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Three years in the making – Spike O’Sullivan calling for GGG since 2015


There were people who questioned where Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan [27(19)-2(1)] could go after his defeat to Chris Eubank Jr back in December 2015.

It looked as if the popular Cork middleweight may have missed a second chance to really gatecrash elite World level after a perforated eardrum led his corner to pull him out against the controversial English puncher.

However, the 33-year-old doubled down and changed his approach to training, rebuilding Stateside, and putting himself firmly in the minds of fight fans around the World with impressive TV wins over Nick Quigley and Antoine Douglas in 2017.

Furthermore, without throwing a punch this year, the Celtic Warrior Gym puncher has been a name on the entire boxing family’s lips in 2018.

The Mahon middle confirmed last week that he had agreed to fight Golden Boy’s golden boy Saul Canelo Alvarez in September, perhaps  the biggest money generator outside of Floyd Mayweather – provided he came through a May 4th Las Vegas TV bout.

However, it now seems there is a chance Paschal Collins-trained fighter may not have to wait until September for a marque name fight and may be fighting in front of the watching world on May 5th.

After the flame-haired Mexican was temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission until an April 10 hearing for testing positive for Clenbuterol, his world title rematch with WBC/WBA/IBF champion Gennady Golovkin is in doubt. Indeed ESPN boxing writer Dan Rafael is confident in his prediction that the fight won’t go ahead.

It seems Spike is one of the names on the shortlist of replacements and could get Golovkin [37(33)-0-1] at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 5th.

Although Canelo is possibly more lucrative an opponent, Spike has always stated a GGG desire as he is a massive fan of the Kazakh,

While most laughed at the time as far back as 2015 he was saying it was a fight he wanted to fight the three belt World champ. The calls came ahead of his WBA-NABA title fight with Melvin Betancourt as O’Sullivan noted how Kassim Ouma, Andy Lee, and Willie Monroe – the three previous holders – all secured world title fights after winning the rankings belt.

His first mention of a Golovkin fight came in the ring following his win over Larry Smith on February 26th 2015 in Melrose, Massachusetts, which he would then elaborate on talking to told Irish-Boxing.com in Dublin on May 1st.

Speaking ahead of the Betancourt fight after picking up his award for 2014 KO of the Year, O’Sullivan said that “I’d like to get in with Gennady Golovkin, that’s who I’d like to fight.”

“He’d be the one I’d want next. He’s WBA champion and I’m in this game to prove I’m the best and he’s the guy who’s currently the best and the guy I’d like to fight next.”

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)

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