At the last moment before the vote, Mariolis Harilaos, the only remaining contender, refused to continue the race, and Gennady Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KO) was officially presented as the president of World Boxing, the current governing body of Olympic boxing.
This also appears to mean that the two-time middleweight world champion, one of the greatest boxers in history, will officially retire. Although Golovkin has not competed for more than three years, he had previously always expressed his willingness to return to the ring if he lost the World Boxing election.
"If my candidacy for the position of president of World Boxing is accepted, I will likely officially announce that I am hanging up my gloves. Nevertheless, I still try to stay in shape," GGG stated a few days ago.
Canadian Ryan O'Shea was elected vice-president, receiving 32 votes out of a possible 59.
"I am here to fight for something important — the future of boxing. With your help, I will do my best to restore trust in world boxing. Together, we can achieve full IOC recognition and secure a place not only at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles but also at all future Olympic Games," the legendary athlete from Kazakhstan said after the vote.
