Gennady Golovkin is set to face Dominic Wade on April 23, but his promoter is already thinking of his future plans for the middleweight boxing superstar.
Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions said that Golovkin could face Gilberto Ramirez if they fail to secure a showdown with reigning World Boxing Council middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and World Boxing Organization middleweight ruler Billy Joe Saunders.
Loeffler said that he liked what he saw from Ramirez during his unanimous decision win over Arthur Abraham on Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"My job for Gennady is to make sure we have as many options as possible," Loeffler told Los Angeles Times, when asked about his plans for Alvarez. "Clearly, to watch the Ramirez fight, thought he looked good. If you can dominate an established veteran who's had a great career."
Loeffler insisted that the fights against Alvarez and Saunders are still their main options at this point, but both fighters appear uninterested in facing Golovkin this year. He said that they will gladly settle for a fight against Ramirez, saying that the Mexican gained a lot of followers with his impressive performance on Saturday.
Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum also called out Golovkin, saying that the unbeaten middleweight champion should consider facing Ramirez, who became the first Mexican to win a world super-middleweight title.
"As soon as possible,"Arum told BoxingScene, when asked when he wants Ramirez to get a shot at Golovkin.
Arum also said that Golovkin's camp should focus on other fights instead of waiting for Alvarez, saying that Canelo will not face Golovkin this year. Responding to Arum's statement, Loeffler is still hoping Alvarez will honor his commitment to defend the title to Golovkin in September.
"Until Canelo makes a decision, it's up to him and hard to speculate," Loeffler said. "I know Canelo is a proud champion and not afraid to take risks. Canelo is one of my favorite fighters."
Alvarez will defend his title against Amir Khan on May 7 at T-Mobile Arena, while Golovkin will take on Wade on April 23 at the Forum in Inglewood, California. If both fighters win, Canelo has to face Golovkin, the mandatory challenger, or he will be stripped of his title.
