‘Nightmare’ beckons for hot Triple-G

NEVER has a world title defence by Gennady “GGG” Golovkin been this low-keyed.

The longest reigning world champion will risk his three major world titles against Vanes Martirosyan who is largely viewed as undeserving of a shot at the unbeaten man.

The fight comes after GGG’s original opponent Canelo Alvarez withdrew owing to suspension stemming from a failed dope test.

The fight was to be a rematch of their explosive September showdown which ended in a draw. Rather than cancel the date, GGG insisted that he wanted to carry on with the fight as planned against another opponent.

Martirosyan was found to be a willing foe but detractors cannot help but question the approval of the Armenian whose biggest fights remain losses to junior-middleweight boxers such as Erislandy Lara and Jermell Charlo who are both considered way below GGG’s standard.

While some have no problem with Martirosyan as an opponent but questions are being asked about why the fight is for the world middleweight championships.

The Canelo rematch is being mooted for September and GGG’s chances will be judged according to how he performs against the Armenian.

Golovkin has emphasised the need to leave a lasting legacy in the game and his decision to put his world championships on the line could be influenced by that goal.