MSG Favorited For GGG Return

While his original opponent has pulled out, Gennady Golovkin is all-steam ahead for a return on June 8th, possibly at Madison Square Garden.

Per a report from the Los Angeles Times, Golovkin and his team met with the New York State Athletic Commission to finalize the possibility of his first fight at the World’s Most Famous Arena since a 2017 win over Daniel Jacobs.

The backup date if June 8th is an issue would be Friday June 14th, a day before Tyson Fury’s first fight for Top Rank/ESPN+.

Brandon Adams, who won the most recent version of The Contender, rejected a fight with Golovkin in-favor of a fight with WBC interim middleweight champion Jermall Charlo.

Possibly filling the opening is Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam of Cameroon.

N’Dam N’Jikam is a former WBA middleweight champion, who lost his title to David Lemeiux in 2017.

Even with MSG as the favorite, Texas event coordinator is looking to pull GGG’s return from New York to San Antonio’s Alamodome.

The reported deal would be configured for 38,000 seats for a rent-free package for Golovkin’s team.

“’Triple-G is such a big name among American Hispanics, it’s a perfect fit,” Bedford said.

“San Antonio wants this fight badly, and we don’t care who he fights. If the opponent is good enough for DAZN, he’s good enough for us. Gennady has endeared himself to the fight fans, and while he’d be returning to New York with his [least-known] opponent in quite some time while coming off a loss [to Alvarez], it’d be a huge media event in San Antonio.

“It’d be a great opportunity to make a splash in Texas, and it would help with building the Canelo fight.”

Even with that attractive package, Golovkin’s team has focused solely focused on a return to MSG, where the former middleweight champion has a sizable following.

Initial Report: Los Angeles Times