'i Could Fight Again While Saving Olympic Boxing Too' - Golovkin

Two-time middleweight unified champion Gennady Golovkin says he could beryllium tempted backmost into nan ringing to conflict again, moreover if his bid to go president of World Boxing is successful.

The 43-year-old, erstwhile classed boxing's champion pound-for-pound fighter, past fought successful 2022, erstwhile he was beaten for nan 2nd clip by Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, but has ne'er officially announced his retirement.

Earlier this twelvemonth Golovkin announced his candidacy for nan presidency of World Boxing, nan governing assemblage for nan amateur type of nan sport. The organisation was group up successful 2023 aft nan International Boxing Association was suspended by nan IOC complete governance and morals concerns.

"Most likely, if my candidacy is successful, past I will astir apt denote officially that I person vanished pinch boxing and ended my career," nan Kazakh combatant told BBC Sport.

"Although... location is ever a possibility. Since I ever support successful style and lead an diversion lifestyle, nan action of fighting again is not retired of nan question."

Golovkin has served arsenic leader of World Boxing's Olympic committee since past year, and will compete against Greek administrator Mariolis Charilaos for nan presidency position. The predetermination will beryllium held successful Rome connected 23 November.

Though confirmed for nan 2028 Olympics successful Los Angeles, boxing's longer word early astatine nan Games is uncertain, and Golovkin insists he is nan man to safeguard its future.

"Boxing has ever been an integral portion of my life, and correct now, nan position Olympic boxing is successful is unacceptable", said Golovkin, who won metallic arsenic an amateur astatine nan 2004 Games successful Athens.

"This is simply a very vulnerable situation, and I consciousness a tremendous desire to help, because location is simply a existent threat that it will not beryllium included successful nan Olympics aft LA28.

"I telephone connected each boxing fans, everyone who cares astir this sport, to support amateur boxing. Everything starts here."

Fighters' authorities person travel nether scrutiny successful nan master ranks precocious because of a measure being put earlier US Congress which is backed by promoter TKO and UFC supremo Dana White.

Named nan Muhammad Ali Revival Act, nan measure would let nan creation of caller boxing organisations which could service arsenic alternatives to nan established sanctioning bodies, a connection which has drawn important criticism.

The original Ali Act, passed successful 2000, intends to protect nan rights, wellbeing and earning powerfulness of fighters, which immoderate judge would beryllium compromised if nan caller enactment becomes law.

"All this is being done successful bid to power athletes and power them more," Golovkin said. "The aged Ali Act has ever worked. It protected athletes. Everything was fine."

One of nan caller boxing organisations that could beryllium allowed to punishment fights is Zuffa Boxing, led by White and Saudi Arabian advisor Turki Alalshikh.

Saudi Arabia is playing an progressively salient domiciled successful boxing, hosting a bid of awesome fights, buying a important stock successful regular broadcaster DAZN, and taking power of world-renowned mag The Ring.

But nan country's domiciled successful elite athletics is highly controversial, owing to its long history of quality authorities abuses. Amnesty International has vehemently criticised nan country's curen of women, usage of nan decease penalty, and anti-LGBT laws.

Alalshikh has been accused of contributing to superior violations and is adjacent to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Golovkin says nan state is prioritising world prestige complete its ain athletes.

"Saudi Arabia has built its spot successful history, successful organising large boxing events," Golovkin said. "For galore boxers, what Saudi Arabia is doing is very interesting. I don't cognize Alalshikh personally, but I spot what he does from clip to time, and I spot nan reaction.

"But for amateur boxing, it's a somewhat different story. This is wherever athletes genuinely correspond their country, younger athletes spell done a definite path. I would for illustration to spot representatives of Saudi Arabia besides execute powerfully astatine nan Olympics."

In caller years, matches featuring societal media stars for illustration Jake Paul person drawn immense audiences connected streaming services, but immoderate judge that nan pivot towards net celebrities has made a insult of boxing and taken attraction distant from hard-working up-and-coming athletes.

"It's not that I would opportunity influencer fights are wrong", Golovkin said. "It's conscionable that everyone tries to beryllium progressive successful boxing to show that they are relevant, because boxing is ever relevant. For them, this is business.

"On nan contrary, we must strive to popularise our athletics moreover much and make it arsenic transparent and safe arsenic possible. That is our goal."

Golovkin's World Boxing manifesto includes a promise to motorboat an academy offering acquisition and intelligence wellness support for fighters, a committedness to people transparent financial accounts, and an volition to present artificial intelligence exertion into refereeing.

"I judge successful AI. Why? Because location is ever a quality factor", Golovkin said. "It's not that artificial intelligence will make decisions, but it will thief pinch nan determination successful definite moments, during replays, wherever points will beryllium counted.

"It is progressing truthful overmuch that it is already an integral portion of our early life, and will thief successful each sports."

Gender rules person been discussed crossed each sports successful caller years, but particularly successful boxing, pursuing Algerian combatant Imane Khelif's triumph successful nan women's welterweight section astatine nan Paris 2024 Games.

In May, World Boxing announced that Khelif will not beryllium allowed to compete successful nan women's category until she undergoes a mandatory activity test.

Khelif was calved a female and has ever competed successful female boxing, but nan IBA antecedently claimed she had grounded a gender test. Khelif is appealing against nan mandatory test decision.

Golovkin defended World Boxing's stance connected utilizing activity tests, which are arguable and were antecedently banned successful Olympic sports.

"This lawsuit demonstrates that location were shortcomings, misunderstandings, and omissions [about gender] that really request to beryllium addressed," he insisted.

"This must beryllium corrected arsenic overmuch arsenic possible. We are successful favour of adjacent sport, wherever men container pinch men, women container pinch women.

"This is why these gender tests must beryllium carried out."