Billy Joe Saunders Has Plenty to Ponder over a Potential Gennady Golovkin Fight

Billy Joe Saunders is at the top table in the middleweight division now, but he should think carefully before biting off more than he can chew.

The 26-year-old finds himself with a decision to make at the start of 2016—accept the chance to fight Gennady Golovkin, a man The Ring magazine ranks third in their pound-for-pound list, or turn down a potential once-in-a-lifetime offer and look elsewhere for his next opponent.

Saunders’ choice could shape his career, for better or worse.

Still, it is just the situation he has always wanted to be in. He catapulted himself into the big time by claiming the WBO title in December with victory over Andy Lee in Manchester, England.

A cagey fight with Lee was decided on points, with the challenger earning a majority decision. Yet the bout had really been decided in Round 3, when Saunders knocked his opponent down twice to quickly build a substantial lead on the scorecards.

As is always the case in boxing, the new champion was given little chance to digest what had happened to him at the Manchester Arena. Instead, the interest was immediately on what might be next on the menu.

The name of Chris Eubank Jr. inevitably popped up in the aftermath.

Saunders won the first clash between the English duo in 2014. Since then, a rematch has hung around in the air, like the smell of cooked bacon tends to do in your kitchen. However, a second showdown has yet to materialise.

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Per Isaac Robinson of Sky Sports, Saunders is in no rush to do it all over again: "I'm the champion now and I've got the say. If the Eubank Jr. fight comes, it's got to be for a lot of money but it'll be my rules. They just talk about fighting for a world title but they don't have the balls."

The unbeaten southpaw was more enthusiastic about other names mentioned to him in post-fight press conferences.

Miguel Cotto topped Saunders’ wanted list. He said of the Puerto Rican, according to Kevin Mitchell of the Guardian: "Since I've been a young boy, I've wanted to fight Cotto."

Canelo Alvarez also came up in the conversation, as did Golovkin. But, it all seemed like pie-in-the-sky stuff at the time.

While being a world champion increases opportunities, Saunders is not a big-enough name (not yet anyway) to stand his ground in negotiations with some of the sport's superstars. Ask for what you think is fair by all means, but don't expect the likes of Alvarez, Cotto and Golovkin to bend over backwards for you.

Bleacher Report’s Kevin McRae questioned whether the Englishman has the talent to take on the very best: "Saunders is a very solid technical fighter, and he has the look and feel of a guy who can be a draw in the UK as a domestic-level champion. But he seems like he would be outclassed on a world level by elite fighters."

Saunders is a solid technical fighter. For proof, take a look at the two right hands that dropped Lee to the canvas. 

Despite holding the WBO strap, though, he still has much to prove at world level. He is unbeaten in 23 outings, but he has only registered 12 knockout victories. A lack of power would be an issue trying to keep bigger, better middleweights at bay.

Also, in the two biggest wins of his career to date—against Eubank Jr. and Lee—he has fought hard to get in front in the first half before slowing up down the stretch.

His conditioning nearly cost him against Eubank Jr., but for the fight against Lee, he trained appropriately for the challenge, as he explained to Paul Gibson in a special Bleacher Report feature.

So did he simply take his foot off the gas against Lee, predicting he was comfortably ahead to coast to the finishing line? Or is he always going to follow the pattern of starting fast before easing off?

The answer to those questions will confirm whether we have seen the very best of Saunders yet. His natural ability suggests there is still more to come, but it may take an almighty challenge to bring out that career-defining performance.

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He certainly could not hope to coast at any stage against Golovkin, who is the WBA super, interim WBC and IBF champion.

GGG has dominated every foe he has faced so far. Some have lasted longer than others, but no opponent has given us a moment to question the Kazakh yet.

Golovkin against Alvarez is the fight at middleweight.

According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, the two camps have agreed with the WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman that the fighters will be allowed interim bouts before meeting later in 2016.

With time to kill and an opponent to find, Golovkin’s team reached out to Saunders. Martin Domin of the MailOnline confirmed the unification clash had been put to Saunders’ promoter, Frank Warren.

In the article, Warren confirmed Saunders was still away on a well-deserved holiday following his triumph over Lee. However, the fighter himself seems keen, provided the price is right:

However, Oleg Hermann, part of Golovkin’s management group, suggested Saunders and his team were “not serious” about the offer to fight, per Sky Sports.

Tom Loeffler—who also looks after GGG—isn't so downbeat. He told Phil D Jay of World Boxing News that there is still hope of the fight happening: "We certainly haven’t given up on a fight between Gennady Golovkin and Billy Joe Saunders, but we are just waiting for the response to our offer."

The same piece states Golovkin is also in negotiations with Tureano Johnson, the top contender for his IBF title, for April 23.

Saunders’ window of opportunity won’t stay open for long—he may be best just letting it close completely.

Then again, boxing is all about striking while the iron is hot. If he is truly confident he can end Golovkin's unbeaten record, Saunders could find the offer too good to refuse.