Golovkin signs deal with DAZN
GGG heading toward trilogy with Canelo
Mar 11, 2019, 6:34 am
Former lineal middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin will spend his next six fights on streaming service DAZN. (Photo courtesy of HBO Boxing)
After nearly six months of uncertainty, former middleweight titleist Gennady Golovkin is ready to move on with his career. According to media reports Golovkin has signed a six-fight deal with streaming service DAZN.
Golovkin's last 17 fights have been affiliated with HBO. But Golovkin's HBO deal expired in 2018, and shortly thereafter the network announced they were getting out of the boxing business. DAZN has signed several former HBO fighters, most notably Canelo Alvarez. Golovkin making the move to DAZN all but guarantees a third fight between Canelo and GGG will occur later this year. Canelo and Golovkin fought to a draw in September of 2017. Canelo won the rematch via split decision in 2018, though many ringside bystanders felt Golovkin deserved the nod. The $10 per month streaming service has operated under the marketing slogan of "death to pay-per-view" offering future fights for Canelo, GGG and heavyweight titleist Anthony Joshua all for the cost of a subscription.
Canelo signed his 11 fight deal with DAZN in October, and has already completed his first fight with the network in December in a victory over Rocky Fielding. Golovkin's deal is for six fights. He will likely also get a soft touch in his first fight with the network. Speculation suggests that GGG will return to the ring in June before his third fight with Canelo in September on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Along with the third fight with Canelo, DAZN's deal with Golovkin reportedly includes ownership stake in the service, along with multiple dates for Golovkin's GGG Promotions. If Golovkin fights twice per year the six-fight deal will keep Golovkin with DAZN through age 39, which would likely be the end of his career.
The signing of Golovkin means the top four fighters as middleweight are aligned with DAZN. Daniel Jacobs and Billy Joe Saunders also fight for DAZN under Matchroom Boxing. Jacobs will challenge Canelo for his lineal middleweight title in May. Golovkin beat Jacobs in a tight unanimous decision victory in March of 2017. Saunders now becomes a likely opponent for all three. All four being with DAZN is excellent news for fans of boxing, because fights for the top four fighters in the division should be easy to make.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
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The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
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Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
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Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
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Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.