By Keith Idec

The trickle-down effect from Canelo Alvarez’s thumb injury could impact Gennady Golovkin’s future in a different way than anyone initially realized.

Multiple sources have informed BoxingScene.com that Alvarez’s inability to participate in an HBO fight December 10 could afford the premium-cable network enough money from its remaining 2016 budget to televise Golovkin versus Daniel Jacobs on the network.

Golovkin was tentatively scheduled to fight in a November 26 bout HBO was expected to televise from The Forum in Inglewood, California. The license fee HBO would’ve paid for the Golovkin bout against an undetermined opponent, combined with the license fee for Alvarez’s ill-fated appearance on the network two weeks later, makes Golovkin-Jacobs a realistic possibility.

The WBA already has ordered Kazakhstan’s Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs), its “super” middleweight champion, and Brooklyn’s Jacobs (32-1, 29 KOs), its “world” middleweight champion, to fight each other next. If their representatives can’t come to an agreement, the WBA would conduct a purse bid.

This unforeseen HBO budget development might prevent a purse bid from taking place, though.

“Right now, we’re in preliminary discussions,” said Keith Connolly, Jacobs’ adviser. “We definitely want to fight Golovkin next. I know a lot of people are scared of him, but Danny told me he saw everything he needed to see in the Kell Brook fight [against Golovkin] to know that he can beat Triple-G. Even though Triple-G stopped him in [the fifth round], he still saw enough holes there where Danny thinks if he hits Golovkin with those same sorts of punches, it’ll be lights out for Triple-G.”

Connolly said that as of Wednesday afternoon, Jacobs hasn’t received an official offer to fight Golovkin. Connolly also said Jacobs is open to fighting Golovkin in January or later if they can’t come to an agreement for a December 10 fight.

To finalize a deal, Al Haymon, Jacobs’ manager and the organizer of Premier Boxing Champions, would have to sign off on Jacobs fighting on HBO. That does not seem to be an issue, however.

PBC has two NBC dates available before the end of the year – December 10 and December 17 – and a Jacobs fight against an undetermined opponent still could fill one of those main event slots.

Golovkin-Jacobs cannot air on NBC on December 10 or December 17 because the network wouldn’t provide the necessary license fee to make the deal work economically for each side.

Jacobs told BoxingScene.com recently that he wants to be paid fairly for facing Golovkin, yet also said his asking price won’t be unrealistic. The 29-year-old former New York Golden Gloves champion wouldn’t specify the figure it’d take to accept a fight against Golovkin.

Between the two license fees HBO could apply to the Golovkin-Jacobs pot and the live gate the fight could generate, that doesn’t appear to be an unrealistic figure.

Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center both are available December 10, which could cause a bidding battle between the fierce competitors to host the fight.

Golovkin has fought at The Garden and The Theater at Madison Square Garden twice apiece since January 2013. Jacobs has fought five times at Barclays Center since October 2012 and has a marketing and apparel deal with the Barclays Center’s Brooklyn Boxing brand.

“My gut instinct is there’s a better chance of it happening at the Barclays Center,” Connolly said. “I don’t think Madison Square Garden will be as interested in the fight financially as Barclays will.”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.