By Tim Parsons
The International Boxing Federation has stripped Gennady Golovkin if his IBF title, held since 2015, as a result of Golovkin not accepting one of the conditions put forth by the organization to grant him the Exception to Regulations to fight Vanes Martirosyan on May 5, 2018 .
Golovkin , who has had the WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO is unbeaten in 39 fights with just one draw against the tough Canelo Alvarez, himself unbeaten before their contest in 2017. Last month, Sergey Derevyanchenko knocked out Vanes Martirosyan in the second round of his very impressive 20th defence. The fight had not been sanctioned by the IBF, and Golovkin has not agreed to a mandatory fight with the organisation’s top challenger, Sergey Derevyanchenko.
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The fighter had until August 3 to arrange the bout. Golovkin is regarded one of the best pound for pound fighters of his generation, but boxing fans will be disappointed at his refusal to defend his belt aginst the mandatory to continue to maintain his fearsome and respectable position in his division.
However, the IBF said on April 20, 2018, they received the request for an Exception to Regulations from the Golovkin camp to participate in the unsanctioned contest against Vanes Martirosyan on May 5, 2018, in Carson, CA.
A week later, the IBF received a letter from DiBella Entertainment on behalf of #1 IBF ranked contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko indicating that Derevyanchenko had an objection to the Exception being granted allowing Gennady Golovkin to participate in an optional defense not sanctioned by the IBF. The IBF said its Board of Directors eventually determined that the Exception to Regulations should be granted to Gennady Golovkin with specific conditions. The first condition was that the Gennady Golovkin vs. Vanes Martirosyan bout must take place on or before May 5, 2018.
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Second was that ” Golovkin must agree in writing that he will fight the IBF Middleweight Mandatory within 90 days of the May 5, 2018, bout or by Friday, August 3, 2018.
Finally, the IBF stated that ”Golovkin shall agree in writing to indemnify, hold harmless and otherwise reimburse the IBF for any legal fees or other expenses related to the granting of said Exception, including, but not limited to, the costs attendant to any resultant litigation. (As required under IBF Rule 11.F.)
On April 30, 2018, counsel for Golovkin filed an appeal objecting to condition #2 in the Board’s decision. Counsel for Derevyanchenko, the IBF Mandatory, filed a response to the appeal on May 7, 2018.
The IBF said it and assembled a panel of three IBF members, who are also practicing attorneys, to review the written submissions and hear the oral arguments of counsel for the parties on May 22, 2018, at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, NJ. The panel made its recommendations to the IBF and based on their findings and recommendations, the IBF approved the condition that Golovkin agree to fight the IBF Middleweight mandatory opponent by August 3, 2018 in order to avoid the penalty of losing his title under IBF Rule 5.H.
The IBF said that since Golovkin has not agreed in writing to fight the IBF Mandatory opponent by August 3, 2018, in line with the prescribed condition for an exception, he has now been denied the exemption. The failure to comply with all conditions contained in the grant of an exception led to their decision to deny the exemption and revoke his title belt.
The IBF said it was left with no choice but to enforce the penalty under Rule 5H for Golovkin having participated in an unsanctioned contest within his weight class and declare the IBF Middleweight title vacant. The IBF said they will identify the two leading available contenders and order them to negotiate to fight for the vacant title.
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