Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin: Will Boxing's Biggest Potential Fight Be Pushed To 2017?

Gennady Golovkin is in talks with a potential opponent for his next fight, and it’s not Canelo Alvarez. The knockout artist from Kazakhstan is reportedly considering a bout with the son of a former British boxing great.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has told Sky Sports that there have been discussions about Chris Eubank Jr. facing Golovkin in September. Golovkin is looking to fight in September after last stepping in the ring on April 23.

"I asked them behind closed doors whether it was a joke but they told me 'It's real - make the fight'. And over the last couple of weeks that's what we've been doing,” Hearn said.

"We're in a position now where we haven't agreed terms but we're well on the way to agreeing terms with Golovkin for a September fight with Chris Eubank Jr.”

Eubank Jr. is the son of former super-middleweight champion Chris Eubank, who last fought in 1998 and ended his career with a record of 45-5-2. At 26 years old, Eubank Jr. has a 22-1 record, having won his last four bouts. His only loss came two years ago when he was defeated by Billy Joe Saunders, who has been suggested as a potential opponent for Golovkin.

Before Eubank Jr. is able to secure what would easily be the biggest fight of his career, he has business to take care of. He’s set to face Tom Doran on June 25, against whom he is a heavy favorite.

"He must beat Tom Doran - it's a defence of his British title. We've just seen Doran coming off the back of a fight of the year contender against Luke Keeler,” Hearn said.

"He can really, really punch and if Eubank takes his eye off the ball he can forget about the likes of Golovkin.

"But certainly that fight is ramping up speed and don't be surprised to see Eubank-Golovkin in September."

Golovkin’s first choice remains a fight with Alvarez, who has made it clear that he wants his shot at the undefeated middleweight. Alvarez is coming off a devastating sixth-round knockout of Amir Khan, and he’s set to headline a main event for another pay-per-view on Sept. 17 at either MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, or Madison Square Garden in New York.

But just because Alvarez wants the fight to happen in 2016, that doesn’t mean he’ll get to face Golovkin just yet. A bout with Golovkin could be pushed to next year as Golden Boy looks to keep Alvarez’s nearly unblemished record intact. The Mexican fighter’s only loss came against Floyd Mayweather in 2013, and he’s become the sport’s top PPV draw.

"We're going to sit down with Tom Loeffler. If it's something that benefits all of us — whether it's time to do the fight in September, whether there's enough time to put a great promotion together — we're going to give it a real shot,” Golden Boy Vice President Eric Gomez told RingTV.com. “We're going to see exactly what they're looking for and if we can make it happen, we'll make it happen. And if not, then there's a slew of other guys out there."

Golovkin improved his record to 35-0 with a second round knockout of Dominic Wade two months ago. It was his 22nd straight win by either KO or TKO.