By Steve Kim

If Gennady Golovkin (34-0, 31KOs), who holds the IBF middleweight title, is unable to consummate a deal with WBO belt-holder Billy Joe Saunders, the IBF is prepared to call on him to fulfill his mandatory obligation versus Tureano Johnson (19-1, 13KOs) as soon as possible.

Lindsey Tucker, the Championship Chairman of the IBF, explained to BoxingScene.com:

"We kinda gave 'Triple G' a break. Initially the WBC said the winner of (Miguel) Cotto-(Saul) Alvarez was going to fight 'Triple G' and then that fell out. And then they tried to make Andy Lee (who at the time held the WBO belt before losing to Saunders on December 19th). I think they got him to agree to a unification, the problem is Andy Lee lost the fight."

Tucker says it was his assumption that Lee had agreed to a deal to face Golovkin next based on reports he had read. Tom Loeffler, the managing director of K2 says a binding agreement with Lee was not consummated to unify their titles. Now the focus for Golovkin is to make a deal to face Saunders on April 23rd.

''Now a unification takes priority over the mandatory. We were trying to allow (Golovkin) to do the unification but now we're probably going to ask him to come and do the mandatory because that's next," says Tucker, who is obviously skeptical that a deal can be struck by K2 and Frank Warren.

"I don't see any of the other champions that look like they're interested in fighting (Golovkin), right now. I could be wrong but I don't see any."

According to Tucker, the president of the IBF, Daryl Peoples will soon get in contact with K2 Promotions and set a date to begin negotiations for a Golovkin-Johnson fight. Johnson, earned the number one spot in the organization by out-pointing Eamonn O'Kane over 12 rounds at the Madison Square Garden on October 17th, which was on the same card as Golovkin's eighth round knockout of David Lemieux.

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.