Gennadiy Golovkin is poised to take charge of Olympic boxing’s future after being confirmed as the lone eligible candidate for the presidency of World Boxing. The organization, formed in 2023 amid tensions between the International Olympic Committee and the International Boxing Association, announced Friday in Rome that Golovkin’s only challenger, Greek official Mariolis Charilaos, was ruled ineligible following a vetting process.
The former unified middleweight champion and one of the sport’s most recognizable figures had long been viewed as the frontrunner. He recently led a World Boxing delegation in efforts to repair relations with the IOC, as there was a possibility of dropping boxing from the 2028 Olympic program in Los Angeles.
A 2004 Olympic silver medalist for Kazakhstan, Golovkin transitioned into a dominant professional career, compiling a 42-2-1 record highlighted by some of boxing’s biggest events. His stature and global profile are seen as key assets as World Boxing attempts to stabilize the sport’s Olympic future.
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