Gennady Golovkin has been dominating the middleweight division at a rate that we as boxing fans haven’t seen since at least Bernard Hopkins’ run at the top, and arguably since Marvelous Marvin Hagler ran the division in the ‘80s. His knockout streak has reached nineteen in a row after he thoroughly beat down and dispatched of Martin Murray.
Murray a tough fighter thought to be one of the toughest tests of GGG’s career to date. He has already racked up the highest knockout percentage of any middleweight titlist in history. His punching power, ability to cut the ring off, and surprising charm and personality have allowed him to connect with an ever-growing fan base. The Boxing Voice was able to get a few words from one of boxing’s foremost announcers, Paulie Malignaggi on the subject of GGG.
“Not at middleweight. I think Golovkin is a handful, man.” Paulie responded when asked if there were contenders at middleweight that could handle him. “I’d like to see him in with Cotto. He’s stuck in a situation where he’s not going to get many more middleweights.” This assertion made by Paulie is one that many boxing fans have been making lately.
The idea that GGG has to move up in weight because no one in his division has proven to be able to stay in the ring with him for a full 12 rounds, much less beat him, is one that is perplexing. Why can’t a fighter stay in his natural weight division and dominate? Why must he be forced to move up in weight and fight the best at the next weight division, when he hasn’t even had the opportunity to clear out his own division fully yet?
Martin Murray, Daniel Geale, Matthew Macklin, Marco Antonio Rubio, Curtis Stevens, Gabe Rosado. These are just a few of the names that Golovkin has taken down. The idea that he has been fed tomato can after tomato can in an effort to build his resume and a façade of invincibility is simply ludicrous.
Each of those fighters has at one time or another been considered top ten middleweights or title holders at the division. Andy Lee, Pete Quillin, David Lemieux, Hassan N’Dam, and of course WBC Middleweight and lineal champion Miguel Cotto all are still on the horizon as potential opponents for Golovkin at 160 pounds. Whether we’ll see them in the ring with him or not, is up to them (or more likely, Al Haymon, at least when it comes to Quillin).
“I don’t know that he’s big enough to deal with a super middleweight like Andre Ward,” said Malignaggi. Golovkin, at least to the naked eye, doesn’t look to be a “big” middleweight. He has shown no trouble making the 160 lb weight limit throughout his career, and at 32 might not have the ability to put on any more weight for a move up. Golovkin has shown up to this point in his career hat he is not only a powerful fighter, but a smart one as well.
“Golovkin is very strong. He’s very astute in the ring; he’s a thinking fighter. It’s a lot to deal with in there, not to say he’s unbeatable; you did see a couple flaws last week. But to take advantage of them, you’ve got to walk through that fire.” You see the catch-22 that fighters face when they’re in the ring with Golovkin. Some chinks in the armor have been exposed, but is anyone going to be able to survive the power shots of Golovkin long enough to exploit them?
For now, let the talk of a move up to face the best at super middleweight die down, at least until GGG has had the opportunity to clear out the middleweight division. We as boxing fans could be looking at a potential all-time great at the 160 lb weight division, historically one of the most illustrious and competitive in the sport. What’s the rush?