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A22     SPORTS
                   Monday 20 March 2017


















                        GGG has options, options, options




            BARRY WILNER
             AP Sports Writer
            NEW YORK (AP) — Options,
            options and more options.
            All the talk if Gennady Go-
            lovkin successfully defend-
            ed  his  middleweight  titles
            against   Danny    Jacobs
            was  centered  on  GGG
            finally  getting  in  the  ring
            with Canelo Alvarez. Now,
            there  might  be  another
            big-money  possibility  after
            Saturday  night’s  close  de-
            cision win: a rematch with
            Jacobs.
            Actually,  Golovkin  most
            likely  will  next  fight  Eng-
            land’s  Billy  Joe  Saunders,
            who  owns  the  only  belt  in
            the weight class not in the
            Kazakh’s  possession,  the
            WBO’s  version  in  the  al-
            phabet soup of champion-
            ships. That could happen in
            Golovkin’s home country in
            June during the EXPO 2017
            - a world’s fair type event .
            Golovkin  likes  that  idea,
            though it wouldn’t be a lu-
            crative  payday.  The  idea
            of  completely  unifying  all   Gennady Golovkin, of Kazakhstan, celebrates after winning a middleweight boxing match against Daniel Jacobs, left, ealry Sun-
            the  middleweight  crowns    day, March 19, 2017, in New York.
            is  enticing  for  the  34-year-                                                                                                Associated Press
            old  power  puncher  who,
            for the first time in 24 fights   May, is where the big bucks  only defeat in 43 fights was  and Daniel Jacobs got X’d  Jacobs  said.  “When  I  got
            did not stop an opponent.    are. That’s been true, how-  to  Floyd  Mayweather  in  out,”  he  said.  “I  am  look-  up  I  thought,  ‘This  is  all  he
            He outpointed a crafty Ja-   ever, for several years, and  2013.                       ing forward to the future; I  has?’  There  were  many
            cobs  at  Madison  Square    putting  together  such  a  “Of  course  I  am  ready  to  think I gained a lot of fans.  times during the fight I went
            Garden.                      fight has been elusive.      fight  Canelo.  Of  course  I  My style is good, I am a fan-  toe to toe because I knew
            “My goal is all the belts in   Tom  Loeffler,  GGG’s  pro-  want  that  fight,”  Golovkin  friendly guy, and I thought I  I could.”
            the middleweight division,”   moter,   repeated   many  said.  “I  am  like  an  animal  won the fight.”            Going toe to toe with GGG
            he  said  after  winning  115-  times  after  the  Jacobs  for that fight.”            Jacobs  didn’t,  barely.  But  again is not in Jacobs’ con-
            112 on two cards, 114-113    fight  that  he  believes  Go-  The  elephant  in  the  ring,  he  won  tons  of  support,  trol. But at least he remains
            on  another.  “Of  course,   lovkin-Alvarez can happen  though,  could  be  Jacobs.  particularly  after  getting  in the conversation.
            Billy Joe is the last one. It is   before  the  end  of  2017.  Nicknamed “Miracle Man,”  off the canvas in the fourth  “He’s  my  best  opponent,
            my dream.”                   Several  of  his  listeners  re-  after  overcoming  bone  round and not just surviving  he  is  very  smart,  he  had
            GGG  hasn’t  fought  at      sponded,  basically,  with  a  cancer  in  2011-12  to  win  but prospering. He won the  very good boxing skill,” Go-
            home  since  2010,  when     “We’ve heard that before”  10 straight fights, he nearly  last  three  rounds  with  two  lovkin said. “He don’t mind
            he  won  the  WBA  crown     mantra.                      pulled  off  the  huge  upset.  of  the  judges,  and  two  of  fighting,  he  doesn’t  lose
            against Nilson Julio Tapia. It   “I  believe  both  sides  want  In  doing  so  by  keeping  three on the other card.  control.
            simply hasn’t been a prof-   this  fight  and  we  are  get-  GGG  off-balance  —  Ja-  “After  the  knockdown,  I  “I  am  ready  for  anybody.
            itable  place  for  boxing,   ting  closer  to  it,”  Loeffler  cobs’  periodically  switch-  told him he had to kill me,”  It’s my job.”q
            though  his  handlers  think   said.                      ing  to  a  left-handed  style
            there potentially could be   His boxer was asked in the  was a very effective tactic
            a  bigger  purse  during  the   ring  Saturday  night  after  — and closing with a flour-
            expo.                        the  exhausting  bout  with  ish,  He  put  himself  in  the
            The    Alvarez   matchup,    Jacobs  to  discuss  meeting  mix for another go with Go-
            should  the  Mexican  beat   Alvarez,  the  super  welter-  lovkin.
            Julio  Cesar  Chavez  Jr.  in   weight  champion  whose  “They  want  the  big  fight
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