Golovkin Rising. Middleweight Champion Poised For Stardom.
Boxing fans and analysts have been a bit too quick to praise WBA Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin for doing so much against so little. Indeed, the majority of the Kazakhi's long title reign has come against foes who wouldn't stand a chance against any respectable fighter, let alone one with Golovkin's skill set. That all changed last weekend when he absolutely destroyed former champion Daniel Geale, who was Golovkin's most accomplished foe.
It didn't take long for Golovkin to bore through Geale, and after three rounds that is exactly what happened. The obligatory "what's next" has come up, and Golovkin's team wants him back in the ring by this fall. That is where a problem arises.
There isn't a whole lot of options for Golovkin at 160 right now, even if you look really hard. Calls for a unification with Miguel Cotto will go unanswered because, well, because a Cotto-Golovkin fight would just end up looking like this. Peter Quillin is being kept safe on Showtime until Saul Alvarez or Daniel Jacobs say they are ready for a Middleweight title and the rest of what's left isn't exactly screaming "can't miss fight."
Those fights are to be had at 168 pounds, where Golovkin can find himself in a whole mess of fights against the likes of Carl Froch, George Groves, Sakio Bika and boxing's favorite ghost story, Andre Ward. The real fight to make is the one we were supposed to get last weekend, Golovkin vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but that fight won't happen until Chavez's contract issues with Top Rank gets resolved.
Either way, he's untouchable at 160 pounds and will continue to be unless the division magically improves in talent over the next few months. Golovkin's team wants to get him the big paydays and prime time exposure, but the opportunities to do that aren't going to be a division he's already laid to waste.
It didn't take long for Golovkin to bore through Geale, and after three rounds that is exactly what happened. The obligatory "what's next" has come up, and Golovkin's team wants him back in the ring by this fall. That is where a problem arises.
There isn't a whole lot of options for Golovkin at 160 right now, even if you look really hard. Calls for a unification with Miguel Cotto will go unanswered because, well, because a Cotto-Golovkin fight would just end up looking like this. Peter Quillin is being kept safe on Showtime until Saul Alvarez or Daniel Jacobs say they are ready for a Middleweight title and the rest of what's left isn't exactly screaming "can't miss fight."
Those fights are to be had at 168 pounds, where Golovkin can find himself in a whole mess of fights against the likes of Carl Froch, George Groves, Sakio Bika and boxing's favorite ghost story, Andre Ward. The real fight to make is the one we were supposed to get last weekend, Golovkin vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but that fight won't happen until Chavez's contract issues with Top Rank gets resolved.
Either way, he's untouchable at 160 pounds and will continue to be unless the division magically improves in talent over the next few months. Golovkin's team wants to get him the big paydays and prime time exposure, but the opportunities to do that aren't going to be a division he's already laid to waste.
Adrien Broner Back On Training Wheels, Rumors Suggest.
Adrien Broner is one of boxing's most recognized fighters (for better or worse) and he commands a tremendous amount of attention, thanks in part to his childlike behavior in and out of the ring. He is also very talented and is an exciting fighter to watch, but since he unexpectedly lost to Marcos Maidana last December, it is starting to look as if he's being kept on a leash.
Broner will be headlining a September 6 card which will serve as a launching point towards a fight with him and Lucas Matthysse, who will also be featured on the same card. Broner's opponents that had been rumored though is suggesting that he's not quite yet recovered from the shellacking Maidana gave him.
Initially, Zab Judah was a front runner even though he has lost his last two fights. Then, Emmanuel Taylor was also considered but had been contacted by Broner's camp to say "Sorry, we won't be needing you after all," and most disturbingly, the very faded Paul Spadafora somehow found his way in the mix for Broner.
As of right now there is no opponent and the date is right around the corner, leading many to suggest Golden Boy and Al Haymon will go the super-soft route and hope Broner impressively performs a la Garcia/Salka. One thing is for sure, Matthysse isn't going to be no powder-puff pushover and Broner isn't showing the resolve that he is ready for that fight next year.
Adrien Broner is one of boxing's most recognized fighters (for better or worse) and he commands a tremendous amount of attention, thanks in part to his childlike behavior in and out of the ring. He is also very talented and is an exciting fighter to watch, but since he unexpectedly lost to Marcos Maidana last December, it is starting to look as if he's being kept on a leash.
Broner will be headlining a September 6 card which will serve as a launching point towards a fight with him and Lucas Matthysse, who will also be featured on the same card. Broner's opponents that had been rumored though is suggesting that he's not quite yet recovered from the shellacking Maidana gave him.
Initially, Zab Judah was a front runner even though he has lost his last two fights. Then, Emmanuel Taylor was also considered but had been contacted by Broner's camp to say "Sorry, we won't be needing you after all," and most disturbingly, the very faded Paul Spadafora somehow found his way in the mix for Broner.
As of right now there is no opponent and the date is right around the corner, leading many to suggest Golden Boy and Al Haymon will go the super-soft route and hope Broner impressively performs a la Garcia/Salka. One thing is for sure, Matthysse isn't going to be no powder-puff pushover and Broner isn't showing the resolve that he is ready for that fight next year.
The Best of the Rest
“Golovkin’s demeanor, the strength in his body and his punches and his focus show that he is the best middleweight in the world. Only super middleweight Andre Ward would maybe have the skills to defeat Golovkin."
-Bill Treacy, manager of Daniel Geale with his thoughts on Gennady Golovkin.
- While the circus it wasn't, Roy Jones Jr. continued his joke of a return last weekend scoring a stoppage win over journeyman Courtney Fry. Despite having nothing but muscle memory from his glory days, Jones managed to easily handle Fry and scored his third win in a row after losing three straight. As long as Jones can still sell his name overseas and can beat opponents like Fry, he'll continue to fight until otherwise.
- Bryant Jennings came away with a narrow win last weekend over Mike Perez in a unwatchable battle of America's best young Heavyweights, but didn't show that he has the goods to beat Wladimir Klitschko or even Bermane Stiverne for that matter. He's much better that Deontay Wilder, but America's best Heavyweight isn't ready to take the belt home.
- Wondering who Miguel Cotto will be fighting this year since Golovkin isn't on the menu? The WBC is pushing for Cotto to defend his Middleweight title against mandatory foe Marco Antonio Rubio and now there are rumblings that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr is now in the mix, though his past two fights have taken place above Middleweight. Cotto/Chavez is a huge fight to make, but extremely hard to believe that it will. Cotto is expected to return to the ring by the end of the year.
- 2011: The unheralded Victor Ortiz unexpectedly defeats Andre Berto to win a Welterweight title. Ortiz next faced Floyd Mayweather and is stopped in four rounds. 2014: The unheralded Chris Algieri unexpectedly defeats Ruslan Provodnikov to win a Junior Welterweight title. Algeri next faces Manny Pacquiao this November...his fate is pending.
“Golovkin’s demeanor, the strength in his body and his punches and his focus show that he is the best middleweight in the world. Only super middleweight Andre Ward would maybe have the skills to defeat Golovkin."
-Bill Treacy, manager of Daniel Geale with his thoughts on Gennady Golovkin.
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