Chris Eubank Jr. and Gennady Golovkin Are Locked in a Game of Deal or No Deal

Will they or won’t they? The ongoing saga surrounding a potential fight between Chris Eubank Jr. and Gennady Golovkin continues to rumble on.

The seed was planted long before Eubank Jr. successfully defended his British middleweight title on June 25 at the O2 Arena in London.

However, thanks to one victory and the power of social media, the possibility quickly became a probability. Think of it growing just like the magic beans Jack received in part exchange for the cow in the famous old fairytale.

Not only has Eubank Jr. suddenly skipped to the front of the queue to face GGG, he could also get home advantage for the bout, too.

After Eubank Jr. had dismantled domestic rival Tom Doran inside four rounds in the English capital, promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports (h/t Nick Lustig of SkySports.com):

"

[Golovkin vs. Eubank Jr.] will be one of the biggest fights in this country and when was the last time a name like Golovkin came and defended three belts. It's unheard of and they (the Eubanks) really believe they can win the fight.

I know they want the fight and I know Golovkin will take the fight. It will be my job in the next 48-72 hours to get that closed off and produce another huge event.

"

Those 48-72 hours passed by without any further update. The days kept drifting by, moving into the month of July, and yet still there was no confirmation, just further talks.

The issue isn’t Eubank Jr. reneging on his initial declaration of intent. Nor has GGG suddenly had second thoughts about visiting England. It's summertime, Gennady, this is when it's actually warm while it rains.

Chris Eubank Sr. declared on June 27 that further progress depended on broadcasters Sky, as he told Declan Taylor of the Daily Star:

"

If this fight doesn’t happen, it’s because of Sky. Eddie has done his job, we’re ready to sign but Sky need to make sure the deal works for Britain’s fighter.

The first dollar should always drop to the fighter - it should not be the broadcaster first and the fighter second. If Sky say they want the first dollar then they are the ones who will be killing this deal. It’s all in their hands.

"

GGG is just happy to find anyone willing to face him these days.

The Kazakh—who holds the IBF, WBA and (interim) WBC titles—had hoped to face Saul Alvarez in a huge unification showdown before the end of 2016.

However, the Canelo trail has gone cold.

Alvarez took the interesting (that's one word to describe it) career decision to move back down to super welterweight, and he is now booked to face WBO champion Liam Smith on September 24.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

So Golovkin's major payday won't be this year. Per Dan Rafael of ESPN.co.uk, the new plan is for the money-spinning showdown to take place late in 2017. Don't hold your breath, folks.

Previously linked with bouts against English duo Billy Joe Saunders—the reigning WBO middleweight champion—and the apparently retired Carl Froch, GGG must now hope Eubank Jr. makes it further than just the negotiating table.

Tom Loeffler, Golovkin's promoter, told George Gigney of Boxing News: "It’s up to Eubank if they want to fight for GGG’s titles. GGG has made it clear that he would come to the UK to fight, just like he would have with Froch and Saunders, except those fights couldn’t get made, unfortunately. Hopefully Eubank has more desire than those two, as he states in his public comments."

Getting the fighters to agree has seemingly been the easy bit.

The issue is getting all parties involved to agree on everything—and there are more than just two sides involved in the conversation.

The power of television means Sky, broadcasters in the United Kingdom, and HBO, who have a deal to show Golovkin in the United States, get to have their say.

In an interview with James Helder of iFLTV on Monday (WARNING: The video in the link contains language NSFW), Hearn explained why the process is dragging on:

"

It is very, very complicated. You’ve got a contract with Matchroom and Chris Eubank Jr. You’ve then got a contract with Sky Sports for that particular fight. Then you’ve got a contract with HBO and Gennady Golovkin. You’ve three or four contracts to draft.

These contracts go backwards and forwards with multiple changes. There are negotiations on so many different points.

"

Hearn—who did add he is confident the deal will be completed—has chosen to be honest about the situation.

He admits the delays have led to a backlash on social media, with boxing fans quick to vent their anger at the promoter for his apparent failure to come through by the deadline he set.

But, as British super lightweight champion Tyrone Nurse told Bleacher Report: "The general fan doesn’t see about 99 per cent of what goes on behind the scenes."

It isn't just a matter of working out how to divvy up the money and picking a place to stage the event. Fighters will only commit if they are completely happy with the circumstances.

Golovkin-Eubank Jr. is a fight people should want to see. While the latter is still untested at world level, he has the attitude and ability to at least make the bout interesting.

For GGG, who knocked out the previously unbeaten Dominic Wade inside six minutes in his last outing, an interesting fight would be welcomed.

Sure, it's not quite Canelo, but Eubank Jr. is a solid alternative. It helps that he has a famous name thanks to his always-visible father—Eubank Sr. is a former two-time world champion whose presence would help generate interest in the United States.

Now we just need all sides to agree on each and every one of the terms, including a date and location.

Fingers crossed the contracts are eventually signed. After all the posturing and proposals, it would be a huge anti-climax for Eubank Jr. if he had to fight someone else instead of Golovkin.

For now, the boxing world is playing the waiting game. Will it be deal, or no deal?

Follow @RobLancs79