NEW YORK CITY (July 31, 2015) Boxing superstar, WBA, IBO and WBC “interim” middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (33-0, 30 KO’s) will face IBF middleweight titleholder, Montreal power puncher David Lemieux (34-2, 31 KO’s), in a World middleweight championship title unification bout on Saturday, October 17 at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Golovkin vs. Lemieux is the fight fans have been waiting for, promising all-out action from the moment the first bell rings, and is presented by K2 Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with GGG Promotions and Eye of the Tiger Management. Further details on advance tickets and a national press tour will be announced shortly.
Below is what the fighters, their promoters, and managers had to say about the Oct. 17 showdown:
“I’m very excited to face David Lemieux to prove who is #1 in the middleweight division,” said Gennady Golovkin. “I look forward to fighting again at Madison Square Garden and putting on another Big Drama Show for my fans in New York City.”
“I’ve said that I don’t care who I fight, so long as they are the best, and Golovkin is the best out there in the middleweight division,” David Lemieux said. “GGG may be the most feared man in boxing, but after October 17th, there will be a new feared man in the middleweight division. Two very powerful punchers are coming into the ring. There will be blood; there will be fireworks, and I am confident I will emerge victorious.
“Gennady has wanted to unify the titles in the middleweight division since winning the WBA title in 2010,” said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions. “This is one of the most highly anticipated fights in boxing between the two biggest punchers in the middleweight division.”
“Since Gennady’s last fight on May 16, media and fans have been asking daily about his next fight and we are happy to announce this middleweight unification on boxing’s biggest stage. Gennady loves fighting at Madison Square Garden; it will be his fourth appearance there and we’re honored to work with their outstanding team, Golden Boy Promotions and HBO Pay-Per-View on this extraordinary event.”
“When Golden Boy Promotions talks about making the best fights for the fans, Lemieux Vs. Golovkin is exactly what we’re talking about,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “These are two guys at the top of their games; in their primes; with enormous knockout power than can end a fight in an instant. Instead of ducking each other, they have chosen to collide. Buckle up. October 17th is going to be quite a ride.”
“After defeating Hassan N’Dam earlier this year for the IBF Middleweight World Championship, David told me he wanted to continue to fight the toughest and best in the division, and it was clear that meant he had to fight Gennady Golovkin next,” said Camille Estephan of Eye of the Tiger Management. “I know David will be ready to go to war Oct. 17 against Gennady Golovkin at Madison Square Garden. This really will be the fight of the year that fans deserve.”
“Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux represent the qualities and characteristics that boxing fans worldwide admire and are attracted to in pay-per-view fights,” said Mark Taffet, Senior Vice President, HBO Pay-Per-View. “Two devastatingly powerful middleweight champions who have each registered more than 90 percent of their victories by knockout and are facing the toughest challenge of their careers. Their 160-pound title unification showdown on the storied stage of Madison Square Garden will be electric. HBO Pay-Per-View is delighted to serve as the television partner for this can’t miss event.”
Golovkin’s willingness to fight at destinations in both the U.S. and Europe has enabled him to emerge as one of the most marketable television attractions worldwide, setting venue attendance records and delivering tremendous TV ratings. He is currently ranked number three by ESPN.com on their Pound-For-Pound list with Ring Magazine also placing him at number 4.
Sporting a record of 33-0 with 30 knockouts, Golovkin’s 91 percent knockout ratio is the highest in the middleweight division and has distinguished him as boxing’s most exciting fighter. He has stopped his last 20 straight opponents inside the distance while defending his title 14 times. In front of a huge crowd of over 12,000 Southern California fight fans on May 16, Golovkin continued his reign with a sixth-round stoppage over No. 2 ranked contender Willie Monroe at The Forum in Los Angeles. The victory was Golovkin’s second in his new home of Los Angeles, having stopped the WBC “interim” middleweight champion Marco Antonio Rubio on October 18, 2014 in front of a venue record 9,323 fans at the StubHub Center.
Currently ranked in the top 10 middleweight fighters by the IBF, WBO, and WBA and the reigning IBF World Middleweight Champion, David Lemieux is coming off of his ninth consecutive win over Hassan N’Dam and seventh consecutive knockout against Gabriel “King” Rosado last December. The 26-year-old Lemieux was victorious in dominant fashion capturing the vacant IBF middleweight title against Hassan N’Dam on June 20 in his hometown of Montreal, Canada. Dropping N’Dam four times, the hard-hitting Canadian won a wide, 12-round unanimous decision. Lemieux made his HBO and United States debut in headline fashion with a fantastic performance stopping top contender Gabriel Rosado in the 10th round on December 6 in Brooklyn, New York. The hard-hitting Lemieux is now a serious threat who will attempt to sweep and conquer the division with a win over Golovkin. Lemieux is poised to become the next king of the middleweight division and will look to give Golovkin the first loss of his professional career on Oct. 17.
