Golovkin would entertain Saudi offers to return to the ring

Former-middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin said he remains in peak form and would entertain offers to return to the ring from a newly proposed Saudi-backed boxing league.

Once recognised as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Golovkin (42 wins, 37 by KO, two losses and a draw) has never officially retired and despite having not fought since a loss to Canelo Alvarez in 2022, he told Reuters he is ready.

"Would I be interested in an interesting offer, yeah we have a lot of interest here," Golovkin told Reuters through an interpreter. "I would say, never say never.

"We shall see. I am very comfortable in my position I feel great, I am at the peak of my form and I would say if something comes up we will look into that."

Reuters reported in June that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is in discussions with multiple boxing stakeholders to create a league, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape of the sport.

A handful of leading promoters including Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions are involved in the discussions that could result in a deal valuing the new entity between $4-5 billion, a source told Reuters.

Boxing is the latest sport to attract possible investment from the PIF, which is chaired by the crown prince, after deals across golf, Formula 1, and football.

If the league were to get off the ground Golovkin would be a prize signing.

The 42-year-old Kazakhstani's trilogy of fights with Alvarez grew into one of boxing's storied rivalries.

Having recently been appointed president of the Kazakhstan Olympic Committee, Golovkin's biggest fight right now is helping ensure boxing remains on the Olympic programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) having failed to complete reforms on governance, finance and ethical issues was last June stripped of its recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The boxing tournaments at the Paris Olympics this summer are being organised by the IOC but it has said it will not be doing so at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

It has urged national federations to decide on a successor to the IBA by next year at the latest or risk seeing boxing miss out on the 2028 Games.

"To me this issue is paramount," said Golovkin, a silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics. "We are talking about the next generation of boxers, young generation of boys and girls that come to this sport and if there is a question if boxing is not in the Olympics general interest in boxing might decrease."