In the event a purse bid is avoided, HBO would likely air the unification bout on its PPV platform Dec. 10 from Madison Square Garden. WBA Middleweight "Super" Champion Gennady Golovkin, 36-0 (33 KO) is bar-none the premium cable network's premiere attraction.

If, however, negotiations fail, rival powerhouse boxing-outlet Showtime is waiting in the wings. Representatives for Showtime expressed keen interest in holding the fight at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.

Furthermore, Showtime Executive Vice President Stephen Espinoza asserted his brand "Is definitely interested (in the fight) and will aggressively pursue."

The 29-year-old Brooklyn native Jacobs, a cancer survivor, won his portion of the WBA Middleweight crown in 2014 with a devastating knockout of Jarrod Fletcher. Since that time, the once-beaten campaigner has defended his trinket four times, with an impressive late-2015 TKO of Peter "Kid Chocalete" Quillin.

Conversely, 34-year-old Gennady Golovkin appeared mortal in halting 147 lb. titleholder Kell Brook in September. Though the Kazakhstan native has fustigated his past 22 opponents via stoppage, he has showcased tell-tale signs of skill erosion.

While Golovkin is the unquestioned "A-side" in this encounter, Quillin would represent GGG's toughest challenge to date.

The Golovkin vs. Jacobs purse-bid controversy has prompted Mendoza to begin eliminating his sanctioning body's current two-tier champion setup. When reached for comment, Mendoza had these statements regarding the maligned practice: