LOS ANGELES, CA – Several of the world’s top boxing promoters are expected to gather at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, NV for the May 3rd purse bid for the rights to promote the battle for the Vacant WBA Middleweight Title between top-ranked Anthony Mundine (38-3, 23 KOs) and Gennady Golovkin (18-0, 15 KOs), it was announced by Ivaylo Gotzev, recently-appointed advisor to #2-rated Golovkin.

Neither boxer has ever fought professionally in the United States, but of the two, the 34-year old Mundine may be the more recognizable name to boxing fans here as a former WBA Super Middleweight Champion.  He lost to Mikkel Kessler in his first attempt at the title in June, 2005 and defeated fellow Aussie Sam Soliman for the vacant belt less than two years later.

While the 28-year old Golovkin, a native of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, may be an unknown commodity to the American boxing public, he was anything but to Gotzev, who travels the globe regularly in search of boxing talent for his growing stable, which features former World Heavyweight Champion Samuel Peter.

“I’ve known of Genna since the year 2000 when I traveled to his home country and I heard of this 18-year old who was demolishing his opposition,” Gotzev revealed.  “10 years later I consider myself privileged to work with one of the best fighters in the world today.  It’s only a matter of time before he is rated as a legitimate top pound-for-pound fighter, and he is going to take over the middleweight and super middleweight divisions.”

Golovkin had a stellar amateur career.  In 2000, competing as a light welterweight, he won the World Junior Championships in Budapest, Hungary.  Two years later, he grabbed top honors in the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea as a light middleweight. 

Then, in 2003, he won another World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, posting lopsided decision victories over both future two-time world amateur champion Matvey Korobov – currently 11-0 (8 KOs) as a professional middleweight promoted by Bob Arum -- and current Kronk Gym pro middleweight prospect Andy Lee, as well as a stoppage of current IBF Super Middleweight Champ Lucian Bute.  In 2004, Golovkin earned a Silver Medal representing Kazakhstan in the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.  In his semi-final match, he outpointed Andre Dirrell, who recently defeated Arthur Abraham in the “Super Six World Boxing Classic” super middleweight tournament.  He lost in the finals by decision to Russia’s Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov.

Golovkin turned pro in 2006 and moved to Hamburg, Germany.  All but one of his 18 fights have taken place on German soil; the other in Denmark.  He has knocked out 15 of his 18 opponents, including his last four.  In his most recent outing in November, 2009, he stopped undefeated Russian Mikhail Makarov in just two rounds.

Having recently put his career in the guiding mind of Gotzev, Golovkin relocated to Big Bear, CA, where he is training with the rest of Gotzev’s roster of boxers under accomplished trainer Abel Sanchez, who has developed and mentored world champions such as Terry and Orlin Norris, Lupe Aquino and Nana Konadu, and has Samuel Peter back in contention for another crack at a world heavyweight title.

“With the devastating power that he packs in both hands, rest assured that most of Golovkin’s fights will end in knockouts,” Gotzev asserted.  “And he proved his power back in the amateurs when he knocked out the great Lucian Bute in the fourth round.   So it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a world champion. 

“We are looking forward to the challenge of Anthony Mundine, who’s a terrific boxer from ‘Down Under’, and that’s going to be a legitimate test for Gennady in a professional career with only 18 fights.”

As for when and where the fight for the Vacant WBA Middleweight Title will take place, those details will be ironed out sometime after the May 3rd purse bid.

“There’s been great interest in bringing the fight to Kazakhstan and I’ve been working along with promoter Bob Arum to make that a possibility,” Gotzev pointed out.  “And there’s great interest ‘Down Under’ in Australia and the United States as well.”