POUND FOR POUND GOLOVKIN #1?
By Neal Martin
For six years we have been waiting for the fight to be made. The fight that would see the two best boxers in the world, Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather end the long going debate about who is the pound for pound king. The irony is that on the same weekend the fight is finally announced, the credibility of that very argument is thrown into doubt.
Enter Gennady ‘Triple G’ Golovkin. The Kazakh middleweight entered the ring on Saturday night to face English man Martin Murray. Many believed that Murray posed a different threat to Golovkin from that of previous opponents. Murray is renowned for his durability as well as his technical ability. The only defeat on his record coming via a dubious decision against former world title holder Sergio Martinez and the only other blemish was a controversial draw with Felix Sturm. Golovkin was riding an astonishing 18 straight knockout victory streak, and even more impressive, 13 of them victories coming in world title fights.
Murray started the fight well and there was little to split them in the opening two rounds. The St Helens man was using the ring to his full advantage, moving around the stalking Golovkin, keeping him at jabs length and holding when he got close. However the champion started to find his rhythm in the third and hurt Murray with a powerful jab as the round drew to its conclusion.
The fourth round was the beginning of the end for the English man. Triple G unleashed his trademark body shot that left Murray wincing in agony on the canvas. Murray would be put down a second time before the round was out as Golovkin’s sub human reputation came to the forefront in impressive fashion. It was the same Golovkin we have became accustomed to over the past couple of years.The pundits however were right.
Murray did prove to be more durable than any of Golovkin’s other world title challengers, making it all the way to the eleventh round. To make it that far and take that much of a beating is an incredible achievement alone for Murray, albeit maybe not the wisest of moves as its beatings like that that can shorten a fighter’s career. Considering that there was an open scoring system, Murray’s corner should have stopped the fight as early as the end of round eight. A further three rounds punishment just was not necessary.
Yet again in the post fight interviews we heard from Murray what we have come accustomed to hearing from those who had fallen at the hands of Golovkin, total submission to the fact that yes, this man is a lot better than me. We have heard this sort of praise and respect before from knockout victims Daniel Geale and Mathew Macklin to name just a couple.
THE GGG, MONEY & PACMAN POUND FOR POUND CIRCLE
When you think of the best fighters in the world fighting each other, after the fight the most respectful recognition your likely to hear from the looser is “tonight was his night, he was better than me tonight”. You won’t hear this from a Golovkin’s defeated opponents, for the simple reason that they are made well aware that every night would be Golovkin’s night. What more indication can there be that this man is head and shoulders above the rest.
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio are both phenomenal boxers, and their fight in May is most certainly one to look forward to. Styles make fights and these two possess particular styles that make for a very interesting and unpredictable night of boxing. This fight will be promoted as the two best pound for pound fighters in the world. For me that is way off the mark.
If that’s the fight they wanted to give the fans then they should have made the fight years ago. The fact of the matter is that two future hall of fame fighters are going to meet in what promises to be an explosive match up, but as far as the pound for pound rankings go, there stands one man alone.
Gennady Golovkin pound for pound number one as of February 2015? Certainly in my books he is.
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