'I’ve said yes': Gary 'Spike' O'Sullivan says world-title fight negotiations underway with Gennady Golovkin
Gary 'Spike' O'Sullivan has said “yes to fighting GGG” and is awaiting the outcome of negotiations to confirm the world-title bout.
In a statement released on Twitter, O'Sullivan said: “My job as a professional boxer is to say yes to fights and to make sure I’m ready for them. After that it goes to the people who negotiate deals to make the fights possible.
“I’ve said yes to fighting GGG, I’ve been training nonstop since my last fight and now I’m waiting to see if it can be agreed, just like you. I trust my team to do what’s right for me, one way or another.
“As soon as I know what’s going on I will tell you. If I get the opportunity to go in against the best I won’t let you down. I truly believe that it is my destiny to become the world champion.”
— Gary Spike OSullivan (@spike_osullivan) April 4, 2018
Gary 'Spike' O'Sullivan is being tipped for a huge world-title fight against Gennady Golovkin next month.
The unbeaten Kazakh boxer (37-0-1, 33 KOs) has vowed his title defence will go ahead on May 5, after Canelo Alvarez withdrew from their much-anticipated rematch.
I will be defending my titles on Cinco de Mayo in Las Vegas!
— Gennadiy Golovkin (@GGGBoxing) April 3, 2018
Official announcement coming soon! pic.twitter.com/ewsXojzBdv
Alvarez tested positive for trace levels of the performance-enhancing drug Clenbuterol, the boxer's promoters Golden Boy Promotions announced in March.
That outcome was attributed to meat contamination and Alvarez's case will be heard by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on April 18.
Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez announced the fight with Golovkin could not proceed given Alvarez is not expected to be cleared by the fight date.
O'Sullivan (27-2, 19 KOs) had pushed himself into the frame for a title fight after his knockout victory over rising prospect Antoine Douglas last December. That installed him as the no.11-ranked challenger in the WBC's middleweight rankings.
As he'd been expected to fight the same weekend, he may be rerouted to face Golovkin in a Las Vegas payday.
The WBC's own Twitter hinted at "big probabilities that Gary O’Sullivan will be facing Golovkin now".
GGG VS Canelo has been cancelled and there are big probabilities that Gary O’Sullivan will be facing Golovkin now.
— World Boxing Council (@WBCBoxing) April 3, 2018
Who else would you like the WBC Middleweight Champion to face if not the Irish?#WBC #GGG #Boxing #WBCpicks pic.twitter.com/97Yao25vE2
“I’m training like an absolute lunatic. I’m not sure who I’m fighting yet, but I’m training like I’m fighting Canelo and Golovkin on the same night,” he told Pundit Arena last month.
O'Sullivan's two losses came against Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr.
Golovkin and Alvarez fought a hugely controversial draw in their first meeting last September. Many experts thought Golovkin had edged a close fight but one judge scored it 118-110 in favour of Alvarez.
Of his 37 previous wins, 33 came by knockout.
Another defence would see him tie Bernard Hopkins' all-time record for consecutive middleweight title defenses (20).
