Top 5 – Spike O’Sullivan to learn GGG fate “in the next couple of days”
Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan [27(19)-2(1)] will know in the next couple of days whether or not he has indeed secured a dream shot at middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin [37(33)-0-1].
The Cork fighter has been sitting by the phone for a week now since Canelo Alvarez withdrew from his clash with Golovkin, hoping to get good news with regard to the Kazakh power puncher.
Indeed, having heard that the Nevada Athletic Commission wouldn’t pass Team GGG’s preferred choice as Alvarez’s May 5th replacement – Mexican hotshot Jaime Munguia – as an opponent, the former Irish champ was expected to confirmed as next to challenge the WBA, IBF and WBC belt holder.
However, it seems the 33-year-old Murphys Boxing fighter faces a further wait before finding out if he will top a Golden Boy on ESPN card on Friday May 4th or compete against one of the biggest stars in modern boxing on the Saturday.
Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler revealed there are still five names in the running, the only of which named was O’Sullivan, and a decision will be made in due course.
“As soon we have everything sorted out, hopefully we’ll have an announcement in the next couple of days,” Loeffler said about Golovkin’s May 5th opponent.
“Right now, he’s training. He wants to fight May 5th. He wants to stay active, and then we’ll work out the details for the rematch with [Canelo]. There have been a lot of opponents under consideration, and one of them is [O’Sullivan].”
“There’s probably a list of five different guys. We’re just going through, making sure. We’ve got to look for the right guy.”
“Obviously, it’s short notice now. We must fight in a month, so we have to have all the moving parts working together.”
“It won’t be a southpaw that I can tell you. This is his second week of sparring. He’s getting right-handed sparring, so he’s not going to fight a southpaw,” Loeffler said during a press meet where Golovkin wasn’t too kind to suspended former foe Canelo.
If Mahon’s O’Sullivan, who is still deemed the front-runner by most, doesn’t get a coveted shot at GGG he will top a bill in Las Vegas on May 4th and would then look to provide comeback opposition for Mexican superstar Canelo in September time, with the Guadalajaran expected to receive a six month ban which will be backdated to his positive tests for Clenbuterol in February.
Other names believed to be in the mix include Ukrainian dangerman Sergiy Derevyanchenko who is the IBF mandatory and whose promoter, Lou DiBella, is aggressively pushing for the fight.
O’Sullivan is deep in a full camp with coach and manager Paschal Collins at the Celtic Warriors Gym in Dublin.
