?Carl doesn?t need this fight. But he says he is intrigued by how he would deal with him. He?s crazy that way??
Gennady Golovkin (33-0, 30 KOs), the knockout artist from the City of Angels by way of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, has been called ?the most avoided man in boxing.? Whether that?s true or not depends in large part on who is or isn?t doing the avoiding. But at 33 years of age, Golovkin?s not getting any younger. He?s been fighting professionally for nine years. And while he has gobs of talent, Triple G has yet to have the signature fight that defines his legacy.
His list of victims is long and getting longer all the time, but he has yet to fight a reigning champion. He has fought former champions. He has fought wannabe champions. He has fought fighters who had no place being in the ring with him. But that special fight against a special fighter has yet to appear on his r?sum?.
WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, rather than fight Golovkin, is fighting Daniel Geale on May 6 in Brooklyn. Cotto is a small middleweight, if he?s a middleweight at all, and while he?s only a year older than Triple G, in boxing years it might as well be a decade.
WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee, while a legitimate titleholder, is a major minor talent. A fight with Triple G would be a fun while it lasted, but it wouldn?t last long before Golovkin, with his fine footwork and uncanny sense of ring geography, cuts off the ring, traps Lee in a corner or against the ropes, and let his fists finish the job.
The winner of the upcoming fight for the vacant IBF middleweight title, be it David Lemieux or Hassan N?Dam, would be a suitable opponent for Triple G. But they must first get by their opponent on June 20 before even considering a fight with the Kazakh Kid.
Other fighters have faced this dilemma in the past. They either continue to defeat whoever is put in front of them to defeat or they move up in weight to test their mettle against bigger men. That can be a dangerous path, and Triple G seems disinclined to tangle with the super middles. He has said many times that he wants to unify the middleweight titles before taking the plunge. But in the meantime the clock is ticking.
Another fighter for whom the clock is ticking is IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (33-2, 24 KOs). The Cobra, who hails from Nottingham, England, hasn?t fought since he stopped George Groves a second time last May. At the age of 37, retirement is tempting and Froch has hinted that the end is drawing near. But the possibility of fighting Triple G appeals to The Cobra, perhaps because he thinks his standing is underserved, perhaps because he wants to go out with a bang instead of a whimper, perhaps because he?s convinced he can win.
?I need the motivation,? Froch told BBC Radio 5 live. ?I need the fear factor and Golovkin brings that. If I decide to fight again?and it?s a very big ?if? because one of my options is to retire?Golovkin?s an opponent I?d definitely like. If I fight Golovkin I will back him up, take what he?s got and beat him up.?
But what about Triple G?s power?
?I believe I can take his power better than any of his middleweight opponents,? said Froch via Dailymail.co.uk, ?and use my extra size and strength to end his unbeaten record.?
Froch?s promoter, Eddie Hearn, confirmed that Froch has his eye on Golovkin.
?I?ve spoken with Carl directly about this and he is interested,? said Hearn. ?I only want him to take it if he?s genuinely motivated because it is a high-risk fight. But it would be massive and we can fill Wembley again. Given Carl?s interest, we have already opened negotiations with Golovkin?s people and they are very keen.?
It?s good that Golovkin?s people are very keen about a fight with Froch. The Cobra is a terrific fighter, a future hall of famer, but not free of liabilities. He is slow of hand and foot. His defense is porous. He can be hit. But fortunately for Froch, no less than for the rest of us, he likes nothing better than to hit back.
?Golovkin is the most feared fighter in the world now,? Hearn added, ?and Carl doesn?t need this fight. But he says he is intrigued by how he would deal with him. He?s crazy that way.?
That?s exactly the kind of craziness boxing needs.
