When Gennady Golovkin was convinced to sign a six-fight deal with streaming service DAZN earlier this year (reportedly worth more than $100 million), the decisive lure that secured his John Gennadyevich Hancock was a contractual promise to deliver him a third shot at archrival Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez.
However, as things are turning out, DAZN?s promise is worthless because there?s no way they can actually deliver on it.
According to Yahoo Sports, a source familiar with Alvarez?s 11-fight, $365 million contract says that there?s no real language in the deal that gives DAZN ultimate say over who the Mexican star fights?there?s only wording about his foes being the vary vague ?top-level opponents.?
Back in January, as the Canelo-Daniel Jacobs bout was being announced for May, most didn?t notice Canelo?s promoter Oscar De La Hoya letting the cat out of the bag when it comes to his client?s level of autonomy in partnership with the wannabe Netflix of sports.
?When we signed the deal with DAZN they were a little worried about what type of opponents Canelo would fight because it?s not stated in the contract,? De La Hoya told ESPN. ?But nobody has to worry about him fighting the best?We can pick anyone we want to fight but Canelo is fighting for legacy.?
That truth was obscured during the brief brouhaha surrounding Canelo?s refusal to meet Golovkin for a September fight as reports circulated, perhaps released to media by a face-saving DAZN, that the streaming service was only willing to greenlight a small handful of potential foes for Alvarez. According to the reports, Golovkin, light heavyweight champ Sergey Kovalev, and, eventually, IBF mandatory challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko were on the DAZN-approved list for Canelo.
In reality, Alvarez can fight pretty much anyone he chooses and it?s DAZN who must bend and twist to find a way to look like they?re the ones in control of their ?employee.?
Golovkin, even after his war with Derevyanchenko for the IBF title (vacated when Canelo and Derevyanchenko couldn?t come to terms for a bout) and amid a public clamoring for a rematch with the Ukrainian ?Technician,? still reportedly wants the Canelo fight promised to him and has been immensely frustrated by his inability to get it.
?I think that the bigger problem will come if that fight doesn?t happen in May,? promoter Eddie Hearn, who recently partnered-up with Golovkin, told Boxing Junkie/USA Today last week. ?It?s pretty obvious what everyone?s intentions were in this whole situation. Gennady, Golden Boy, DAZN. I?m new to the party but I still know. ? When DAZN signed Gennady Golovkin, it was with the intention for him to fight Canelo. It?s one of the biggest fights in boxing.?
?DAZN wanted (Canelo to fight) Triple G in September and they will want (it) in May,? Hearn continued. ?Because, if it?s not happening, there may be some issues.?
One of those ?Issues? may be a lawsuit for breach of contract against DAZN.
Per Yahoo Sports:
?An attorney connected with Golovkin said that the failure of the fight to take place in September could constitute a breach of contract on the part of DAZN, a bullet the GGG camp might choose to fire if Alvarez can?t be coaxed into the ring.
?We reserve the right to use that option,? the attorney said.?
And now the table is set for a bizarre love triangle with DAZN having to appease Golovkin with, perhaps, more money and greater autonomy ala Canelo, while also appeasing Canelo as their top asset and subscription driver by not offending with too hard of a push for a Golovkin fight.
Maybe that third Canelo-GGG fight does eventually get made. Maybe it gets made as early as next year. But DAZN will have to be pay dearly?literally and figuratively?to make good on their promise to Golovkin.
