What if ‘Triple G’ had continued after the trilogy fight with Canelo Alvarez? Then, probably, instead of the Alvarez-Benavidez matchup bombarding the landscape, a Golovkin-Benavidez line-up would have surfaced. Who knows? Unlike the first one, this one might have clicked. Fans would have witnessed one of boxing’s craziest bouts—two all-time great heavy hitters going at each other. There are so many ifs and buts. But alas, fans will have to contend with the Alvarez talks only. Come September, and it will be two years since the last time Gennady Golovkin entered the ring.

Now the president of his country’s national Olympic committee, Gennady Golovkin once delighted fans of the middleweight division with his sublime yet powerful boxing skills. The first match and the rematch with Canelo Alvarez remain hot topics of debate to this day. Many still believe that the Kazakh Olympic silver medalist won both outings. Speaking with the ‘Mayan Tiger’, ‘Triple G’ revealed his current status regarding boxing.

The Gloves are Still On: Gennady Golovkin

“Is Gennady done with boxing? Is he retired? Can you clarify that?” asked the host of ‘Mayan Tiger’. Smiling, the former world champion replied, “No, I never said no; I’m not retired, you know.” Then he switched on to his native Russian for ease of expressing himself a bit more clearly.

Golovkin wanted everyone to know that he took the backseat in boxing so that he could spend more time with his family and friends. He wanted to enjoy good things in life. More so, he liked his new role as the leading sports administrator in his native Kazakhstan. “I’m in sports, uh, I’m uh, and I love it and but at the same time, I never announced my retirement,” he said.

Hinting at potential future developments, he said he is a person who lives for movement. So it is not in his nature to sit back and make formal announcements regarding his career. Hence, if anything interesting (a matchup?) comes in the future, then, in all probability, fans might see him back in the ring again.

Subsequently, Gennady Golovkin spoke at length about his new role as the President of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee and what it means to him. But the bigger question is, even if he decides to make a comeback, will ‘Triple G’ remain as big a draw as he used to be?

But beyond the break…

You see, boxing follows the lovers’ dictum of out of sight, out of mind. It is important for boxers, while in their prime, to stay active, make noise about future matchups, etc. Otherwise, chances are the sporting world would relegate the person to a fading memory.

One might as well remember how challenging it was for the likes of Demetrious Andrade or Jermall Charlo. Due to waning popularity, first of all, getting a decent matchup becomes the first hurdle. Then, even if the boxer gets one, a follow-up fight becomes the next obstacle. Barring the few out-of-limelight or out-of-form fighters, the prospect of fighting a former champion often fails to entice fighters in their prime.

Like his arch-rival Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin also introduced his energy drink, ‘Triple G’, to the world last year. But the images of the boxing legend appearing out of shape soon had quite a few fans worried. Many started to wonder whether he would ever make a return or not. What he said at ‘Mayan Tiger’ might come across as a bit contrary to what his promoter said a few months ago.

Whatever the decision Triple G makes regarding his future, one thing remains constant: fans will be with him. The delight of watching a Golovkin fight was something during the last decade, and it is something that cannot be easily forgotten.

What are your views? Do you feel that Gennady Golovkin should stay out of the ring for good?