Showtime boxing chief Stephen Espinoza has from a distance admired the work of middleweight knockout artist Gennady Golovkin. But he thinks Golovkin may be running out of opponents.

While Golovkin is signed exclusively to HBO, Espinoza spoke enthusiastically of a matchup between IBF/WBA titleholder Golovkin and Danny Jacobs, the WBA’s “regular” champion. Espinoza cast doubt on Canelo Alvarez facing his mandatory Golovkin (35-0, 32 knockouts) this year, paving the way he hopes for a potential match with Jacobs, who usually fights on Showtime and PBC cards.

“What he’s done is impressive,” Espinoza told RingTV.com on Tuesday of Golovkin, who destroyed Dominic Wade in two rounds on Saturday. “He hasn’t fought a Murderers Row (of opponents). But he has clearly been really effective against everyone who’s been put in front of him, and you can’t really ask for more than that.”

The WBA has recently said that if Alvarez doesn’t agree to face his mandatory Golovkin in the fall, it would try to make Golovkin face Jacobs (31-1, 28 KOs) in an attempt to consolidate the WBA middleweight titles. If that happens, HBO and Showtime would presumably have to figure out the mechanics of a joint broadcast.

“It doesn’t sound like Golovkin-Canelo is imminent so I know there was talk of Golovkin-Jacobs being ordered, which I think obviously is a marquee fight if that goes to a purse bid or a mandatory,” Espinoza said. “I hope we can avoid some sort of network conflict because that is I think one of the more interesting fights left at 160. I’m not sure what else there is for (Golovkin) to do at 160, given where the division as a whole is right now.”