LOS ANGELES, CA – A purse bid was held yesterday at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, NV for the rights to promote the battle for the Vacant WBA Middleweight Title between top-ranked Anthony Mundine (38-3, 23 KOs) and #2-rated Gennady Golovkin (18-0, 15 KOs).  And the winner was California-based Epic Sports Management, Inc. (ESMI) which -- with a top bid of $1,210,000 – will promote the event in association with Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc.

Ivaylo Gotzev, advisor to Golovkin, said:  “I am delighted to announce that, finally, my fighter’s long-awaited shot at the WBA Middleweight Title is set with Epic Sports Management, Inc.  -- in association with Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc. -- winning the purse bid.”

According to Gotzev, Mundine has a short window of time to sign the contract to take on the undefeated native of Kazakhstan, who now resides and fights out of Big Bear, CA.  Gotzev admitted concern as to whether Mundine, an icon in his home country of Australia, will put his name on the dotted line because an expected bid by Mundine’s promoter never materialized.

“Mundine probably realized the power and skills that Golovkin will bring to the fight,” Gotzev theorized of the purse bid snub by Mundine’s representation.  “Now he’s got 48 hours or so to sign the contract.  The boxing business, especially now, is about true warriors fighting each other.  You can no longer use your #1 spot to avoid a deserving boxer from fighting for a title.  It is now the moment of truth and we’ve thrown our gloves in the ring to take on the top-ranked challenger in Mundine.”

Not only has Gotzev and Golovkin issued the challenge to Mundine, they want it so badly that they insisted the fight take place in Mundine’s homeland of Australia sometime in late July in the hopes he will agree to sign the contract.

“We are planning to take this fight Down Under to Australia where Mundine has been something of a superstar,” Gotzev revealed. 

“We did this to leave no doubt that we will fight Mundine on his home turf and win the title in Australia, if he decides to show up.  We are so not concerned about going Down Under, in fact, we love it!  We don’t care if we fight Mundine in his backyard and let his family be the judges.  When Gennady Golovkin hits him with either hand, nothing else will matter.  He will knock Mundine out!”

Golovkin, currently trained by Abel Sanchez, had a distinguished amateur career, which included earning a Silver Medal for Kazakhstan in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, where he defeated Andre Dirrell in the semi-finals.  In addition, he posted wins over such luminaries as two-time World Amateur Champion and current Top Rank, Inc. undefeated prospect Matvey Korobov; current Emanuel Steward protégé Andy Lee and current IBF Super Middleweight Champion Lucian Bute.