks a lot like the first step in his angry plan to add Canelo to a Sanchez list that already includes Jacobs, Lemieux, Stevens, Wade, Monroe and Murray.

LONDON (3 May, 2018) – Pound-for-pound star Gennady Golovkin’s ring return this Saturday night against Vanes Martirosyan will be shown live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The unified middleweight world champion Golovkin will put his WBC and WBA belts on the line against the man known as ‘The Nightmare’ at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

The bout was quickly arranged following the suspension of Golovkin’s Mexican nemesis Canelo Alvarez after he tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol which saw their eagerly anticipated Las Vegas rematch cancelled.

Now, though, live and exclusive on BoxNation, UK and Ireland boxing fans will be able to see one of the sport’s most exhilarating fighters in action this weekend as he looks to defend his middleweight titles successfully for the 20th time, a feat previously accomplished only by Hall-of-Famer Bernard Hopkins.

Despite going in as the underdog against the Kazakh, 31-year-old Martirosyan has already shared the ring with some accomplished names including Erislandy Lara and Jermell Charlo and will be seeking a title for the third time.

“Vanes Martirosyan is now the most important fight of my career. He has my respect, and I have been training hard to defend my titles against him,” Golovkin said. “I am happy to be fighting at the StubHub Center because they have great boxing fans. I will give my fans another big drama show.”

“Gennady has had such a terrific training camp in Big Bear. It wouldn’t be fair to him to let it go to waste just because Canelo was being punished,” Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez added. “Gennady is going to light up Cinco De Mayo as only a true Mexican-style fighter can. I can’t wait to unleash him.”

Even though he will be moving up to 160-pounds for the first time, the younger Martirosyan believes it will be a huge boost for him going into the fight.

“I always fought better at higher weight classes,” Martirosyan said. “Whenever there was a catchweight in my career, I always did better. So I think it’s going be good because I don’t have to kill myself to make weight.”

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “Gennady Golovkin always guarantees excitement and devastating knockout power. We are very pleased to be showcasing him once again live and exclusive on BoxNation this Saturday night against Vanes Martirosyan. Martirosyan might be seen as the underdog but many times in the past we have seen fighters written off and underestimated only for them to produce a shock. Golovkin cannot be careless going into this fight but no matter how it plays out he is sure to produce fireworks that will have fans on the edge-of-their-seats.”

BoxNation is available on Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/EE/Apple TV/ online at watch.boxnation.com, via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon) and TV Player for just £12 a month. Buy now at boxnation.com.

– ENDS –

About BoxNation

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated boxing channel. From £12* per month with no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Canelo vs Golovkin.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.427), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), TV Player, online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon, Apple TV). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

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It’s a night for the record books when HBO Sports presents WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS. VANES MARTIROSYAN AND CECILIA BRAEKHUS VS. KALI REIS, to be seen SATURDAY, MAY 5 at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will call the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Undefeated middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, now living in Los Angeles, takes on Vanes Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs) from Abovyan, Armenia, now living in Glendale, Calif., in a 12-round championship bout.

Golovkin, 36, looks to defend his middleweight title successfully for the 20th time, a feat previously accomplished only by surefire Hall-of-Famer Bernard Hopkins. Despite battling Canelo Alvarez to a stirring 12-round draw last September, Golovkin boasts an astonishing 87% knockout-to-win ratio. He’s coming off back-to-back efforts against Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs, perhaps the finest opponents in the 160-pound division.

Martirosyan, 31, is moving from the super welterweight division to 160 pounds to challenge “GGG,” and will be seeking a title for the third time.

Both fighters were amateur standouts who appeared in the 2004 Olympic Games, with Martirosyan representing his adopted nation of America, while Golovkin won a silver medal for Kazakhstan. Boasting a combined pro record of 73-3-2, 54 KOs, Golovkin and Martirosyan have a 94% winning percentage.

The opening bout marks the first women’s boxing match on HBO, with Cecilia Braekhus of Cartagena, Colombia (32-0, 9 KOs) meeting Kali Reis (13-6-1, 4 KOs) from Providence, RI, in a ten-round welterweight title bout. Braekhus seeks to extend her nine-year world championship reign in her 22nd consecutive title defense.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

LOS ANGELES (May 1, 2018) — This week, undefeated World Middleweight Champion, boxing superhero and the new Cinco De Mayor GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN returns to HBO and a Southern California boxing ring for the first time in over two years! Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan and boxing’s longest-reigning world champion (since 2010) will attempt to add his name to the history books when he makes his 20th consecutive and record-tying title defense. The man standing in his way will be two-time world title challenger VANES “THE NIGHTMARE ” MARTIROSYAN (36-3-1, 21 KOs), from Glendale, Calif. The 2004 Olympians collide Saturday, May 5, under the stars at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. The Golovkin vs. Martirosyan middleweight title fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. The HBO telecast will open with the CECILIA BRAEKHUS vs. KALI REIS World Female Welterweight Championship rumble. It is the first time HBO has televised a women’s bout live.

VANES MARTIROSYAN: We are very blessed to have this opportunity. We can’t wait – this is what we dream about having a fight like this. I am just so excited and every day I have a big smile on my face. I will get to show the world where I belong in this sport. I finally get a guy that wants to fight and come forward. Other fights I have had with fighters running away not wanting to engage. It’s a perfect fight for Cinco de Mayo because it is going to be two guys — Mexican-Style fighters — going head to head. It will be a perfect show for the boxing fans. They are going to enjoy this fight on the night.

How has it been for you the last couple of weeks once you took the fight? Has the backlash given you motivation?

VANES MARTIROSYAN: We are in the gym every day, whether we are boxing or doing strength work with Jesse Forbes — we are there every day — so when fights kept falling out we were getting depressed, because we were happy training for fights, then fighters were pulling out. When we got information about this fight being GGG’s next fight, we’re excited and so happy to get to work. Nothing but happiness and everything in camp has been going great. We went to SNAC for a week with Victor Conte and we trained up there then we came back. Everything is good. I have no excuses. People talk about taking the fight on short notice but we are ready. You could wake me up in my sleep and I am ready to fight. I’ve been doing this since I was seven years old. We have been waiting for an opportunity like this and we are happy that Tom Loeffler and GGG that they accepted it and so did we and we are going to put on a great show on the 5th.

How did it help you staying in the gym? Many guys say they do but really don’t.

VANES MARTIROSYAN: We were supposed to fight in June and then it was March – March 17, I was supposed to fight Sulecki and he pulled out. Then they told me I was fighting March 29, then it was April 9 – guys just kept falling out and we just stayed in the gym. When we got the call for the fight they asked me if I could be 176 by Thursday or Friday and I weighed in that day at 174 or 175 that day. One week before the fight we came in at 167 so we are in shape and we are good to go. My trainer Edmund always tells me ‘fight or no fight, stay in the gym and stay sharp. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a fight.’ I know some fighters when they don’t have a fight they just stay home chillin’ till they get the call to go in the gym. When you’ve done it for such a long time you get tired of training. The good thing about my team is fight or no fight – go to the gym for 30 or 40 minutes even if you’re going to watch sparring – we are always in the gym and always around boxing. We were happy to get the call and ready to go on the 5th.

VANES MARTIROSYAN: When we signed for the fight I need to be 176 lbs. a couple days after but I was already there. It was the WBC 30-day weigh-in and I stepped on a scale and I was 176 and then last week I weighed in at 167, so the weight has been good.

TOM LOEFFLER: That we had the WBC 30-day weigh-in requirement of a maximum of 176 lbs. – it was actually less than 30-days the day Vanes had signed. Two days after he signed he got on the scale and was under the weight.

Was there a point where you thought you might not fight on May 5th?

TOM LOEFFLER: I would have to say there were at least four different occasions when we thought we couldn’t save the May 5 date. It was really because Gennady was insistent on fighting May 5. He felt that just because Canelo wasn’t available or was suspended there was no reason why he shouldn’t fight. Then there was a long litany of different things that happened, from the date of May 5 being released at a very late stage in Las Vegas, for us to request a new date moving from T-Mobile to MGM, then a couple days later MGM saying, ‘look, this is too late of a date to effectively promote a fight at the big arena,’ and we literally didn’t have a signed agreement with an opponent at that time. There were names that we went through, and I have to say I can’t compliment Vanes and his team enough for had he not signed the contract in two or three days HBO would have said ‘this is too late for us to effectively promote and market a fight on HBO.’ To be clear, Vanes is the No. 1 rated WBC and there is a reason – some people point to the fact he hasn’t fought for two years but he was ready, willing and able – there were three different fights that fell out, and Don King had chronicled that he was ready to fight the opponents. Vanes was ready and he was the leading available contender and he is local here in the Los Angeles area. He has huge support form the Armenian community here and was very effective in doing interviews. How many champions do you know that would go to the challenger’s gym? That’s how much respect GGG has for Vanes and his trainer Edmund that we went to Vanes’ gym to do the media day. There is a lot of respect on both sides and this event was really saved by HBO agreeing to show this fight. It is a historic moment for Cecilia Braekhus being the first female boxer on HBO and we just think it’s going to be a great Cinco De Mayo event all the way around for the fans both at StubHub and on HBO.

Are there concerns of GGG being frustrated?

TOM LOEFFLER: This is a very unique situation not only on the promotional side but also on the training side. Luckily Abel runs a very professional training camp. Gennady is real disciplined. It was really me working the late nights worrying and trying to figure out a solution on how we would save the date. Gennady just kept training and sparring and he’s focused but he was frustrated when Canelo first announced the positive test. He was extremely frustrated and disappointed when people were saying why this fight wasn’t happening in Las Vegas – Gennady was the person most affected by this because he had been training for the biggest fight in the sport of boxing then it was a big shock wave that came with the test. He is a professional and he wants to fight and if he is successful on Saturday he’ll tie the middleweight record that Bernard Hopkins set at 20 defenses and it is a very momentous occasion for his career. He is giving Vanes a huge opportunity – one of the biggest platforms that Vanes will be performing on HBO against arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. This is a huge opportunity for Vanes being extremely frustrated for not getting a fight for over two years now on the biggest stage in his hometown no less – it was the solution to save the Cinco de Mayo date for the fans.

If he does get the victory do you believe he will fight Canelo in September? Do you plan to fight Canelo next?

TOM LOEFFLER: That’s hard to project – everyone on our side is focusing on May 5. Whatever happens after that – I’ll tell you one thing, if GGG is not successful we won’t be talking about a Canelo rematch and Vanes is elevated instantaneously to the top of the sport of boxing. No one is overlooking this fight. This is a very dangerous fight. Vanes is from here and he is accomplished. GGG and Vanes know each other from the amateurs and in the Olympics in 2004. GGG tabbed Vanes as the best US representative on that team. Anyone that is familiar with Vanes’ career – he had a draw with Lara and a controversial loss to Charlo, he dropped Andrade in the first round – all world class fighters and this is a huge opportunity for someone that is as hungry and motivated as Vanes. This is a huge opportunity for him and that’s why no one can overlook this fight coming up on Saturday.

What kind of changes in training have you had to make to now prepare for GGG?

VANES MARTIROSYAN: Edmund is my head trainer and we have been training for fights so when we got the fight all I had to do – we went to SNAC – and that’s where Danny Jacobs was while he prepared for GGG – so we went there for about a week and a half training in the high altitude and we came back down here with Jesse Forbes – a great strength and conditioning coach, so we just got ready for Golovkin – we are fighters and styles do make fights and I think that GGG’s style and mine fit very well. I just want to see where I belong in the sport. I never had the opportunity to show. . I can honestly say, and I promise you guys that this is the first time of my life in camp that I have been so happy with my trainers, with my strength trainers – everybody’s working together and nobody is arguing about anything. The good thing about Edmund is he is like a friend, like a brother we are family. When you see how Gennady is with Abel and his team with Tom – they are a class act and for the first time in my life everyone is so classy – everybody is together, working together rather than people trying to take control over things. Right now I am in the gym sweating my butt off and that’s why I was a little bit late to this call, and I apologize for that, and I just want to say one thing about Golovkin and Tom and his camp – this is the first time in my life that I have seen gentlemen and everything has been so classy with everything – with the promotion and the press and everybody. There is no cursing trying to promote the fight – everybody knows how big this fight is for me and for GGG – he’s going for a record and I’m also going for a record – to beat the baddest man on the planet – just the thought of that alone is amazing.

What was the reaction of your fan base when they heard about this fight?

VANES MARTIROSYAN: All of my fans in Glendale were so excited. But I do have to say that most of my fans are also GGG fans.

And your wife . . .

VANES MARTIROSYAN: Well I do have to clear that up. We were watching fights ago and I asked my wife – who do you like besides me? I didn’t even know I was getting the GGG fight this was 4 or 5 weeks ago. She said ‘you obviously, there is no one else.’ And I said ‘no, you have to pick someone.’ My wife is actually Asian and she said ‘the Korean guy’ and I didn’t know who she was talking about. She said Gennady the guy is so nice and I said, yes, I think GGG is part Asian also, if I’m not mistaken. She likes guys that are humble. I think people took it the wrong way.

The fan reaction of you fighting GGG?

VANES MARTIROSYAN: I get messages from my fans saying ‘we are GGG fans but we are supporting you for this fight.’ All of the Armenians are big fans of GGG – I’m also a fan of GGG – the guy is a killer, he’s a good fighter and people respect that. The part I respect about him most is that he’s a clean fighter and he does everything straight – he doesn’t try to dodge anything and he’s a gentleman. He goes in there and he does his job and he gets out of there. There’s no yelling or hollering ‘I’m the baddest man in the world.’ Actions speak louder than words and he has proven that.

How are ticket sales going?

TOM LOEFFLER: Ticket sales are going well. We have the bleachers set up and we added some $100 tickets, as a Fight Week Special, a category that had been sold out previously. GGG had set the ticket sales record at StubHub so we expect with the popularity of Vanes and his fan base here in Los Angeles that we are going to break that record and we are going to have a full house of May 5. The floor seats are mostly gone and the second price category. There is no bad seat in the StubHub Center – even the bleachers are close to the ring. We expect a great crowd and everyone will be celebrating on Cinco de Mayo. The Tecate Fan Fest goes from 3-7 pm – HBO starts at 8 pm PT / 11 pm ET. We have a tremendous undercard which will be announced shortly so it’s going to be and we are looking forward to a great weekend for the Southern California boxing fans.

Edmund, can you tell us why Vanes will beat GGG on Saturday?

EDMUND TARVERDYAN: Well I can’t really give away how we are going to beat GGG but I have worked with Vanes and guys like Vic Darchinyan. I took Ronda Rousey up to Abel’s gym and he was so nice to us for a couple of camps and I watched GGG spar. Inside information from a person that knows Gennady, I actually followed his career before he turned professional, and before he came to the United States and I told people like Dana White that there was a fighter you should keep your eye on and Dana White became a fan of his. We went up there for two camps and Abel gave us a key to the gym and I got to train with GGG and Ronda and I understand him very well and I know what it takes to beat him but it’s not an easy puzzle to solve – he’s a great fighter and Vanes is ready. Vanes has movement and speed – he is quicker than GGG and younger and hungrier and that night he is going to show his skill. Vanes moves very well and people that count him out shouldn’t be doing that because if you know boxing, you have Amir Khan who doesn’t have a chin fights somebody like Canelo and gives Canelo a hard time until he gets caught. Amir was ahead at the time on the cards then Canelo gives Gennady a good fight and GGG won with his jab, but Canelo gave Gennady a good fight. Now Amir started at lightweight and Vanes is a big 154-pounder and Gennady is a small 160-pounder. Two days ago he weighed 162 and Vanes is bigger than him. So I am very confident that Vanes and GGG are going to have a great fight.

Vanes, can you tell us why you will win on Saturday night . . .

VANES MARTIROSYAN: The hunger, you know, and being out of the ring for so long. I love boxing with all my heart and all we do every day is just wake up every morning, go online and read boxing news. I’ve just been hoping and waiting for this opportunity and I can honestly say this will be the best version of me. A lot of people see me as my nickname “Nightmare” and they don’t really know how I got that name. I didn’t pick that name – that name was given to me when I fought Timothy Bradley. I’m the last guy he lost to before he turned professional. I beat Austin Trout three times, I beat Andre Berto and the fans gave that name to me. They were like ‘I don’t know who this kid is but he’s like a nightmare.’ At one of my fights someone yelled ‘the Armenian Nightmare’ through the crowd and that’s how that name stuck with me. This fight is going to be a nightmare. We are trying to beak our record, he’s trying to break a record and the StubHub is going to break a record. I’m trying to break a record by becoming the middleweight champion of the world. For the Armenian’s and for all fans it’s going to be a great fight.

TOM LOEFFLER: There will be no running on Cinco de Mayo. Both of these guys are going to give the fans a great show. There will be fireworks in the ring. I know Edmund doesn’t train Vanes to be defensive or to run around the ring like you’ve seen from some of GGG’s past opponents. I think both guys are going to put on a tremendous show for the fans.

VANES MARTIROSYAN: Most of GGG’s opponents – when they got into the ring they already lost. They already thought about the power before they got in the ring and they fought defensive. Gennady is a monster and the he hits really hard. So they got in the ring scared and I don’t get in the ring scared. I am going to do my thing, just go in there and have fun to see where I belong in this sport and to see what this man is about. I never turn down fights. If you look at my last five fights – Andrade, Ishe Smith, Charlo, Lara and Alberto Lorenzo – those are just my last five fights. I don’t back down from anyone. I take all fights and this is another one and you are going to see the best of me.

Do you consider it an advantage that you will be the bigger guy in the ring?

VANES MARTIROSYAN: I always fought better at higher weight classes. Whenever there was a catch-weight in my career I always did better. I think it’s going to be good because I don’t have to kill myself to make 154. I remember when I fought Lara they day before the weigh-in I was 162 and I had to cut eight pound to make 154 – 24 hours before the weigh-in. At times I had trouble making 154 but I always made it – the struggle is like that for all fighters. For a short camp like this it is perfect. The weight is good and everything is good and I can’t wait to rock and roll. I’m strong at 160. I might be bigger and I think 160 is a great weight class for me and I’m going to be there for awhile I think.

In Closing . . .

EDMUND TARVERDYAN: I want to thank Tom and Abel and Gennady for this opportunity and also Don King, Vanes’ promoter and thanks to everyone doing the interviews.

VANES MARTIROSYAN: Thanks to everyone for doing these interviews and Tom and Gennady and HBO and Don King thank you and remember there is not a bad seat in the house. I have been there to see Bradley fight Provodnikov and Rios – Alvarado and they are always good shows. It’s good for boxing and there is not a bad seat in the house. Big drama show!

GENNADY GOLOVKIN: I feel very comfortable. I kept saying ‘Tom, Tom, get me a fight on May 5th.” Cinco de Mayo day.

What would it mean to you to tie the middleweight defense record held by Bernard Hopkins?

GENNADY GOLOVKIN: It will mean a lot but compared to Bernard Hopkins my record is much bigger. – Stronger and bigger. This is a good situation for me and for my fans and that’s it.

What does tying the record mean to you?

GENNADY GOLOVKIN: It is numbers. Only numbers.

Do you have plans to break the record after the fight whether it be against Canelo or someone else?

GENNADY GOLOVKIN: That would be a new story. You know, maybe. Why not?

TOM LOEFFLER: I think it’s bigger for everyone on the team like Abel Sanchez and myself we understand the historic perspective of what Gennady has accomplished in his career and could potentially accomplish on Saturday and be successful in another title defense. He just wanted to fight. He told me he didn’t care who and he didn’t care where just ‘I want to fight on Cinco de Mayo,’ and that was my job. He’s just focused on his training and winning on Saturday and anything else that comes after that is what he feels the fans and the media want to see.

Abel, how do you feel about tying the record?

ABEL SANCHEZ: I think it’s great for his history and for boxing history. If you look at his record he hasn’t had any rematches in there. Everybody he fought has been a new opponent. The great Bernard Hopkins fought twice against Echols and three times against Robert Allen. We are fighting new guys every time. By tying it and if he decides to stay at middleweight and break the record in the future is great for boxing history and good for historians to look back upon.

Have you noticed any difference in the way he has approached his training since he is not fighting Canelo?

ABEL SANCHEZ: The disappointment was only for a couple of hours then he got right back in the gym and continued to work. You have to understand this opponent (Vanes) here was training – he was training for a fight against Sulecki, who just fought Daniel Jacobs and gave Daniel Jacobs a very difficult fight – those two guys were set to fight each other in the near future and Sulecki decided to fight Jacobs and Vanes is fighting us. These are two very good fighters. Vanes is rated No. 1 by the WBC and for a couple years nobody wanted to fight him because he’s too much of a threat. Sulecki fought Jacobs and gave him all he could handle. I think we are fighting a guy that is not only rated highly but has only three losses against elite fighters at 154 but if Vanes gives us the kind of fight that Sulecki gave Danny Jacobs we are all going to be treated to a great night.

Do you plan to defend the IBF belt?

TOM LOEFFLER: The IBF did grant our request for an exception and we are in the process of clarifying some of those conditions because there was some uncertainty on those. We are dealing with that on our side and Gennady and Abel are completely focused on getting in the ring on Saturday.

Vanes has never been stopped and you have gone 12 rounds in your last couple of fights – are you going for a KO?

GENNADY GOLOVKIN: This is boxing. Nobody knows. If he gives me a chance to stop him, I will stop him. If not, then I don’t. This is boxing. If we exchange punches and I hurt him, then it can happen.

How soon do you plan to fight if you are successful on Saturday night?

GENNADY GOLOVKIN: After this fight we will look at the situation – the situation in the middleweight division. I know my second step will be what’s better for boxing and better for us.

How important was it for you to keep Gennady active on this date?

ABEL SANCHEZ: We had already been in the gym for about a month when we got the news about Canelo. I didn’t want to waste that month and when Tom sat down with Gennady and me, he promised us he was going to try and keep the May 5 date together and get us a fight and he promised it would be a right-hander so we could continue to work like we were fighting Canelo. We knew it was going to be an elite fighter – we knew it was going to be someone at the top, so this guy’s a little taller than Canelo but he is still an elite fighter. We stayed focused and tried not to lose that concentration while training to be prepared for the 5th.

ABEL SANCHEZ: The fans have been asking for his activity like it used to be. It used to be we fight three or four times a year and the fans got to see him whether it was at StubHub or overseas and the questions I get from a lot of fans is why isn’t he fighting often like he was before. We wanted to make sure we didn’t have two fights per year like we have been having and Gennady made sure that Tom understood that he wants to keep a more active schedule. Obviously we are concentrating on the 5thbut hopefully we fight again in September and then December. That way the fans get to see him more. He just turned 36 on April 8th and we may not have him for that many more years so let’s enjoy as many fights as we can for as long as we can.

How difficult was it to move from HBO Pay-Per-View to HBO?

TOM LOEFFLER: HBO has a packed schedule of premium programming and everyone was planning on an HBO Pay-Per-View fight. There was not boxing slated on the HBO network for May 5 and going off the pay-per-view platform, then we had to create a slot on the HBO network. We give a lot of thanks to Peter Nelson for supporting GGG and his desire to continue to fight on that date. The easiest thing for HBO to say would have been let’s postpone it for a month and put him on in June but that totally messes up Gennady’s schedule as Abel said, both from a training standpoint and having turned 36 he wants to get in the ring as soon as possible and as often as possible. He is a unified champion and has a lot of responsibilities and has been one of the most active champions in boxing. When you get bogged down with a Danny Jacobs fight, which took four months to negotiate, and everything got pushed back from a December date to a March date, then you have negotiations with Canelo. If it were up to Gennady he would fight three or four times a year. He knows one punch can change a career, and you don’t know. So fight as much as possible. He is the most entertaining boxer today and he trains to put on a good show even if that means taking some punches to throw more back. He’s sold out the last eight arenas he has fought in. It’s a huge opportunity for the HBO subscribers to see him. Most fighters, once they make the successful transition to HBO Pay-Per-View, they don’t go back. Having sold over one million pay-per-view buys against Canelo – having this fight at StubHub Center is a Cinco de Mayo present for the boxing fans, and to see Cecilia Braekhus in the first female bout on HBO along with the rest of the undercard fights.

How important is activity to the success of Gennady’s career?

ABEL SANCHEZ: I think the activity is more for fan appreciation than it is for his career. We’ve gotten to the point now where he is an established star. The chance to see him in a place like StubHub in an arena where every seat is a great seat and then to be on regular HBO I think it is a present, like Tom said. Hopefully we can do a Cinco de Mayo fight next year, and September and that way the fans can continue to watch this star for another couple three years.

You have a very close relationship. How do you keep that separate from preparing for fights?

ABEL SANCHEZ: The great thing about working with an athlete that has an amateur pedigree coming from the Kazak system – it is easy to separate the gym, the fight and our personal life. We have to be very professional when we are preparing him and professional when we are taking him into the ring. When we start allowing emotions to get in the way, that’s when we start to make mistakes, not just for the coaches but for the fighters too. We have to make sure we treat this as a sport and make sure we treat this in a manner that we have to prepare to be the best that we can be on that night. The emotion is after and the emotion is when we are not in training camp. Yes, we have bonded very well but it is my job to make sure that I look after his best interests and that means not being an emotional coach.

Do you think having Cecilia Braekhus on HBO will pave the way for more women?

TOM LOEFFLER: This is a huge opportunity not only for Cecilia but also for women’s boxing. Originally it was going to be Chocolatito as the co-feature, which was one of the great combinations in boxing – he is such an exciting dramatic fighter and a pioneer for the flyweight and super flyweight divisions and responsible for opening a door and creating the super flyweight series that we’ve done with HBO. Unfortunately, due to the political unrest in Nicaragua, Chocolatito was unable to get his Visa in time to be here for fight week. That scenario opened the door for Cecilia. She was originally set to be on the pay-per-view. She sells out 10,000 seat arenas in Norway and does big television ratings, which is a big part of the pay-per-view international telecast. She is the only undisputed in the sport of boxing. She is the only boxer that has one more belt than GGG has. It’s ironic that Edmund is training Vanes because the UFC had told Edmund, who trains Ronda, that there would never be a women’s bout in the UFC and she eventually became the UFC’s biggest star. I think that Cecilia has that personality to be a star and she’s fighting a tough customer, Kali Reis, a former middleweight champion and she’s coming down to challenge Cecilia for all the belts.

Can you tell me some strengths and weaknesses of Vanes?

ABEL SANCHEZ: In looking at some of the tapes, I have followed him since I have other fighters at 154. The strange thing about Gennady is that everybody that fights Gennady has to adapt to what Gennady does. So no matter what Vanes has done in the past against other fighters, he won’t be able to do that against Gennady, he’s got to adapt to what Gennady is going to bring into the ring. He will never be the same after this fight. None of the fighters that Gennady has fought were ever the same. Jacobs looked terrible in his last fight. Why? Because he went twelve rounds with Golovkin. I always prepare my guys to be the best they can be and the other guy is going to have to adapt to them. Obviously we know that he has a very good right hand. He’s taller than Gennady. He’s probably going to be a little faster at the beginning because he is a junior middleweight. He has decent punching power. If I try to formulate what he is going to bring to the table, it would change after he gets hit with the first shot. We are looking for the elite fighter that Vanes is but we are going to take it to him and if he comes forward the fans are going to be treated to a great fight. It’s not a matter of giving away the game plan it is a matter of what Vanes is willing to expose and what he is willing to put himself through in a fight.

Have you been surprised by the negative backlash, because he is a pretty good fighter?

ABEL SANCHEZ: I am very surprised because Vanes was supposed to fight the guy that just fought Jacobs and he gave Jacobs all he could handle. Jacobs is probably one of the top three middleweights in the world and Sulecki was hitting him with shots maybe he shouldn’t have hit him with. When people are badmouthing Vanes you have to realize these two guys were supposed to fight each other prior to Sulecki choosing to fight Jacobs and Vanes deciding to fight Gennady. Vanes is rated No. 1 in the WBC and his losses are to the guys that are also in line to fight Golovkin. Andrade put his hat in the ring when Canelo fell out. Lara has been asking for Golovkin for how long? One of the Charlo’s has been asking for Golovkin. For this guy to want to step up and make this fight in two and a half weeks, you have to give him credit, one, that he took the fight, and two, that he thinks he can win. It’s an opportunity to make history.

Gennady, what do you know about Vanes?

GENNADY GOLOVKIN: He is a good fighter. I remember him in 2004 in a couple of fights and he was good. He has a very strong chin and he is a little taller and has a longer reach and me. He has a lot of good experience. He has fought a lot of good boxers. I know my style and it matches up good with his but my style is much more interesting.

Abel, does Vanes height propose a problem?

ABEL SANCHEZ: No, Gennady likes to chop down trees.

Would you try to unify against Saunders or a Canelo rematch?

TOM LOEFFLER: It all depends on what happens May 5. I always try to look forward but these days everything is so convoluted with Canelo’s suspension – he said he is ready to fight September 15; Gennady does have responsibilities for mandatories; it’s been his dream to unify the division. We have tried to make a fight with Billy Joe Saunders a couple of times and that’s how the whole Kell brook fight came to be because we wanted to fight Saunders in the UK and they couldn’t do it then it went to Eubank then wound up with Brook. It’s always been Gennady’s dream to be undisputed.

Do you think GGG will go to the body more against Vanes? It didn’t happen much versus Canelo . . .

ABEL SANCHEZ: We make an attempt to but it takes two to tango. If the guy is running away like Canelo was it is difficult to land those body shots. He hit Canelo with a body shot in the fourth or fifth round and Kenny Bayless admonished him for hitting him in the back – Canelo turned his back while he was running away and got hit with a shot. But Canelo is also known as a body puncher and he didn’t throw any body punches. The styles have to mesh together and the two guys have to be willing to make a fight of it and in that instance, unfortunately, Canelo fought completely different than he fought the forty times before.

Have you noticed a difference in Jacobs in his two fights since he fought Gennady?

ABEL SANCHEZ: It’s not only Jacobs. If you go back to Lemieux, to Stevens, to Wade, to Willie Monroe, they are never the same. Murray also. They are never the same after they go rounds with Gennady. Jacobs was supposed to demolish Arias and he had a difficult time with him, which was his first fight after Gennady and now the fight with Sulecki he looked terrible. He gets hit with everything in the book and the reason being, in my opinion, is once you go twelve rounds with Golovkin you are never going to be the same.

TOM LOEFFLER: We are happy to have these two men on. Gennady is making a record-tying consecutive middleweight title defense, and Vanes, who is young, hungry and has one of the biggest opportunities in the sport of boxing – to collect multiple titles in one fight. We have the best male boxer in the sport, the best female boxer in the sport, all on the same HBO show. That’s a lot of championship hardware in one place!

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Promoted by GGG Promotions, in association with Don King Productions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, and sponsored by Tecate, Chivas Regal, Jordan and Hublot, remaining tickets to the Golovkin vs. Martirosyan world championship event are priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50. They may be purchased online at

https://www.axs.com/events/353331/golovkin-vs-martirosyan-tickets?ref=edp_twpost, by phone at (888) 9AXS-TIX, or by visiting the StubHub Center box office.

Fans are invited to come early to StubHub Center

for the Tecate Cinco De Mayo Fan Fest, from 3 to 7 P.M.

For more information, www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @gggboxing, @hboboxing, @VanesBoxing, and @TomLoeffler1; become a fan on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/gggboxing, and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing; follow on Instagram @gggboxing, @vanesboxing,and @HBOboxing.

The IBF granted Gennady Golovkin an excpetion to defend his two other middleweight title on May 5th against Vanes Martirosyan, but he must face mandatory challenger Sergey Derevyanchenk in 90 days, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“A majority of the directors determined that the exception to regulations should be granted to Gennady Golovkin with the following conditions,” Peoples wrote.

And then he outlined the four terms under which the exception was granted.

Golovkin-Martirosyan must take place on or before May 5, 2018.

Golovkin must agree in writing before the fight that he will next fight the IBF middleweight mandatory within 90 days of the May 5 bout or by Friday, Aug. 3, 2018.

Golovkin must agree in writing before the May 5 fight “to indemnify, hold harmless and otherwise reimburse the IBF for any legal fees or other expenses related to the granting of this exception, including, but not limited to, the cost attendant to any resultant litigation.”

Golovkin must “comply with all of the conditions set forth in the granting of this exception” or formal sanction won’t be issued for the May 5 bout.

“We said all along that we didn’t care if Golovkin walked into the ring with IBF title on May 5. What was at issue was what happens after that,” DiBella told ESPN. “We made it clear that as long as GGG was ordered to fight Derevyanchenko immediately after the May 5 fight that was OK and that is what the IBF ruled.

“Golovkin isn’t defending his IBF belt against Vanes and they’re not sanctioning the fight with Vanes, but they are also not stripping Golovkin either. But GGG has to begin negotiations with us immediately thereafter and then fight Derevyanchenko within 90 days. There are no other exceptions. That’s what we wanted the IBF to say.”

Tom Loeffler said he was not sure what Golovkin would decide to do. “Gennady is training for a fight on May 5, so haven’t spoken to him about this approval of the exception yet,” Loeffler said. “So when I see him in fight week I’ll discuss it with him.”

By Norm Frauenheim-

Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez are linked only by mutual contempt, genuine in tone and intensifying in the wake of the May 5 bout canceled by Canelo’s withdrawal from the rematch before his subsequent six-month suspension for two positive PED tests in February.

After the Nevada Athletic Commission announced an abbreviated suspension of Canelo last week, the prevailing assumption was that the middleweight sequel would happen in September in what would eventually look more like a postponement than a cancellation. Guess here: That’s still a pretty good assumption. Economically, it’s still the fight that makes the most sense. Dollars, too.

But GGG’s anger, rooted in his frustration at scoring in last September’s draw, continues to be loud, clear and amplified by his mistrust in Canelo’s assertion that the PED, clenbuterol, was simply the result of tainted Mexican meat.

There are moments when GGG just sounds as if he’d like to walk away from the prospect of any further business with Canelo.

“Canelo?” GGG asked this week in response to a question during a media session for a stay-busy fight against Vanes Martiroysan in a Cinco De Mayo party re-scheduled for StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. “Right now, he is over. Do I want to have the rematch in September? We’ll see. It’s a different deal. The boxing business is crazy. I’ll fight Canelo again. Ask him if he wants to fight me.

“I no longer think about Canelo.’’

It’s pretty clear that Canelo is anxious to fight – make that punish – GGG in September, about a month after his suspension ends. His promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, has been talking almost as if the September rematch is a done deal. It’s not, of course. First, there’s Martiroysan. GGG is a huge favorite. An upset would be a shocker. Then again, Canelo’s positive PED tests were a shocker, too.

The last couple of months are an inconvenient reminder that bleep and head butts happen. GGG has to win easily and cleanly, meaning he has to finish it without suffering an injury – a fracture or cut — that could sideline him beyond the projected September 15 rematch.

If everything happens as hoped, however, GGG will prevail with a victory and without mishap. Then, it’s on to the negotiations, where the real fight awaits. By now, we know the fighters don’t like each other. There’s enough tension there to suggest that the talks will be difficult.

There are options, good ones for each, if no agreement can be reached. One will play out this Saturday with likable Danny Jacobs in his second fight since a debatable loss by unanimous decision to GGG in March, 2017.

Jacobs made Golovkin, 36, look vulnerable, or at least older. Now he faces a mostly unknown, yet unbeaten Pole, Maciej Sulecki (26-0, 10 KOs) in an HBO-televised bout (7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET) at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. At 31, Jacobs is in his prime. If he looks good against Sulecki, he would have a pretty good claim on a GGG rematch for the right to be the world’s best middleweight.

Another option is Jermall Charlo, whose emergence at 160 pounds continued with a stoppage of Hugo Centeno last Saturday. Then, there’s Ryota Murata, an Olympic gold medalist with only 15 pro bouts (14-1, 11 KOs), yet big television ratings in Japan.

Jacobs, however, looms as real threat to both GGG and Canelo. On the business scale, Jacobs represents more risk than reward. Charlo might still be a middleweight fight or two away from climbing into contention. Murata looks like good money and an introduction to the rich Asian market.

With every option, however, there’s no match for the interest, significance or money attached to GGG-Canelo II. Even the current level of mutual contempt is stoking public interest for a September showdown. In the here and now, it’s still the only fight that matters.

CARSON, CALIF. (April 26, 2018) — Boxing’s only undisputed world champion CECILIA BRAEKHUS, will defend her World Female Welterweight crown against former WBC Female World Middleweight Champion KALI REIS in the co-feature of the Gennady “GGG” Golovkinvs. Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan World Middleweight Championship event. Both world title bouts, featuring the No. 1 male and female pound for pound fighters in Golovkin and Braekhus, respectively, will be televised live on Cinco De Mayo, Saturday, May 5, from StubHub Center on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. This marks the first time a women’s bout has been televised live on HBO.

Braekhus (32-0, 9 KOs), a native of Cartagena, Colombia, who fights out of Bergen, Norway, is now trained by former world champion Lucia Rijker. Braekhus will be looking to extend her nine-year world championship reign with her 22nd consecutive title defense, against Reis (13-6-1, 4 KOs), from Providence, RI, in a 10-round championship bout between two of the most dominant female fighters .

The non-televised all-action undercard will feature undefeated consensus Top-10 world rated contender RYAN “Blue Chip” MARTIN. Martin (21-0, 12 KOs), from Chattanooga and fighting out of Cleveland, returns to Southern California for the second time this year, taking on battle-tested BREIDIS PRESCOTT (31-12, 22 KOs), a native of Colombia who fights out of Miami, Fla., in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The undercard will also feature five-time New York Golden Gloves champion and 2017 United States Amateur champion BRIAN CEBALLO (1-0, 1 KO), from Brooklyn, making his triumphant return to Southern California where he made his professional debut last month. He will be in a four-round welterweight bout.

“From top to bottom this is a card worthy of Cinco De Mayo and the knowledgeable fight fans who regularly pack StubHub Center,” said promoter Tom Loeffler. “I am so proud to help present the first female bout to be televised live on HBO. Undefeated World Female Welterweight Champion Cecllia Braekhus, boxing’s only undisputed world champion, will have her hands full against former WBC World Female Middleweight champion Kali Reis, and Top-10 lightweight contender Ryan Martin will be taking on rugged Breidis Prescott. Together with the Golovkin – Martirosyan middleweight title fight, is it any wonder that everyone is referring to May 5 at StubHub Center as boxing’s Cinco De Mayo headquarters?”

“I’m honored to fight on the same card as the best male fighter in the world, Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin, at the StubHub Center on May 5,” said Braekhus. “I’ve heard so many magnificent things about fighting in Southern California and the passion boxing fans have for great fights. Cinco De Mayo at the StubHub Center will truly be a special night for the boxers and the fans. I’ve been training in Los Angeles for the last six weeks with Lucia Rikjer, and this has been a tremendous camp particularly since I am able to work in the beautiful weather out here. I’ve not fought in America in ten years and this is truly one of the high points in my career and I want to thank my fans all over the world for continuing to push me to great heights. I know how tough Kali Reis is, and I’m ensuring every step in camp will prepare me for victory.”

“It’s been great working with Cecilia, she is so talented, and even more, so very dedicated to working hard and continuing to learn every day,” said Rijker. “We can’t wait to show boxing fans at the StubHub Center and those watching all over the world what we’ve been working on.”

“I am very excited for this opportunity. I’d like to thank Cecilia and her team for this once in a lifetime chance to fight the No. 1 pound for pound undisputed champion,” said Reis. “My team and I have been hard at work knowing she will bring her A game, so will we. This is such a great card and I am grateful to be a part of it.”

“I’m excited to showcase my skills again to the LA fans. I’m in really good shape and my weight feels great. This is going to be a special night of boxing,” said Martin.

“I am going deliver the same welcome gift to Martin that I gave to Amir Khan, a two-fisted sleeping tablet,” said Prescott.

Braekhus, 36, made her professional debut in 2007, and in only her 11th fight, two years later, captured the vacant WBC and WBA world female welterweight titles, winning a unanimous decision over undefeated contender Vinni Skovgaard in 2009. After two title defenses she added the vacant WBO title to her collection, winning a unanimous decision over Victoria Cisneros in 2010. In 2014, she won a unanimous decision over IBF world champion Ivana Habazin to become undisputed champion. She has reigned supreme over the welterweight division for four years and six title defenses. Due to her lobbying and popularity, the Norwegian government lifted its 33-year ban on professional boxing allowing her to defend her world championship crown four times in front of massive crowds in her homeland while becoming a national hero. On May 11, Braekhus will receive the Christy Martin Award as the Female Fighter of the Year at the annual Boxing Writers Association of America Awards Dinner in New York.

Reis, 31, will be making her 2018 and West Coast debut when she challenges Braekhus. After winning IBA and UBF titles, Reis, traveled to New Zealand in 2016 and won a split decision over Maricela Cornejo to capture the vacant WBC World Female Middleweight Title. It was the first time New Zealand had ever hosted a major world championship fight. Reis enters this fight having won six of her last seven fights, the only blemish, a decision title unification loss to undefeated WBO World Female Middleweight Champion Christina Hammer. Reis is promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

Martin, 25, returns to the ring after making a star turn headlining his first card, on March 27, at The Avalon in Hollywood, Calif. Martin blasted Luis Eduardo Florez in the fourth round of their 10-round bout. The Abel Sanchez-trained contender who regularly works out with Golovkin in Big Bear Lake, has a resume that boasts WBC Continental Americas lightweight title victories over Cesar Villarraga and Bryant Cruz as well as a WBA Intercontinental lightweight championship victory over Francisco Rojo despite suffering a fracture to his right hand. Martin is currently world-rated No. 6 by the IBF, No. 8 by the WBC and the WBO. .

Prescott, 34, will be the most experienced opponent Martin has faced. Best known for his first-round knockout victory of Amir Khan and a decision victory over former world champion Richar Abril, Prescott has been in tough for much of his professional career, going the distance against former two-division world champion Terence Crawford and top-rated contenders Roberto Garcia, Paul McCloskey and Fredrick Lawson. Boasting a victory by knockout ratio of 71%, Prescott will be looking to make the most of his Cinco De Mayo rumble with Martin.

Promoted by GGG promotions, in association with Don King Productions, and sponsored by Tecate, Chivas Regal, Jordan and Hublot, remaining tickets to the Golovkin vs. Martirosyan world championship event are priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100 (sold out) and $50 (sold out), and may be purchased online at https://www.axs.com/events/353331/golovkin-vs-martirosyan-tickets?ref=edp_twpost, by phone at (888) 9AXS-TIX, or by visiting the StubHub Center box office.

For more information, www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @gggboxing, @hboboxing, @VanesBoxing, and @TomLoeffler1; become a fan on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/gggboxing, and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing; follow on Instagram @gggboxing, @vanesboxing,and @HBOboxing.

GLENDALE, CALIF. (April 24, 2018) — Fellow 2004 Olympians and soon-to-be opponents GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and VANES “THE NIGHTMARE” MARTIROSYAN met with the media — and each other — on Monday at Martirosyan’s gym, the Glendale Fighting Club. It was the first time the fighters addressed the media, and each other, since announcing their Cinco De Mayo world championship rumble. Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, boxing’s longest-reigning world champion (since 2010), will be defending his World Middleweight Championship crown for the 20th consecutive and record-tying time, against former two-time world title challenger and current No. 1 contender Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs), from Glendale, Calif. They collide on Saturday, May 5, under the stars at StubHub Center. The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted by GGG promotions, in association with Don King Productions, and sponsored by Tecate, Chivas Regal, Jordan and Hublot, remaining tickets to the Golovkin vs. Martirosyan world championship event are priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100 (sold out) and $50 (sold out), and may be purchased online at https://www.axs.com/events/353331/golovkin-vs-martirosyan-tickets?ref=edp_twpost, by phone at (888) 9AXS-TIX, or by visiting the StubHub Center box office.

Here is what the fighters had to say:

GENNADY GOLOVKIN

“I am glad to be back in the ring and giving a fight to my fans. I am happy that Cinco De Mayo will still have boxing. It is good for the sport. I want to stay active. I would like to fight four or five times every year. Cinco De Mayo is a big night for a fight and for a Mexican-Style fighter like me. It is very important to me to be fighting again, to be fighting on Cinco De Mayo. I didn’t want to disappoint the fans who wanted a fight on a Mexican holiday. I am grateful to the Mexican fans who support me and who supported me after the fight with Canelo and during the past two months.

“When my fight with Canelo was canceled I never stopped training. I wanted a fight on Cinco De Mayo. I stayed in Big Bear working hard with Abel hoping I would still be able to have a fight.

“Canelo? Right now he is over. Do I want to have the rematch in September? We’ll see. It’s a different deal. The boxing business is crazy. I’ll fight Canelo again. Ask him if he wants to fight me.

“I no longer think about Canelo. I am only focused on this fight. I just want to fight Vanes. I remember him from the 2004 Olympics. I know he is not easy. Vanes is a strong and active fighter in the ring. He is a good fighter . Vanes is a real guy. A real fighter. He is tall and strong. In 2004, I thought Vanes was the best boxer on the U.S. Olympic team.

“I have watched some tapes of Vanes’ fights. His fights with Lara. The minute the fight was signed Abel brought new ideas to the gym workouts. And no, I am not going to tell you those new ideas. The fans at StubHub Center will be watching two Mexican-style fighters from the area.

“I am still comfortable at 160 pounds. There are no big money fights at 168 pounds and besides, I am small at 160.

“I only ask for fights. I want more big fights. Huge fights. Title unification fights. I want to stay champion. It should be a clean sport. That is important to me.

“This fight is very important for boxing. Fans should not have to miss having a fight on Cinco De Mayo. This is my gift to the sport. Thank you to everyone for watching me and supporting me.”

VANES MARTIROSYAN

“This fight is the biggest test for me. It will show where I belong in this sport. I was able to take advantage of this opportunity because I never left the gym, even when previously scheduled fights kept falling through. I would take a week off and then return to the gym. It was hard but I never lost faith. A good fighter stays ready, stays in shape. How many times have we heard that about an opponent falling out and a replacement getting that golden ticket to fight for a world title?

“Regarding Canelo, you have to ask, ‘Why did he flunk two drug tests. Why did he withdraw from VADA? I don’t believe him. I don’t buy his excuse about tainted meat. If, God forbid, I had tested positive because of accidentally eating something, I would have myself tested every day to prove I was clean. No one wants to see someone cheat his way into a fight.

“That’s why fans love Triple G. Because he is so good in the ring and because he is clean. He has always been tested. He wants boxing to be a clean sport as do I.

“I have been counted out before and I have shined. This is my time. Fate has reached out to me and I am ready to seize the moment. You can never plan for something like this, but you can be prepared, and that’s why I never left the gym.

“I am excited to show everyone how good I can be. I feel so fresh and strong. Fans and Gennady will be amazed . We may not be Mexican but I guarantee you it’s going to feel like two Mexicans are going to war on Cinco De Mayo.

“I’m not afraid of Gennady. I’m psyched to fight him. This is why I became a fighter. I’m not the only one taking this fight on short notice. Everyone has a soft spot. I’ll find his. I have no fear. We are going to war — Mexican Style. Two trains colliding. We both love the Mexican Style of fighting. We’re both hard headed and heavy handed. To me, it’s not a REAL fight without a lot of Mexican fans. I’m not fighting to survive. I’ll be fighting to win!

“I don’t run like the guy who pretended to eat a bad steak. Let’s see how Gennady reacts to a fighter who doesn’t move away after being hit. Gennady’s chin hasn’t been tested the way I’d like to test it.

“Canelo is an easier fight than Gennady. Gennady has a fan-friendly style. Canelo ran from my mandatory challenge. That says a lot about him. That tells you everything about him.

“When I got the call from Don King, I was laying in bed with the kids. ‘Hey, man, there’s this guy they call Triple G or something like that, you want to fight?” I said, ‘Of course.’ That’s how I found out I got the fight.

“Before I knew I had this fight, I asked my wife who her favorite fighter was, besides me. She told me Gennady Golovkin. So now I have to beat his ass for that (laughing).”

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For more information, www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @gggboxing, @hboboxing, @VanesBoxing, and @TomLoeffler1; become a fan on Facebook at

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GLENDALE, CALIF. (April 20, 2018) — Two-time world title challenger and 2004 Olympian VANES “THE NIGHTMARE” MARTIROSYAN (36-3-1, 21 KOs), from Glendale, Calif., challenges undefeated World Middleweight Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN (37-0-1, 33 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan. The recently announced world championship rumble between the 2004 Olympians is only 14 days away and takes place on Cinco De Mayo — Saturday, May 5 — under the stars at StubHub Center and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Martirosyan was one of a handful of boxers in the conversation as Golovkin’s May 5 opponent following the cancellation of the Canelo rematch. Martirosyan was ready to go when the call came. He had been sparring with a couple of undefeated Russian boxers.

“Throughout the year, two camps started on and off. Every time we started somebody pulled out.,’ said Martirosyan. ‘The last was the WBC mandatory against Sulecki on March 17. We were getting ready for that and that didn’t happen because Sulecki pulled out to fight Danny Jacobs. So then we took a week off and got back in the gym again. It’s been like that for the past year – we would start camp then the fight falls through, then we take a week off and get back to camp again.

“Every time I talked to my promoter Don King, I would tell him my passion. I would tell him ‘give me a fight, let me show you what I can do.’ I knew he had been working hard to get me a fight then he got me this fight. When they asked me if I wanted it I said ‘of course.’ They asked me if I could be 176 by Friday and I said I am 176 right now. Thank God we were training and in such good shape. King got me the biggest fight and now it’s time to go.

“As a fighter, we train to fight and we are getting paid to fight. I am so happy because GGG is a fighter and he comes to fight. The fights that I didn’t look good in are against the people that ran from me like Lara and Andrade (recent decision losses) – they just try to run and outbox. I couldn’t make them fight. But GGG is coming to fight and that’s what I’ve been looking for – to show the boxing world what I can do.

“Styles make fights – everyone is human. I am fighting a person. Everyone is beatable – everybody.

Former UFC world champion and current WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey has shared the gym with Vanes for several years. “Ronda is a close friend of mine,” Martirosyan explained. “She’s always been a hard worker and gives us a lot of support. We came up together. We trained together when she only had one fight and was also working in a graveyard with dogs. Then she became a superstar. Ronda made it big in the UFC and now it is my turn to shock the world and let the boxing world hear my story. When she heard about the fight she told us she is very happy and real excited for us. ”

Golovkin and Martirosyan together boast a combined record of 73-3-2 (54 KOs) — a winning percentage of 94% with close to 3/4 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Golovkin, boxing’s longest-reigning world champion (since 2010), and coming off consecutive title defenses against Canelo Alvarez and Danny Jacobs, will be making his 20th consecutive and record-tying middleweight title defense. Martirosyan’s resume boasts NABF, NABO, WBO Inter-Continental, WBA International and WBC Silver championship victories against the likes of former world champions Ishe Smith and Kassim Ouma, as well as a draw against Erislandy Lara. Standing at six-feet tall, Martirosyan will enter the ring as the taller and the younger gladiator. He is currently the WBC’s No. 1 world-rated super welterweight contender.

Promoted by GGG promotions, in association with Don King Productions, and sponsored by Tecate, Chivas Regal, Jordan and Hublot, remaining tickets to the Golovkin vs. Martirosyan world championship event are priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100 (sold out) and $50 (sold out), and may be purchased online at https://www.axs.com/events/353331/golovkin-vs-martirosyan-tickets?ref=edp_twpost, by phone at (888) 9AXS-TIX, or by visiting the StubHub Center box office.

For more information, www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @gggboxing, @hboboxing, @VanesBoxing, and @TomLoeffler1; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gggboxing, and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing; follow on Instagram @gggboxing, @vanesboxing,and @HBOboxing.

CARSON, CALIF. (April 19, 2018) — The World Middleweight Championship battle between boxing’s longest-reigning champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and two-time world title challenger and fellow 2004 Olympian VANES “THE NIGHTMARE” MARTIROSYAN is one hot ticket! The Cinco De Mayo extravaganza will take place on Saturday, May 5, under the stars at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. HBO World Championship Boxing® will televise it live at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan will be looking to successfully defend his middleweight crown for a record-tying 20th consecutive time when he goes mano a mano against Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs), a native of Armenia who hails from Glendale, Calif..

Golovkin and Martirosyan boast a combined record of 73-3-2 (54 KOs) — a winning percentage of 94% with close to 3/4 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Exciting all-action undercard bouts, featuring current and former world champions, are expected to be announced this week.

“Gennady is a huge draw in Southern, California. All three of his Los Angeles area world title fights have sold out., said Tom Loeffler, Golovkin’s promoter. “It’s been over two years since Gennady last fought in his adopted hometown. That combined with the event taking place on Cinco De Mayo, has created a tremendous demand for tickets to this fight. Gennady set the attendance record for boxing at StubHub in 2014 and we project to shatter that record on May 5. Tecate will also be hosting a Cinco De Mayo fan fest that evening at StubHub Center. Throw in the ultimate Mexican-Style boxer in Gennady Golovkin and you have yourself an amazing fistival!”

“It is going to be a great fight – it is going to be a battle of wills,” said Hall of Fame promoter Don King, who promotes Martirosyan. “GGG is a great fighter — he has four belts — and is supposed to be the best there is. But Vanes has heart, a strong will, and the desire of an Armenian with a never say die attitude, and he is coming to fight. The ticket to this event is going to be hot. This is a hot fight and it’s provocative. You’re not going to be able to go the restroom and you better get your popcorn and sit right there to watch it. It’s going to be a super fight and I am looking forward to it. Vanes’ desire and the will to win — that’s what creates a hell of a fight, because you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Promoted by GGG promotions, in association with Don King Productions, and sponsored by Tecate, Chivas Regal, Jordan and Hublot, remaining tickets to the Golovkin vs. Martirosyan world championship event are priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100 (sold out) and $50 (sold out), and may be purchased online at https://www.axs.com/events/353331/golovkin-vs-martirosyan-tickets?ref=edp_twpost, by phone at (888) 9AXS-TIX, or by visiting the StubHub Center box office.

For more information, www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @gggboxing, @hboboxing, @VanesBoxing, and @TomLoeffler1; become a fan on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/gggboxing, and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing; follow on Instagram @gggboxing, @vanesboxing,and @HBOboxing.

By Norm Frauenheim-

LAS VEGAS — Canelo Alvarez agreed to a six-month suspension and the Nevada Athletic Commission unanimously approved that agreement Wednesday, opening the way for him to fight Gennady Golovkin on Sept. 15 in a rematch that had originally been scheduled for May 5.

The Commission voted 5-0 to accept a signed settlement from Canelo, whose 12-month ban for two positive drug tests was cut in half and will be dated back to the initial test, Feb. 17.

Canelo, who underwent what was reported to be minor knee surgery last week, did not attend the hearing. He was represented on the telephone by attorney Ricardo Cestero.

Canelo, a first-time PED offender, met with Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett and Chairman Anthony A. Marnell a couple of weeks ago in Las Vegas for an hour-and-twenty minutes. Bennett said he answered his questions.

“’He did everything we asked for,’’ Bennett said.

Cooperation from Canelo, who blamed positive tests for Clenbuterol on tainted Mexican beef, allowed the Commission to reduce his ban by 50 percent, according to new rules written by the state regulatory board a year ago.

Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo’s promoter, said it was satisfied with the Commission’s approval of Canelo’s agreement to the reduced ban. Golden Boy’s prepared statement:

“As we have maintained all along, the trace amounts of clenbuterol found in Canelo’s system in February came from meat contamination, and we provided the Nevada State Athletic Commission with a great deal of evidence to support those facts.

“Although most professional sports, international anti-doping agencies and United States boxing commissions treat meat contamination differently from other positive tests, Nevada does not. Canelo and Golden Boy Promotions respect the rules of Nevada and are therefore satisfied with the settlement agreement reached today.

“Canelo looks forward to returning to the ring in September for Mexican Independence Day weekend to represent Mexico and boxing in what will be the sport’s biggest event of the year. He is ready to continue his remarkable record of fighting at the highest level.”

If all goes as planned, Golovkin’s suspension will be over in mid-August and he’ll be able to fight on the weekend celebrating Mexican Independence, presumably at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. That’s where the Cinco de Mayo fight, the rematch of a controversial draw last September, was supposed to happen. Canelo withdrew on April 3.

But a lot has to happen before Canelo and GGG can meet again. First, GGG has to win what now appears to be an interim fight against Vanes Martiroysan on May 5 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., in what looks like a Cinco de Mayo bout for some of his most ardent fans.

“He has been looking good and he really wants to fight well for the fans who are at the grass roots of his popularity,’’ said GGG trainer Abel Sanchez, who attended Wednesday’s hearing. “You worry a little that some of this might be a distraction. But he knows what he has to do.’’

GGG is a huge favorite against Martiroysan, who hasn’t fought in a couple of years. If GGG wins as expected, the next step is a deal with Canelo. That might be more difficult than it sounds

If the rematch returns to Nevada, the state Commission will subject Canelo to testing. At this point, however, no fight is scheduled. Nevada only has jurisdiction over fights within its own borders. Meanwhile, Canelo is not currently subject to VADA, the agency that does testing for the World Boxing Council.

“I do not have him (Canelo) enrolled at this time,’’ VADA’s Dr. Margaret Goodman said after the hearing.

Golovkin is enrolled.

GGG representative Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions said Canelo would have to join VADA for there to be a deal for a September rematch.

“Absolutely,’’ said Loeffler, who also attended the hearing. “Definitely, that would be a condition.’’

CARSON, CALIF. (April 18, 2018) — Undefeated World Middleweight Champion and boxing superhero GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN is saving Cinco De Mayo for boxing fans! Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, boxing’s longest-reigning world champion, returns to the ring, Saturday, May 5, against two-time world title challenger VANES “THE NIGHTMARE ” MARTIROSYAN (36-3-1, 21 KOs), from Glendale, Calif. The fight will headline an exciting world championship card which will take place, under the stars, at StubHub Center, in Carson, Calif. It’s the first time Golovkin has fought in Southern California in over two years. Golovkin has proved himself to be a sterling gate attraction in his previous three fights in the Southland, selling out The Fabulous Forum twice, in 2016 and 2015, and setting the all time attendance record for boxing at StubHub Center in 2014. Golovkin vs. Martirosyan will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Not only will this mark Golovkin’s first non-pay-per-view fight since 2016, if successful, it will also be his 20th consecutive and record-tying middleweight title defense.

Golovkin and Martirosyan boast a combined record of 73-3-2 (54 KOs) — a winning percentage of 94% with close to 3/4 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Golovkin had originally been scheduled to defend his WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO middleweight titles on May 5 in a rematch against Saul “Canelo “Alvarez, in the biggest and most-anticipated event on the 2018 boxing calendar. But that fight was canceled when Alvarez withdrew after twice testing positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol

Promoted by GGG promotions, in association with Don King Productions, and sponsored by Tecate, Chivas Regal, Jordan and Hublot, tickets to the Golovkin vs. Martirosyan world championship event go on sale Today! Wednesday, April 18, at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, tickets may be purchased online at AXS.com, by phone at (888) 9AXS-TIX, or by visiting the StubHub Center box office.

“Vanes Martirosyan is now the most important fight of my career. He has my respect and I am training hard to defend my titles against him,” said Golovkin. “I am happy to be back on HBO and fighting at StubHub Center because they have great boxing fans. I will give my fans another big drama show.”

“Gennady has had such a terrific training camp in Big Bear. It wouldn’t be fair to him to let it go to waste just because Canelo was being punished,” said Abel Sanchez, Golovkin’s trainer. “Gennady is going to light up Cinco De Mayo as only a true Mexican-style fighter can. I can’t wait to unleash him.”

“We are adding extra bleachers to accommodate the demand from Gennady’s fans. We are prepared for Gennady to break his own StubHub Center attendance record for a boxing event, which he set in 2014,” said Tom Loeffler, Golovkin’s promoter. “When you think about all the great champions and exciting world title fights StubHub has hosted, that’s quite an accomplishment. Vanes Martirosyan brings a passionate Armenian fan base from nearby Glendale and an aggressive style of fighting. Best of all, he is ready and wants the fight. Golovkin vs. Martirosyan will definitely be the fiesta de résistance of Cinco De Mayo.”

“I’ve been training my ass off. I’m sparring, I’m on weight,” Martirosyan recently told the Los Angeles Times. “When they asked me if I’d take this fight, I said yes. I didn’t ask about money at all. It’s a good show for L.A. Cinco De Mayo. Armenians will pack the place. I have a lot of Mexican fans. I do believe in my heart I’m going to beat (Golovkin) because he’s never fought someone with my style.”

Golovkin, the 36-year-old wrecking ball who has reigned over the middleweight division as world champion since 2010, was a dominant amateur standout and Olympic Silver Medalist before turning professional in 2006. Since then, Golovkin has been on an historic trajectory, knocking out one opponent after another to unify the WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO World Middleweight Titles. During this run, Golovkin maintained an unblemished record that included a 23-fight knockout streak, which ended with a unanimous decision victory against then-undefeated world champion Danny Jacobs in March 2017. In September of the same year, Golovkin went the distance in a historic and controversial split draw against Alvarez, which most scored as a victory for Golovkin. The hotly-anticipated rematch, which had been scheduled for Cinco De Mayo, was canceled when Alvarez withdrew from the fight. Golovkin has sold out the most iconic arenas of the world, including T-Mobile Arena, Madison Square Garden, O2 Arena, The Fabulous Forum and StubHub Center.

Martirosyan, 31, is a two-time world title challenger and a former amateur standout who represented the U.S. in the 2004 U.S. Olympics, the same Summer Games where Golovkin won the silver medal. A native of Abovyan, Armenia, who fights out of Glendale, Calif., Martirosyan’s resume boasts NABF, NABO, WBO Inter-Continental, WBA International and WBC Silver championship victories against the likes of former world champions Ishe Smith and Kassim Ouma, as well as a draw against Erislandy Lara. Martirosyan’s only professional blemishes have been decision losses in world title fights against Demetrius Andrade, where Martirosyan scored a knockdown, and a rematch with Lara, as well as a controversial 10-round loss to WBC super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo. Standing at six-feet tall, Martirosyan will enter the ring as the taller and the younger gladiator. He is currently the WBC’s No. 1 world-rated super welterweight contender.

For more information, www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @gggboxing, @hboboxing, @VanesBoxing, and @TomLoeffler1; become a fan on Facebook at

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According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin could be stripped of his IBF Middleweight title should he go through with a fight with Vanes Martirosyan.

IBF attorney Linda P. Torres sent a letter on Tuesday to attorney Ron DiNicola, who represents the Golovkin side, and Alex Dombroff, the attorney for promoter Lou DiBella, who promotes IBF mandatory challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko, outlining the reasons for the IBF’s refusal the grant approval for Golovkin-Martirosyan, a source with knowledge of the letter told ESPN.

In the letter, Torres outlined the reasons for the IBF’s refusal the grant approval for Golovkin to defend against Martirosyan. The IBF’s reasons for refusing the approve the fight are same reasons why the proposed bout with Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs), 31, a 2004 U.S. Olympian from Glendale, California, has received so much criticism from boxing fans and media: Martirosyan is coming off a loss, he is a junior middleweight who would be moving up in weight and he has not fought in two years.

If Golovkin goes ahead with the bout against Martirosyan, the IBF said it would invoke its rule 5.H, which states, “If a champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant whether the champion wins or loses the bout. The championships committee, with the approval of the (IBF) president, will then establish a new champion in that division in accordance with the procedures established and prescribed in these rules.”

The IBF rules do provide Golovkin with the ability to seek an exception to the mandatory bout, but the IBF’s reasons for not approving the fight in the first place would not bode well for him to get the exception granted. Loeffler acknowledged the letter from the IBF and told ESPN that Golovkin plans to fight May 5 and said their side will seek an exception, adding that he hopes the IBF will grant one.

“Gennady is a proud champion of the IBF and, as a unified world champion, he looks forward to remaining champion for a long time and defending his middleweight titles many more times,” Loeffler said.

Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan has decided to pass on an opportunity to fight Gennady Golovkin on May 5th, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

O’sullivan, along with his promoters, Golden Boy Promotions cited that the low purse and lack of time to be the main reasons for bypassing on the contest.

“Spike’s not going to take the fight. He really wanted to do the fight, but the short amount of time, the short amount of money, it just doesn’t work at this time,” Golden Boy Promotions Eric Gomez said. “He wants a big fight, but he doesn’t want to take a fight at the last minute. He wants to win and he took his time to really think about it, and we talked about it with him and with our [promotional] partner Ken Casey from Murphy’s Boxing.

“We have a responsibility to our fighter. We respect him. If he goes into a big fight like this, the biggest fight of his career, he doesn’t want to go into the fight as the opponent on three weeks’ notice. Getting ready for an ESPN card is very different than going in with one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world on three weeks’ notice.”

“I don’t know what Tom’s (Loeffler) is going to do,” said Gomez, adding that he informed Loeffler of the decision earlier Wednesday. “We went over all the deal points, and it was hard to turn down a fight like this. It’s very hard. Spike has a lot of pride, but it was the right decision.”

ARCADIA, CALIF. (April 6, 2018) — From high atop Big Bear Lake, where he is training at The Summit, undefeated world champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN predicted that JUSTIFY would emerge as this year’s winner of Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby .

“Justify and I are alike. We are unbeaten, we are champions, and in training we both eat like a horse,” said Golovkin.

Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez added his horse sense: “I agree with Gennady that Justify is the best athlete in the field. And like Gennady, Justify is not just the favorite every time he competes, he is a winner. But Justify also has a great corner in trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith, who are both Hall of Famers. Pound for pound, Justify is No. 1”

Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, is boxing’s longest-reigning world champion. The kingpin of the middleweight division since 2010, Golovkin’s 19 consecutive title defenses are one shy of the middleweight division record,

Admission gates to Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby Day will open at 10 a.m. First post time is 11:30 a.m. to accommodate a 13-race program. The approximate post time for the Santa Anita Derby is 4:12 p.m. PT. For additional information regarding Santa Anita Derby Day, please visit www.santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

Philadelphia, PA /White Plains, NY (April 5, 2018) — Two-time undefeated world champion, Demetrius Andrade is ready should Gennady Golovkin choose to fight him on May 5th at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Like I said last week, I am in the gym, and if Gennady does the right thing and choose the best available fighter, and that is me, he and his team should know that I am ready to fight him for his middleweight titles on May 5th. I have been working extra hard in the gym to prepare myself for May 5th. Last week your promoter texted my promoter asking if I was in the gym, well the pictures are the proof that I have been. I think Gennady knows that I am the best option right now. Based on all the comments about all of the names out there, this is the fight that the fans prefer. Gennady and his team have always talked about fighting the best, well it is time he stays true to his word and let’s fight on May 5th,” said Andrade.

Promoter Frank Warren has confirmed that talks are in progress for WBO Middleweight World Champion Billy Joe Saunders to face WBA, WBC and IBF Champion Gennady Golovkin in the autumn, should he come through his fight with Martin Murray at London’s 02 Arena on June 23rd.

Golovkin was due to fight Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez on May 5th in Las Vegas, but the Mexican withdrew from the rematch on Tuesday, causing widespread rumours that Saunders would step in as a late replacement.

However, Saunders’ promoter has confirmed that the undefeated Hatfield star will make the fourth defence of his World Title against domestic rival Murray on June 23rd as originally planned.

“I’ve spoken with Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler and Golovkin v Saunders is in play for this Autumn,” said Warren. “May 5th was never going to happen because of Bill’s hand injury and Golovkin’s team are going ahead with a fight on that date so couldn’t make a fight in June.

“Bill will definitely be defending his belt against Martin Murray on June 23rd.

“If he comes through his fight against Martin then we are hoping he will get the chance to unify the Middleweight division against Golovkin in the autumn. That would be a huge fight and one we would love to make here in the UK.

“Golovkin has said many times that he wants to add the WBO belt to his collection and it’s a fight that Bill would jump at. There should be no problem making it – on paper it is a brilliant fight and one fans have been calling for.

“This is a fight that will define Bill’s legacy and I genuinely believe he will win. If anyone can beat Golovkin then it’s Bill, he has the style and the boxing skills. But first he has to deal with Martin on June 23rd.”

Tickets for Saunders v Murray priced form £40 (Tier) to £300 (Hospitality) are available to purchase via www.axs.com.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Caneo Alavrez has withdrawn from his May 5th rematch with Gennady Golovkin due to circumstances around his failed drug test.

“We’re going to have to cancel the May 5 rematch,” Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez said at the beginning of a news conference at the company’s offices in downtown Los Angeles. “As you all know there is a hearing on April 18 and it’s extremely unlikely this will get properly resolved by then and we need enough time to promote this fight.

“Additionally, given the current regulations in Nevada we have been advised, and it is unfortunate, that Canelo won’t be cleared to fight in May. We are hopeful this matter will be resolved and we are hoping Canelo will be cleared so we can reschedule the fight for August or September.”

“I am truly shocked about what has happened and for those who have doubts and suspicions about my integrity, I have always been and always will be clean fighter,” Alvarez, speaking through a translator, said in his first public comments about the situation other than a brief statement he made two weeks ago when the positive test results were announced.

“I want to apologize to HBO, Tecate and Hennessy and all my other sponsors, the media and to everyone who is involved in the promotion of this event, and especially to the fans. I respect this sport. I will always be a clean fighter.”

“To be honest, what Golovkin or his team say doesn’t bother me at all because, No. 1, they are not doctors, not experts,” Alvarez said. “I don’t pay attention to them. It sounds more like an excuse that he doesn’t want to fight me or he’s scared.”
Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya stood up for his marquee fighter.

“I want to speak to Canelo’s character,” De La Hoya said. “I can assure you that both inside and outside the ring Canelo has always displayed a professionalism and commitment all too absent in the sport. I have known Canelo since he was a teenager and [he has] handled himself with grace and class and showed respect for the sport. He’s the model for what we want the best in our sport to be.

“I sincerely hope that given his unblemished record of having never tested positive in more than 90 tests in and out of competition, you would be willing to give Canelo fair consideration.”

“I want to clarify the situation. I have always done tests with VADA before my fights. They are voluntary,” he said. “I have always agreed to them before my fights and they have always come back negative. I am a clean fighter. On this occasion the results showed small traces of clenbuterol. How did this happen, I don’t know. Unfortunately, there is a public problem in my country of Mexico. Football, cycling, soccer, boxing — people have tested positive for clenbuterol. This can be transmitted through meat in Mexico. Contaminated meat is what caused this. That is my statement. This has happened in all sports.”

To hammer home Alvarez’s point about meat contamination, Golden Boy had Dr. Miguel Angel Nazul, the vice president of the Mexican Federation of Sports Medicine, speak at length about the issue in Mexico.

“I respect the Nevada State Athletic Commission and understand there are certain penalties and sanctions even for unintentional [positive] results,” Alvarez said. “The reality is that unfortunately the rematch will have to wait a little longer. I am truly disappointed and upset that I will not be able to take part in the rematch [on May 5]. I was very much looking forward to the fight and looked forward to proving I am the best in the world.

“I am willing to do whatever [the Nevada commission requests to prove I am a clean fighter. I will do everything in my power to prove that I never intentionally ingested clenbuterol. I have nothing to hide. I wanted to be open and transparent in this process. Because of the respect I have for this sport, I will do whatever I can to show I have not taken this and want to prove I am a clean fighter.”

“That is the fight I want and it’s the fight I want to give the fans,” he said. “As soon as I get the green light, that’s the fight I want.”

“I am looking forward to returning to Las Vegas for my 20th title defense and headlining my first Cinco de Mayo event on May 5,” Golovkin said in a statement provided to ESPN. “It is time for less drama and more fighting.”

“It saddens me people are accusing me of doing something improper,” Alvarez said. “I am proud of the career I’ve had. From here on out I will take precautions before future fights and make sure this never again happens. I am ready for what comes in the future.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin will fight on May 5th weather it is against Canelo Alvarez or not.

“GGG wants to fight on May 5 in Las Vegas, so in order to do that we have to go through the commission procedure and the official process,” Golovkin Promoter Tom Loeffler told ESPN on Monday.

“Anyone who booked a plane ticket or who was planning to come to Las Vegas for Cinco de Mayo weekend to see GGG fight, don’t cancel your ticket, because we’re planning a GGG fight on May 5, whether it’s against Canelo or somebody else,” Loeffler said.

EDITOR’S PICKS
Candidates to step in to face GGG if Canelo gets longer suspension
There’s a chance the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin rematch won’t happen on May 5 due to Alvarez’s two positive tests. But don’t you worry. Dan Rafael has a list of possible opponents who could step in to face GGG if needed.

Refunds offered for Canelo-GGG rematch
MGM Resorts International is offering ticket buyers a full refund on tickets because of the probability that the fight will be canceled.

“We’re weighing all the options right now,” Loeffler said. “Obviously, the biggest fight in boxing is GGG and Canelo in their rematch in May. If we can’t do it then, GGG wants to stay active, but no one opponent has been selected yet.”

The potential May 5th bout between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin is now in serious jeopardy after a hearing for Alvarez positive test for a performance enhancer has been pushed back to April 18 because Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett has filed a formal complaint against Canelo Alvarez for doping violations, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The complaint, signed Tuesday and made public on Thursday, all but seals the deal that Alvarez’s much-anticipated rematch with unified middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin, scheduled to headline a major HBO PPV event on May 5 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will be canceled. It is extremely rare for the commission to issue a complaint against a fighter for doping violations and for the fighter to go unpunished.

“After completing my investigation, I made the determination to file a complaint against Mr. Alvarez and set the matter for a disciplinary hearing during the commission’s regularly scheduled meeting on April 18,” Bennett said.

“We’re waiting for the official decision from the commission, but GGG is training and preparing for May 5 and that’s what he wants to do — fight May 5,” Golovkin promoter Tom Loeffler told ESPN. “Naturally, Canelo is the top priority and if for some reason Canelo is not available, we’ll have to weigh all the options at that point. But as of right now we’re waiting to get more direction from the commission.”

The Middleweight showdown between Daniel Jacobs and Maciej Sulecki at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on April 28, live on HBO, has been approved as a final eliminator for the WBA World Middleweight title.

Jacobs and Sulecki will battle it out to become mandatory challenger for the May 5 clash between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Jacobs’ old foe ‘GGG’ Gennady Golovkin – raising the stakes for Jacobs’ return to his Brooklyn home.

‘The Miracle Man’ is back at Barclays for the first time since stopping Sergio Mora in September 2016, the fourth defence of the WBA title he won in there in August 2014 – and with today’s news is now in touching distance of challenging to reclaim it.

April 28 is Jacobs’ second fight with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing USA after outclassing Luis Arias in November at NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and both Jacobs and Hearn are thrilled that the 31 year old will can be in touching distance of his ultimate goal – facing a fellow elite 160-pounder to become World ruler again.

“I’m grateful for the WBA for this opportunity and it gives me even more motivation going into April 28,” said Jacobs. “I feel that I beat GGG in the first fight and everyone knows my plan has always been to fight the winner of the rematch – now is there is no hiding place”

“This is great news for Jacobs and Sulecki and it’s such a huge opportunity,” said Hearn. “When we signed Danny, the aim was always to fight the winner of Canelo v GGG but sometimes in boxing, politics will work against you.

“Sometimes you have to take destiny in your own hands and now we know that victory on April 28 will lead us to the promised land. Danny Jacobs is the best Middleweight in the world and now he can go and prove it.”

Jacobs’ clash with Sulecki is part of a huge night of action in New York where fellow Brooklyn star Jarrell Miller meets Johann Duhaupas in a WBA World Heavyweight title eliminator clash and WBA World Lightweight ruler Katie Taylor aims to unify against IBF champion Victoria Bustos.

Kazakhstan’s 2016 Olympic Gold medallist Daniyar Yeleussinov makes his pro debut on the bill, unbeaten knockout artist Shohjahon Ergashev, a native of Uzbekistan, now fighting out of Brooklyn, NY will face China’s Zhimin Wang, undefeated lightweight prospect Dimash Niyazov will be making his Barclays Center debut in a six-round bout.

Exciting welterweight prospect Julian Sosa, originally from Mexico, now fighting out of Brooklyn, NY, will fight for the fifth time at Barclays Center and native of the boxing rich Clones, Ireland, Larry Fryers, is coming off an outstanding 2017 campaign which saw him post five big wins from California to New York.

Tickets to the event start at $42 and are on sale NOW. To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com, BarclaysCenter.com, or call 800-745-3000. Tickets for the event can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning Saturday, February 24 at noon. For information on group sales, call 844.255.9647.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, MGM Resorts are giving refunds to the Canelo Alvarez – Gennady Golovkin bout, thus adding speculation that the bout could be cancelled due to Alvarez testing positive to a performance enhancer.

“Business as usual in training camp,” Golden Boy posted along with the video. “Canelo working the heavy bag under the watchful eye of (trainer Eddy Reynoso).”

“If a fan requests a refund for the Canelo-GGG 2 fight they may receive one, in full, at the original point of purchase,” an MGM Resorts International spokesman told ESPN in an email on Wednesday night.

Philadelphia, PA /White Plains, NY (March 26, 2018) — Undefeated, two-time world champion Demetrius Andrade (25-0, 16 KOs) is ready and available for a showdown with unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, should Canelo Alvarez not be cleared by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on April 10th for his May 5th rematch with Golovkin.

Andrade, who is ranked number 1 by the WBO in the middleweight division, feels that if Alvarez is not cleared by the commission for his recent positive test for Clenbuterol, he would be the most obvious candidate to face Golovkin.

“I am ready, willing and able to step to the plate on May 5th to fight Golovkin,” stated Andrade. “I am always in the gym, and I will start VADA testing right now. I guarantee that I will pass all the tests. I know other fighters can’t say the same thing. I am undefeated, and a two-time world champion. Golovkin went through a period where nobody wanted to fight him. I am that guy now. The man nobody wants to fight. Everyone says what does Demetrius Andrade bring to the table? Besides being the best American middleweight, and one of the top 3 middleweights in the world, everyone knows who I am, and the know how good I am. My question is to those who say that I don’t bring anything to the table. What did Murray, Adama, Geale, Monroe and Rosado bring to the table? None of the top contenders want to fight me so I believe that if Canelo is unavailable for May 5th, I want the opportunity to face Golovkin for the unified middleweight championship of the world.”

Golovkin’s Promoter Tom Loeffler stated after Alvarez was temporarily suspended that his fighter will still compete on May 5th with or without Alvarez.

“Whatever the commission does, Gennady would still fight May 5th if Canelo is out,” he said. “If for some reason it’s not against Canelo, we’ll figure out the best course of action at that time, but he is training to fight May 5th.”, Loeffler told Dan Rafael of ESPN.com

Like Golovkin, Andrade is also in the gym, and will be ready should he get the call for May 5th.

Andrade is promoted by Banner Promotions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

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According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, The Nevada Commisiion has temporarily suspended Canelo Alvarez, thus putting his May 5th rematch with Canelo Alvarez in Jeopardy pending a hearing on April 10th.

Alvarez will be required to appear at a commission hearing — either in person or via telephone — on the issue April 10, less than a month before he is to challenge Golovkin in a heavily anticipated rematch of their controversial draw at the same venue in September. ?The commission will decide at the hearing whether the fight will go ahead as scheduled.

“Mr. Alvarez is temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his adverse analytical findings, that being clenbuterol, on Feb. 17 and 20,” Nevada Commission Exexutive Director Bob Bennett said in a statement. “A commission hearing is scheduled for April 10, 2018, to hear from Mr. Alvarez.”

“We respect the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s process and will vigorously present Canelo’s case throughout,” Golden Boy Promotions spokesman Stefan Friedman said in a statement to ESPN. “Over his career, Canelo has tested clean more than 90 times and would never intentionally take a banned substance.”

“Again with Mexican meat? Come on,” Golovkin said Tuesday. “I told you, it’s not Mexican meat. This is Canelo. This is his team. This is his promotion. Canelo is cheating. They’re using these drugs, and everybody is just trying to pretend it’s not happening.

“This guy, he knows. This is not his first day in boxing. He proves he gets benefits from everyone and he can get away with it. Check him on a lie detector, and then we can find out everything.”

Speaking by phone to ESPN later Tuesday, Golovkin added, “I think it is silly to blame the meat because an athlete at this level should not be caught on the meat. I eat Mexican food all the time, and I’ve never had that problem.”

“GGG is in full training-camp mode right now, and he wants to fight May 5 regardless of what happens,” Golovkin promoter Tom Loeffler told ESPN on Friday night. “The commission did issue the temporary suspension for Canelo, but everything is subject to what happens April 10 at their hearing. On the GGG side, he’s fired up. He’s on edge for this fight. This fight was really getting red-hot and nearing being sold out after this week. On the GGG side, whenever he can get Canelo in the rematch, he’ll fight him. Gennady felt he was wronged [by the decision] the first time. That’s where some of those comments came out in the heat of the training camp this week. As soon as he can get him back in the ring, whether it’s on May 5 or on a future date, he’ll do his best to knock out Canelo. The respect he had for him in the first fight is out the window after this. All the pleasantries are out the window.”

“We definitely respect the commission for their thorough investigation. I have to commend them for what they’re doing,” Loeffler said. “Canelo has cooperated with them from [what] they’ve said, and they’ve subjected him to numerous tests since the failed tests. Whatever the commission does, Gennady would still fight May 5 if Canelo is out.

“If for some reason it’s not against Canelo, we’ll figure out the best course of action at that time, but he is training to fight May 5. We’d look at [middleweight titlist] Billy Joe Saunders or anyone else who makes sense. Hopefully, it’s Canelo. If not, we will weigh the options and meet with HBO and the people from the MGM [owner of T-Mobile Arena].”

Billy Joe Saunders has insisted that despite his eagerness to unify with Gennady Golovkin, he will not be treated as a back-up plan.

On May 5th, Canelo Alvarez and Golovkin are scheduled to face each other in a rematch of their first meeting that ended in a controversial draw.

Canelo recently tested positive for the banned drug clenbuterol in drug tests conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

If the highly-anticipated rematch does not go ahead, Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez has hinted that Golovkin would “go a different way” and target a fight with undefeated WBO Champion Saunders.

Despite Sanchez claiming that Saunders would be “chomping at the bit” to face Golovkin as a ‘plan B’, the Hatfield man has reiterated that if the Middleweight foes meet in the ring, it will be on his terms.

“First of all me and Frank signed a contract to fight Golovkin before and they were the ones that pulled out, not me,” said Saunders. “I’m no back-up plan or plan B to anyone, I’m a World Champion and I believe that I’m the best in the division.

“If anything, Golovkin is my back-up plan. He is only saying this now because he is worried about getting beat by Canelo. He thinks that if he loses he’s going to fight again straight away for my belt.

“If he gets beat and comes to me without his belts then obviously I’m the A side and he’s the B side. If he comes to me with his belts then most definitely I’ll look forward to fighting him but he’s got Canelo to worry about first.

“Him and his trainer can talk as much crap as they want but when it comes down to it I’m ready to do the walking as well as the talking – and I’ve proved that before. For now all of my focus is on beating Martin Murray on Saturday 23rd June.”

Tickets for Saunders v Murray priced from £40 (Tier) to £300 (Hospitality) are available to purchase via www.axs.com.