What boxing middleweight titles does Gennady Golovkin hold?

There are several title belts on the line when Gennady Golovkin faces Canelo Alvarez. Here are the titles up for grabs and who currently holds them.

In the early days of boxing, there was only one champion and one championship belt. Today, there are numerous sanctioning bodies and championship belts. Some sanctioning bodies have multiple titles for a single weight division. It is hard to keep track of which boxer holds which title.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, Gennady Golovkin is defending all three of his middleweight belts against Canelo Alvarez. Golovkin is the champion and he is the boxer that has everything to lose. The IBO title is also being contested. Currently, neither fighter has the IBO title.

There are four main sanctioning bodies that recognize champions in each division: the WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF. There are other sanctioning bodies, but these are seen as the most reputable. Golovkin possesses the IBF, WBC and WBA (super) titles. The IBO is respected, but is considered to be a lesser title than the three previously mentioned.

The WBA is interesting because it awards several titles per weight division. Golovkin has their “super” middleweight world title and Hassan N’Dam has their “regular” title. The WBA has been highly criticized by boxing pundits and fans for generating so many titles. In 2015, BoxingMonthly.com questioned if they should continue to be recognized.

The only major title not being contested is the WBO middleweight title. Billy Joe Saunders holds this belt and is defending it this weekend against Willie Monroe Jr. in England.

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Whoever wins between Canelo and Golovkin will probably feel some pressure to unify the middleweight division against the winner of Saunders and Monroe. If the bout is close between Canelo and Golovkin, then fans will most likely clamor for a rematch in place of a unification bout.

Gennady Golovkin is considered to be the true middleweight champion because of the four titles he owns, but Canelo will do all that he can to become the new king of the middleweight division. Saturday will have a huge impact on the middleweight division and all of boxing.