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Gennady Golovkin’s next fight is official

Written by Patrik Kuitunen on 18th April 2018.

The much rumoured Gennady Golovkin versus Vanes Martirosyan for the WBA and WBC World middleweight titles is official and the fight will take place at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles, USA.

The Kazakh was originally scheduled to face Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas for their anticipated rematch but the bout got cancelled after Canelo tested positive for clenbuterol, a banned performance-enhancing substance.

After weeks of coming up with an alternative option, promoter Tom Loeffler and Golovkin made the official announcement today.

“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. 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,” said Golovkin

“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 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.”

Martirosyan is a two-time world title challenger with a record of 36-3-1. He’s fought the likes of Jermell Charlo, Erislandy Lara, Demetrius Andrade and on May 5 he will face the biggest name in the middleweight division in Golovkin.