Spike in line for shot at Golovkin’s titles
GARY ‘SPIKE’ O’SULLIVAN is in line for a sensational world title shot in Las Vegas on May 5 after the Corkman confirmed yesterday that he has agreed to step in as a replacement for Canelo Alvarez in the mega-bout with WBC, IBF and WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
The Mexican superstar reluctantly withdrew from the bout — a rematch to their controversial draw last September — earlier this week after it emerged that he failed a drugs test in February.
Alvarez tested positive for clenbuterol and even though he has protested his innocence, blaming contaminated meat, he stepped aside rather than risk a lengthy suspension from the ring.
O’Sullivan, who propelled himself up the middleweight rankings with a shock stoppage win over Antoine Douglas in December, is currently in training camp as he had been scheduled to fight on the warm-up card in Vegas, the night before Golovkin-Alvarez.
‘My job as a professional boxer is to say yes to fights and to make sure I am ready for them,’ the 33-year-old from Mahon said in a statement. ‘After that it goes to the people who negotiate the 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 arranged. I trust my team to do what’s right for me, one way or another.
‘If I get the opportunity to go in against the best, I won’t let anyone down. I truly believe that it is my destiny to become the world champion.’
O’Sullivan has won 27 of his previous 29 pro bouts, his only two defeats coming to Chris Eubank jr and current WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders. He will be the second Irish boxer to try and dethrone the Kazakh knockout artist.
In June 2013 Matthew Macklin got a shot against Golovkin but lasted just three rounds before GGG unleashed a vicious left hook that broke two of Macklin’s ribs. It was one of 33 knockouts in Golovkin’s 37 wins as a professional.
The Kazakh, now 36, needs just one more defence to equal Bernard Hopkins’ record of 20 consecutive world title defences in the middleweight division.