By Cliff Rold

There’s something missing at Middleweight. 

Titlist Gennady Golovkin is a growing star.  Miguel Cotto is one of the game’s biggest draws and history’s champion.  Canelo Alvarez might be on his way.

None of that is bad.  It’s a start.

There’s still something missing. 

For all his star appeal, there is no shaking the feeling that Alvarez might already be as good as he’s going to get.  Cotto isn’t really a Middleweight.  Golovkin has no rivals.  As the man perceived by many as the very best 160 lbs. has to offer, some depth would be helpful.  One-man shows get old.

Even one-man shows as entertaining as Golovkin’s can be.

A decided lack of depth and limited clash at the top of the class leaves room for someone new to add intrigue.

Enter the man who Peter Quillin’s team decided would be better off ducking and sitting on the couch then fighting.

At least that’s the way it can be promoted. 

Whatever bigger board moves were made in the decision, Quillin deciding to turn down a surprisingly high purse bid from Roc Nation has opened the door for Russia’s Matt Korobov (24-0, 14 KO) to face Andy Lee (33-2, 23 KO) for the now vacant WBO Middleweight belt.  Their bout comes on the HBO undercard of Timothy Bradley-Diego Chaves this Saturday (10 PM EST).

Can Korobov be the something that’s missing?

Or is Korobov fated to be another Muhammad Abdullaev?

Abdullaev had the pedigree when he turned professional as a Jr. Welterweight: a two-time Olympian, 1999 World Amateur Champion, and 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist.  On the road to glory in 2000, he defeated Miguel Cotto, Kelson Pinto, and Ricardo Williams Jr.

He never quite turned the corner in the punch-for-pay ranks.  He was shocked in his eleventh pro fight by Emmanuel Clottey.  Five fights later, he got a crack at a 140 lb. title. Cotto gained revenge against his former amateur rival with an impressive stoppage.  In his very next outing, then-future Jr. Welterweight titlist Andriy Kotelnik won a decision over Abdullaev. 

There were a handful of fights after that but his brush with the top was past.  Amateur glory hadn’t translated.

So far, Korobov hasn’t suffered a setback like the Clottey loss.  A pro since 2008, his development curve has been too slow for that.  In September 2013, he was still fighting eight-round fights.  This year, there has been a step up.  Korobov’s last outing was on HBO, his first time going a full ten rounds.

Now, he has a crack at a belt.  This is a chance to get a serious foot in the door.  Skepticism remains.  While there might be something missing at Middleweight, there has also been something missing with Korobov. 

The talent and pedigree are there.  He won Amateur World Championships in 2005 and 2007 only to have an unlucky draw at the 2008 Games.  One of the favored competitors, he faced 2004 Welterweight Gold Medalist Bakhtiyar Artayev and lost in the second round.  When he turned pro, there was considerable interest.  Six knockouts in his first seven fights generated buzz.

The buzz dissipated.

Korobov has been a steady pro.  He boxes, often gets decisions, and leaves little in the way of impression.  In a sport built on attractions, Korobov has committed a cardinal sin. He’s been forgettable.  Now 31, he isn’t going to have a better chance to make the world remember him.

Lee will be reaching for his own brass ring.  One of the final protégés of the late Emmanuel Steward, Lee was a 2004 Olympian who had his share of buzz.  A loss to Bryan Vera killed most of it.  Another loss to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. confirmed Lee’s limits.  He has enough pop to score an upset here.

If he does, the something missing at Middleweight isn’t found.  One fight ago, Lee came off the floor to score a devastating knockout of John Jackson.  He can be fun but we already know Lee isn’t going to be a rival for Golovkin. 

Could Korobov fit the bill? 

Nothing we’ve seen to date suggests he can but perceptions can change quickly in boxing.  As the spotlight gets brighter, Korobov has to impress.  A division can go from hot to cold on a dime in boxing.  There are two standard recipes.  The first is for a bunch of big names to move up in weight.  The other is for new talent to emerge that people want to pay to see punch each other.

And things are really hot when fans aren’t positive who is going to win when the recipes come together.

Cotto and Canelo may fight next year to fulfill one half of the equation.  Someone needs to emerge that people think can compete with Golovkin.  Korobov isn’t there yet. 

Saturday we get an inkling about whether he’ll ever really arrive.        

Cliff’s Notes…

Arrow, Flash, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. all nailed their mid-season finales.  Of the bunch, none are hitting on all cylinders the way Flash is.  Comic book dorks can love every second of it…CM Punk is now in the UFC.  From a big fan standpoint, good for him.  Anytime someone can chase a dream it’s pretty cool.  From a realistic standpoint, it feels like a sideshow in an otherwise rugged sport.  Punk is going to sell some pay-per-view either way…Virgil Hill is thinking about a comeback?  Um, okay…Acelino Freitas is also thinking about a comeback.  Um, okay…It’s still not clear how good David Lemieux is, but he’s fun every punch along the way…It’s neat for everyone to be talking end-of-the-year boxing awards but until the big Japan cards hit at the end of the year nothing is over.

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com