So now that the dust has settled from our September boxing extravaganza I think there are a few things still a bit hazy in most folks’ eyes. So many things were accomplished by boxers in various weight divisions, but of all the achievements made through various weight classes I think the middleweight division was the highlight of the month.
The top 6 ranked fighters at 160lbs all fought in September and the sequence of events has now shaped a consensus amongst boxing experts who believe the middleweight division is amongst the most stacked in all of boxing. However, I think an argument can be made for which middleweight had the best September.
I think the not-so-obvious choice would be middleweight powerhouse Gennady Golovkin, who stopped his opponent Grzegorz Proksa in the 5th round on HBO’s Boxing After Dark. With the win he became the mandatory for the WBA title, with the performance he substantiated the claims of boxing insiders who had praised him for years as well making himself a must have commodity for HBO.
The obvious choice for September middleweight of the year would be Sergio Martinez. Already considered the best middleweight in the world, Martinez furthered that notion by defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the most publicized and anticipated matches of the division/month/year. Martinez’s performance was spectacular, but the drama provided in the 12th round offered up one of those memorable fights cemented in the minds of boxing fans for years to come.
After the obvious and the subtle you have the correct choice, and that is WBA and IBF unified middleweight champion Daniel Geale. Your mind probably registered 1 of 2 thoughts: 1) how could I’ve overlooked him or 2) why am I overcompensating for him? The truth is what Geale accomplished was a miracle and he had the odds stacked against him in his unification bout versus Germany’s Felix Sturm.
Geale went to Sturm’s home country and won a 12 round split-decision. Many considered the bout somewhat controversial, but I think Geale did enough to walk away with the victory over Sturm. The fight outcome wasn’t controversial — just competitive. It’s impressive enough winning on hostile territory, but when you keep in mind the circumstances behind it all you’ll find that Geale’s win was somewhat heroic.
Sturm fought mostly in his comfort zone of Germany since his controversial loss to Oscar De La Hoya in June of 2004. That fight was his last on American soil and he kept his middleweight title hostage in his home country ever since — with the exception of one fight in Croatia. Sturm benefited from his hometown advantage by receiving some controversial (gift) decisions in the form of a split decision win against Matthew Macklin and a draw against Martin Murray. The fact that Geale took the gamble knowing a decision victory over Sturm could prove to be impossible was heroic enough.
“We were worried when they read out the score. We just wanted a fair fight,” Geale said on ThaBoxingVoice.com’s radio show.
It was an important win, not just for Geale, but for the middleweight division as a whole. In the lead up to the fight Geale spoke about his intentions on fighting on American soil and making a career for himself outside of his home country of Australia. His win over Sturm makes it possible for some unification bouts that wouldn’t otherwise have been possible with Sturm uninterested in leaving Germany. Geale’s intents are as strong as ever and he fully intends on making some big fights in the US.
“I definitely want to fight again this year and ideally it would be in the US.”
Geale is adamant on claiming his glory in America. “I definitely have seen so many great American fighters and the next huge obstacle is to go over to the US and fight some big name fighters over there to make my name in the US as well. People in the US don’t know me as well and I want to show them what I’m about.”
Golovkin is one of those fights that could be possible for Geale on American soil being that Golovkin’s September victory made him the mandatory for Geale’s WBA title; even though neither fighter is of American descent, HBO has expressed interest in televising that fight. Geale has said he would fight Golovkin, but it seems like it wouldn’t be a fight Geale would want to make right away, or at least next.
“Golovkin is an interesting fight; we’re having a rest and haven’t discussed anything. We have plenty of options on the table. Everyone regards Sergio Martinez as the number 1 middleweight and obviously that’s a fight I’d want.”
“I’m not sure how recognized [Golovkin] is in Australia, hopefully in the future that’s a fight that can be made,” Geale said.
Geale’s reasons for not wanting Golovkin right away have some validity, but the problem is that with Golovkin’s strong boxing media backing any potential foe that doesn’t take the fight risks appearing timid. Geale might not have the luxury of avoiding Golovkin for long, at least not if he wants to keep his WBA title. However, another issue is that Geale has 2 titles and his mandatories in both titles are up — the IBF mandatory is Sam Soliman. This could present issues with keeping both titles and seeking out a bigger non alphabet sanctioned fight. Even if Geale wants to keep both titles and tries to keep everyone happy, it may prove impossible.
“It definitely makes it a bit trickier and I guess management has to do some extra work. For me, I’m happy to fight my mandatory’s, but there are a certain time frames that you want your fights to be set up. You can’t be too rushed these days; if I could I would fight 10 times a year. It’s about making the right decision; we don’t need to be forced into fighting anyone. We still have control; I’m the one that has both of these titles.”
I believe Geale when he says he wants to stay champion and stay true to the process of keeping his multi champion status. However, I also believe him when he says he wants to seek out the best and biggest fights possible. It may come down to having to choose between one way and the other.
“I don’t want to vacate my belts, but fighting quality guys is important to me, the guys that I regard as the best is what interests me at the moment. Hopefully the organizations will stand by me. I want to be a unified champion and all the stuff it comes with as well. I know it is difficult, more so holding on to the titles.”
Geale put himself in the driver seat with his September win, but he also made himself a target. With Geale chasing Martinez and with Golovkin chasing Geale, we may be waiting for the top of the middleweight division to settle out. Beyond Martinez and Golovkin, Geale has talked about a Sturm rematch, a unification bout between the winner of Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam and “Kid Chocolate” Peter Quillin — who fight this weekend for N’Jikam’s WBO title. Geale also mentioned a few offers to move up to super middleweight, but a move up in weight doesn’t seem to be a preference of Geale.
“I’m very happy fighting at middleweight, middleweight is my weight. Once I reach the top of the middleweight division and I’m [regarded the best] then I would definitely look at fighting some of the other great fighters at the super middleweight division.”
If you consider the position of Geale, Golovkin and Martinez then you have to give Geale the nod for biggest September. While Martinez had the biggest and widely known victory, it’s yet to be seen if it will turn him into the superstar he deserves to be. Martinez is obviously a superstar amongst boxing’s most knowledgeable, but will he be a PPV fighter without the likes of Chavez Jr. as a boost up? At this point, even with Martinez being called out by other fighters he himself is still in search of bigger fights that he may or may not get. Martinez doesn’t seem likely to get a fight with Mayweather, and wasn’t that the case even before the win over Chavez Jr.
Golovkin definitely raised his stock, but he’s still chasing and it looks like he’ll be chasing for a bit longer. If you put it into perspective you find that Golovkin wants Geale, not the other way around.
Geale is in a position that he would’ve never been in without his September victory. He now has enough pull to be sought after, and still enough appeal to land a Martinez fight. Of the three fighters, Geale maintains a small amount of both his counterparts upside.
For Full Audio of This Interview Click Here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thaboxingvoiceradioshow/2012/09/06/daniel-geale-realdealgeale-mike-alvarado-milehighmike303