Gennady Golovkin

First topic message reminder :

I'm sure this has been discussed to death on here. However, I've been in absentia for some months now so please indulge me here.

As a fully paid-up member of the Golovkin fan club/hype train, it's certainly fair to say that I am a massive fan of his. I've been banging the drum for Golovkin amongst friends of mine who also enjoy Boxing since I first read an article about him knocking out Light-heavies in sparring back in 2011/2012.

However, there is a problem. It has been many years since he came on the scene and, to date, his best win is David Lemieux.. Now, to what extent this is the fault of any unwillingness on Golovkin's part to take on more challenging fights, or the unwillingness of potential opponents to take on Golovkin is debatable. I know where I sit on this one.

But, leaving that aside, Golovkin's career is now at a critical juncture. Supposedly, the winner of Canelo vs Khan will be mandated to fight him. But does anyone here seriously think that will happen? If Khan wins, and the WBC make GGG his mandatory, then I expect Khan to vacate the belt sharpish! If Canelo wins, as most are predicting, then does anybody here think that the WBC will force him to fight Golovkin at 160lbs? I doubt it. Alvarez has stated in the past that he will fight him at 155lbs. If Alvarez does win then I expect him to offer GGG the fight at 155 and I expect the WBC to sanction it. This catch-weight offer is something which Golovkin has said he would reject.

However, surely Golovkin can no longer maintain this position? Yes, it is appalling that the '160lb Champion' may be permitted to compel his mandatory to fight at 155lbs. And yes, it totally undermines the credibility of the WBC (something which I'm sure will cause great concern at the WBC...) But what are Golovkin's other options? Can he get Jacobs or BJS? Unlikely, in my opinion. And even if he could, it is Alzarez (or maybe Khan) who will be the lineal Champ.

As egregious as it might be, if Golovkin is offered a fight with Canelo or Khan at 155lbs then he should take it. He has no other options. He simply cannot continue fighting the likes of Dominic Wade, Willie Monroe Jr., etc.

Bloody weird being such a fanboy of Golovkin but you are Haz.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:Hopkins fought far better opposition than Golovkin has, defend him all you want but he complains about being avoided but won't step up himself.

Hopkins fought some poor opposition racking up his bogus record but that's how it is when you're attempting to unify the alphabets. Morrade Hakker, Robert Allen, Syd Vanderpool, Steve Frank, Joe Lipsey, Simon Brown etc.

Golovkin has followed the same path in looking to unify the division.

Hopkins, too, once complained he was being frozen out.

Golovkin WILL unify. He'll likely break Hopkins's dodgy record and then move on (in the same way Hopkins did).

Golovkin will clean up 160 and 168

Just wait

Rowley wrote:I think to argue he is not being avoided to some extent would be a stretch. Let's look at this sensibly, the WBC, an organisation based in Mexico widely known and almost universally accepted as being wildly biased to Mexican fighters have told the biggest Mexican star currently in the sport that if he does not fight Golovkin next they will strip him. Does that sound a very WBC thing to do, or does it suggest even they are a little embarrassed by the situation at the weight and the behaviour of their champion?

Who is arguing he's not being avoided to some extent....

You arguing with yourself ??

Six years of stiffs regardless of excuses ain't good !!.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:Bloody weird being such a fanboy of Golovkin but you are Haz.

You could understand that level of worship from a 12 year old..

Still he hasn't started editing Hoppo articles yet !!

He has done everything he can In middleweight. I have no problems a fighter staying in his division. Only problem is, Middleweight is lacking any real depth.

It's not GGG's fault, the division isn't great. However I think he has the power and all around talent to dominate 168. Only Ward would of beat him. I think he would beat Degale and the like.

I do think he should accept Canelos offer at 155. He shouldn't have to, but he would knock him out Imo. Then he would most certainly the main man. Not only his division, but the entire sport as well.

He isn't without his faults, but he is an exciting fighter and I enjoy watching him work.

I still fancy Khan to give Canelo problems.......

Wouldn't rule out an upset.....

He could win first few rounds. Can't see him winning. I would honestly be happy to be proved wrong. The kids s bit lippy, but he can box and has balls.

Think khan may look ok but ultimately will get stopped he is too small

Canelo will walk him down pretty easily. Khan won't be able to put a dent in him (for all his panicked flurries) and anyone who knows the sport recognises this is a huge mismatch.

Canelo's not at his best against guys who don't come to him, but everyone knows what you have to do to beat khan.. if algieri and peterson can walk him down I'm sure canelo will figure it out at some point. It's not like khan is a defensive genius.

Despite that, there's something about this fight that intrigues me... though maybe that's just that it's a khan fight as they're generally good value.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

hazharrison wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:His activity covers up how poor his opposition is, Wade got the fight after screwing an old man with knee problems, a joke of a fight really.

Which middleweight should he have fought instead (taking into account the fact Wade was his mandatory)?

He should grow some balls and move up as far as i'm concerned, little point carrying on fighting crap like Wade.

To expand on a previous point made comparing Golovkin's title record to Hopkins's: There are some on here who rate Hopkins as one of the greatest middleweights of all time due to his 20 title defences (which was in fact 19, bearing in mind one of those - against Robert Allen - was a no contest). Let's compare Hopkins's level of title opposition to Golovkin's:

Hopkins

Wins IBF title at third attempt against Segundo Mercado.

1. Steve Frank
2. Joe Lipsey
3. William James
4. John David Jackson
5. Glen Johnson
6. Andrew Council
7. Simon Brown
8. Robert Allen NC
9. Robert Allen
10. Antwun Echols
11. Syd Vanderpool
12. Antwun Echols
13. Keith Holmes
14. Felix Trinidad (becomes full middleweight champion)
15. Carl Daniels
16. Morrade Hakkar
17. William Joppy
18. Robert Allen
19. Oscar De la Hoya
20. Howard Eastman

Loses to Jermain Taylor (twice)

Golovkin

Wins title against Nilson Tapia and then knocks out the following:

1. Kassim Ouma
2. Lajuan Simon
3. Makoto Fuchigami
4. Grzegorz Proksa
5. Gabriel Rosado
6. Nobuhiro Ishida
7. Matthew Macklin
8. Curtis Stevens
9. Osumanu Adama
10. Daniel Geale
11. Marco Antonio Rubio
12. Martin Murray
13. Willie Monroe Jr.
14. David Lemieux
15. Dominic Wade

While Golovkin's title claim is even more tenuous than Hopkins's (bearing in mind the WBA had two champions throughout his reign) the only fighter Hopkins beat that was a full level above those on the Golovkin list is Trindad (which remains Hopkins's defining win). Antwun Echols was a dangerous puncher - but then so was Curtis Stevens. Keith Holmes held an alphabet title but then so did Geale and Lemieux. And can you imagine Golovkin fighting Ouma three times because he had a little trouble with him (ala Hopkins and Robert Allen)?

While I'd certainly take Hopkins's record over GGG's, there's not a lot between them. Hopkins, too, was frozen out of the division for long periods (yet, unlike in Golovkin's case - where he was deemed too good for the likes of Martinez, Sturm, Cotto, Saunders, Jacobs etc. - Hopkins made a lot of enemies due to his outlaw spirit and the chip on his shoulder). Thankfully for 'Nard, big names from the lower weights (in Trinidad and Oscar) were willing to face him (unlike Cotto and Alvarez in GGG's case).

But if you regard Hopkins as an all time great middleweight yet continually s*** on Golovkin's record, then I think there's a huge double standard at play.

While neither truly threatens Carlos Monzon's genuine middleweight championship defence record (nor indeed Marvin Hagler's superb tally) Hopkins at least had the opportunity to become the true champ at 160. And even then, look at the guys he defended the full championship against - Morrade Hakkar was a more woeful foe than even Dominic Wade. Carl Daniels was only a modest improvement.

Let's just all agree GGG is the greatest fighter of alltime..

and move on..

Wow Haz is going full blown fanboy, he must be choking.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Let's just all agree GGG is the greatest fighter of alltime..

and move on..

Or just debate with a tad more balance. That would be a start.