In the first hint that knockout specialist Gennady Golovkin may be on his short list for his September opponent, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. told the boxing news site Fighthype that getting in the ring with Golovkin at a catch weight of 148 or 150 pounds would “probably by a good fight for me.”
After easily defeating previous top challenger Manny Pacquiao in their May 2 megafight, the undefeated Mayweather announced that his next matchup — a scheduled September date which would fulfill his six-fight deal with the United States pay cable network Showtime — would be the last of his career.
Assuming he wins that fight against an opponent yet to be named, Mayweather would finish his career at 49-0, tying the record for an undefeated career set by heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano.
But in the interview posted Thursday on YouTube and viewable above, Mayweather also hints that he may stick around for a 50th fight, taking a tune-up opponent for his September bout, mentioning 31-year-old, 30-3 welterweight veteran Andre Berto as a possible opponent.
It was Mayweather’s mention, however, of the Kazakhstan-born Golovkin — known by the nickname “Triple G” — that drew the attention of hardcore boxing fans, who have long-clamored for a fight between Mayweather, arguably the most proficient defensive fighter of all time, and Golovkin who is currently riding a streak of 20 consecutive knockouts.
“Golovkin, he goes out and does what he has to do,” Mayweather said in the Fighthype video. “At my weight right now, you know, I walk around at 150, 148, 150 — probably be a good fight for me, probably would, but you know, I’m almost finished.”
But other boxing experts, such as trainer Freddie Roach, who handles another potential Golovkin opponent, Miguel Cotto, believe that Golovkin has yet to fight a world-class opponent and has failed to build a fan base — both factors that make him an unlikely opponent for a big-money fighter such as Mayweather or Cotto.
Oddly enough, in the Fighthype video, Mayweather also mentions the possibility of fighting a rematch with “Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya — even though the 42-year-old De La Hoya has not fought professionally since he was brutally stopped in eight rounds by Pacquiao in December of 2008.
Mayweather and De La Hoya fought a May, 2007, bout which, until its records were shattered by this year’s Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight, was the richest boxing match of all time.
De La Hoya, however, when interviewed recently by TMZ Sports , admitted that he thinks about coming out of retirement “every day,” but if he did so, his top choice of opponent would not be Floyd Mayweather, Jr. — but Gennady Golovkin.
[Images: Fighthype, TMZ Screen Grabs]