Ring Observer Boxing by Scoop Malinowski
I did another interview with Aleksander Strelnikov for Sport.kz …
Aleksander Strelnikov: I wanted to ask you to answer a few questions about the current situation in the middleweight division of professional boxing.
– What do you think, how big are the chances of Zhanibek Alimkhanuly to meet after Gennady Golovkin‘s refusal of two championship belts with some World Champion according to another version?
– Zhanibek and Esquiva Falcao – Top Rank boxers. Will Bob Arum want to bring them together in the future, if the Brazilian becomes a champion, for unification? Or will it be more profitable for him to have two World Champions at once?
Scoop Malinowski: It’s hard to answer anything about boxing right now, after we just witnessed Tyson Fury’s failed attempt to duck Oleksandr Usyk, a man he previously mocked as a “middleweight.” Fury absolutely tried to duck a chance to unify the world heavyweight championship and he may still escape it, the contract is not signed though Usyk agreed to the 3070 split even though with three titles he is the one who deserves 7030. So to try to predict what Bob Arum will do with Alimkhanuly and Falcao is impossible for me, sorry. Arum’s silence during the whole Fury vs Usyk drama is very suspect.
Aleksander Strelnikov: Golovkin’s refusal of his titles has opened up great prospects for Australian Michael Zerafa – he can now face both Falcao and Lara. And what about his duel with GGG, what do you think? The Australians said that with the help of their government they could provide Golovkin with a decent fee.
Scoop Malinowski: It’s hard to imagine Golovkin having any interest to go to Australia to face Zerafa. The jackpot will need to be substantial to excite him. I don’t think that’s an option that inspires him.
Aleksander Strelnikov: Some experts believe that Golovkin was the victim of his contract with DAZN with excessively inflated fees. What do you think?
Scoop Malinowski: I think Golovkin is one of the ultimate greatest fighters I ever saw perform – and one of the most unfortunate victims of boxing corruption and injustice. It’s maddening how many fans actually think he was overrated. Quote by Malcolm X comes to mind: “The media has the power to make the innocent look guilty and the guilty look innocent.” The media has the power to make one of the greatest fighters in history look average and an ordinary fighter (Wilder, Mayweather, Canelo) look all time great.
Aleksander Strelnikov: Do you think Meyirim Nursultanov have any chances to get closer to the championship fight with now in the conditions of confusion in the middleweight division?
Scoop Malinowski: I wish I could predict what Meiirim Nursultanov will do in the near future. He’s an extraordinary super talent but if a marvel like Gennady Golovkin can be mistreated by the sport/business, they can also minimize Nursultanov too. The state of boxng right now is in crisis. We can only hope it will heal itself before it’s too late.
