Gennady Golovkin Next Opponent: Erislandy Lara, Bernard Hopkins Discuss Fight With GGG After Carl Froch's Retirement

Gennady "GGG" Golovkin is expected to have another fight in 2015, but it won’t be against one of the high-profile names that he’s been targeting. Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez are out of the question as they look to formally agree on a fight for November, and another boxer has fallen out of the running as a potential opponent for burgeoning star middleweight.

Carl Froch and Golovkin had discussed a possible bout for later in the year, but the Brit has since decided to call it quits. Froch hasn’t fought since he defeated George Groves at Wembley Stadium last year, and he won’t make a return to the ring.

While Golovkin has had trouble getting the sport’s top competitors to agree to fight him, there are a few boxers who have asked for a fight with the knock-out specialist. Erislandy Lara wants his shot at Golovkin, and he thinks there’s a good chance it will happen.

“I want to fight in October. I have told the people on my team that I want to fight in Miami, but I understand that there are other factors, such as television and desire doesn’t always go hand in hand with reality,” Lara told Boxing Scene’s George Ebro. “I can say that my people are talking about [a fight with Golovkin], and I’m crossing my fingers that it happens. On a scale from zero to 100, I’d say there is a 50 percent [chance it happens].”

Lara last fought on June 12, defeating Delvin Rodriguez in a unanimous decision. It was his second straight win since losing a split decision to Alvarez last summer. But a fight between Lara and Golovkin might not be likely, considering Lara fights for Premier Boxing Champions and Golovkin is signed to HBO.

It’s hard to imagine Golovkin taking on Bernard Hopkins, but the 50-year-old has indicated that he’d like a shot at one of the most dangerous men in boxing. He discussed possibly fighting GGG in a recent interview, saying a bout with Golovkin would be a good way to end his career.

"It has to be weight situation on both sides, but it's good to see a middleweight guy Triple G dominating like I was dominating back then,” Hopkins said.

"But if I was going to fight anybody out there, where I had to be on my A-game, it would be that fight."

Hopkins hasn’t fought since he lost to Sergey Kovalev in November, losing his light heavyweight titles. Considering Hopkins last fought at a weight 15 pounds heavier than Golovkin, the fight has little chance of ever happening.

David Lemieux might be one of Golovkin’s most likely potential opponents. Golovkin can’t have a title unification fight with Cotto until 2016, and Lemieux won the vacant IBF middleweight title on June 20.

Andre Ward and Golovkin have both said they are willing to fight one another. But the two boxers have been calling each other out for the last year, and they don’t appear close to reaching an agreement for a fight.