By James Blears
K2 Promotions boss Tom Loeffler says their side is prepared to offer concessions, in order to finalize a deal for the biggest contest in Boxing, between WBC/IBO/WBA/IBF middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (36-0, 33KOs) and challenger Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (48-1-1, 34KOs), and that event will boost the sport.
Tom said this at the launch of a new Hublot watch in Mexico City. The timely Swiss company has helped the World Boxing Council launch a fund to help ailing former boxers, facing hard times. Step one was an auction which raised more than a million dollars.
Regarding the mandatory fight with WBA top challenger Daniel Jacobs, Loeffler explained: "The negotiations are progressing. We`d like them to go a little faster, but it`s such a big fight, between number one and number two in the middleweight division, and it`s a fight that boxing fans want to see. So hopefully we`ll have it wrapped up shortly and be able to announce it for next year.
Asked if he thought a 50/50 purse split would avoid division for a potential fight with Canelo, Tom replied: "You can make an argument either way. Gennady has unified many of the titles and it`s been hard work. While Canelo is a proven pay per view star - Gennady himself has proved he can sell out arenas in New York, LA and London. Canelo has sold 50,000 tickets in Dallas. It`s a question of bringing together two of the most marketable fighters together.
"So there would be concessions on our side to make the fight. Just to get the fight. I think it`s a fight both sides want to make. It`s just working out a deal that makes sense for both sides."
Before this Gennady has the mandatory defence against Jacobs, which is being planned for the first quarter of next year, and it`s not being taken lightly, with Tom describing Danny as clearly a very dangerous fighter.
Tom also reflected of the previous Canelo stumbling block: "It is frustrating, because Gennady is used to fighting at least three times a year. This will be the first year he`s only fought twice. But I think that 2017 will be a very big year for Gennady."
Gennady himself mused: "We are working on this promotion and it`s a great fight not just for us, but for everyone. I think everybody wants this fight. Hopefully it`ll happen next year. Canelo is a good fighter , a champion and I respect him. I`m absolutely ready."
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