London Calling: Ranking the British Fighters Who Could Face Gennady Golovkin

Look out, London—Gennady Golovkin could be coming your way.

The reigning IBF, WBA and interim WBC champion at middleweight is scheduled to defend his titles against Dominic Wade on April 23 in California, according to BoxRec.

Per Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, the plan is for GGG to face fellow titleholder Saul "Canelo" Alvarez—who will defend the full WBC belt against Amir Khan on May 7—later in 2016.

A money-spinning showdown between The Ring magazine's top two in the 160-pound division, most likely staged on American soil, is the bout the fans want to see.

However, if for some reason the Canelo fight doesn't happen, or the unbeaten Kazakh boxer (34-0, 31 KOs) wants to be in action again before the end of the year, could he head to England?

Golovkin, plus other members of his team, attended West Ham United's 2-2 Premier League draw against Manchester City on Jan. 23.

Tom Loeffler, Golovkin's promoter, talked with West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan about potentially staging a bout at the football club's ground.

That could be at their current Upton Park home or at the former Olympic Stadium once The Hammers have officially moved into their new surroundings in the East End of London.

Loeffler told Sky Sports (h/t James Dielhenn of Sky Sports): "We were invited by David Sullivan. He expressed interest in Gennady fighting there so now we have to explore the opponent. It's an interesting option to have the owner of a football club host an event for Gennady."

The story mentions three Brits as potential opponents: James DeGale, Chris Eubank Jr. and Billy Joe Saunders.

Here, Bleacher Report looks at the trio and attempts to predict who would have the best chance of ending Golovkin's unblemished record.

3. Chris Eubank Jr.

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The Eubanks always make things entertaining, in and out of the ring.

Eubank Jr. (21-1, 16 KOs) has never been shy to talk up his talents. It seems the trait runs in the family.

Chris Eubank Sr.—who now goes by the name of English—believes his son can defeat Golovkin, telling Sky Sports: "Christopher has the beating of him. It's a tough fight but Junior beats him in my view. It's going to be a fabulous chase for us because we are chasing."

There is no doubting that Eubank Jr. has talent in the ring—it's in his genes.

However, so far, the 26-year-old has yet to quite show us he is of the standard required to topple GGG.

Eubank Jr. has held the interim WBC title but lost to rival Saunders (more on him to come) in his attempt to become British, Commonwealth and European champion in November 2014.

Eubank Jr. will have a second crack at the British belt on March 5, as he is scheduled to take on current holder Nick Blackwell.

Loeffler, though, believes the brash boxer from Brighton, England, would be ideal for GGG, telling Sky Sports: "[Eubank] would be the perfect scenario because he's a self-promoter who stirs the pot."

What are his actual chances of beating Golovkin?

It is tough to know, simply because it doesn't feel like we've seen the best of Eubank Jr. yet. He has a 73 per cent knockout ratio and fancies his chances against any fighter.

2. Billy Joe Saunders

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Billy Joe Saunders (right) became a world champion by beating Andy Lee.

Saunders holds the WBO title at middleweight. He claimed the belt from Andy Lee with a majority-decision points win over the Irishman in December 2015.

The southpaw boasts a 23-0 (12 KOs) record in the paid ranks and has beaten his biggest domestic rivals, including Eubank Jr.

Now, the 26-year-old wants to cash in on his win over Lee and pit himself against the major names in the division.

A unification bout with Golovkin has already been discussed, though the two sides failed to reach an agreement.

Saunders is confident he can beat GGG but told Nick Parkinson of ESPN.com that negotiations broke down over money: "If I take the fight with Golovkin, I genuinely believe I could beat him, but they have got to put some proper money on the table, and if they do that, then I will do it."

He has previously stated his desire to fight at a football ground, too.

However, per Boxing News, he would like a bout to be staged at the Emirates Stadium, the home of his beloved Arsenal.

After being paraded to the crowd during the half-time interval of the Gunners' FA Cup tie with Burnley, Saunders said: "The next time I’m here I either want to be playing as Arsenal’s new signing or a more realistic option is to fight Golovkin or Eubank. Golovkin would be a tremendous fight for British boxing."

What are his actual chances of beating Golovkin?

Saunders is a slick southpaw whose amateur pedigree makes him comfortable boxing off the back foot. The concern, though, is over his power. Could he hit hard enough to keep Golovkin at bay? Probably not.

1. James DeGale

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James DeGale is the reigning IBF super middleweight champion.

DeGale (22-1, 14 KOs) is an intriguing option, considering he campaigns at super middleweight.

Chunky is the reigning IBF champion after claiming the vacant title in May 2015 with a victory over Andre Dirrell.

The Londoner—whose only defeat as a pro came against rival George Groves in 2011—has successfully defended the strap once, against former holder Lucian Bute in Canada.

He created boxing history when he became the first Brit to win both an Olympic gold medal as an amateur and a world title in the paid ranks.

There are options out there for DeGale at 168 pounds. A bout with WBC champion Badou Jack tops the list. Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jack's promoter, feels it will happen somewhere down the line, according to the BBC (h/t Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook).

However, a clash with Golovkin would be bigger than any unification fight, particularly if DeGale had home advantage.

He told John Dennen of Boxing News he is even willing to drop weight to make the bout happen, adding: "He got Olympic silver…Trust me, he’s beatable."

What are his actual chances of beating Golovkin?

DeGale is a slick southpaw who went one better than GGG at the Olympics. He has been ranked at the top of the list, though that is only based on him convincing the Kazakh to move up to 168 pounds.

Do you feel any of the Brits could actually cause Golovkin problems? Does DeGale stand the best chance out of the trio? Bleacher Report welcomes your comments, but remember it's all a matter of opinion.