Golovkin will drop down to face Mayweather

Genardy Golovkin says he will meet Floyd Mayweather in the middle.

Agencies/Las Vegas

Gennady Golovkin says he is happy to move down in weight to face Floyd Mayweather.The unbeaten middleweight is willing to drop down a division and meet the world’s No 1 fighter at light-middleweight (154lbs).Mayweather, who is expected to confirm he will be facing Andre Berto on September 12, beat Manny Pacquiao at his usual welterweight (147lbs) in his last contest in May.But Golovkin, who is one of the smaller middleweights (160lbs) around, says he would have no problem moving down - as long as Mayweather moves up.“He’s a great champion,” he said to ESPN’s SportsNation. “Look at me, I’m not big. My last couple of fights I’m 158, 159. This is possible for me.”Mayweather (48-0-KO26) has boxed at light-middleweight before, beating Miguel Cotto and Saul Alvarez over the full 12 rounds in 2013.Golovkin (33-0-KO30) has campaigned exclusively at middleweight and has not been taken the distance in any of his 14 WBA world title fights, with Britain’s Martin Murray - who has since moved up to super-middleweight - coming closest before being stopped in the 11th round in February.Meanwhile, George Groves’ world title shot looks likely to be pushed back to the next Floyd Mayweather bill.The London super-middleweight’s WBC challenge against Badou Jack was supposed to take place in Las Vegas on August 22.But it could be pushed back three weeks to be part of the undercard for Mayweather’s expected showdown with Andre Berto on September 12.Groves’ third shot at a world title will be screened in America on Showtime, who have confirmed it will not take place on the original date.“Showtime doesn’t have a live boxing event on August 22,” said Chris DeBlastio, Showtime’s vice president of sports communications.“We had contemplated doing it (that date), but it didn’t materialise.”WBC champion Jack (19-1-KO12) is part of Mayweather Promotions who have the option of including his defence against Groves (21-2-KO16)  as part of the September date, which will be screened free-to-air in America.Pacquiao to lobby for Philippines’ World Cup bidBoxing hero Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday he would promote the Philippines’ bid to host the 2019 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup. “Yes, I’m going to Tokyo with the Philippine delegation to help in our bid to host FIBA 2019,” he said in a statement. Pacquiao, 36, said he would travel next month to the Japanese capital where FIBA would announce the host. The basketball-crazy Philippines qualified for last year’s FIBA World Cup in Spain, finishing 21st. It faces stiff competition from Asian giant China as host for the 2019 event, according to the FIBA website. Pacquiao, who has gained worldwide fame for holding boxing world titles in eight weight divisions, is also an avid basketball fan. Last year he controversially signed on as playing coach of a neophyte team in the highly-competitive Philippine professional basketball league. However the 1.69-metre (5 foot 7 inch) Pacquiao has been underwhelming on the hardcourt, playing just for a few minutes in each game despite cheering fans in the bleachers. Pacquiao has parlayed his boxing fame into a fortune in showbiz, as a commercial endorser and even in politics, winning election as the congressman of a district in the poverty-stricken southern Philippines.