Not even “The Donald” could trump the spectacle of Gennady Golovkin last night.
Appearing in the dressing room prior to the KO machine’s calculated evisceration of David Lemiuex, Trump then cavorted through a sold out crowd of 20,548 manic fans who made it clear that they weren’t there to see him, as a sea of boo’s became an ocean of cheers when GGG appeared on the big screen. The official HBO PPV numbers won’t be for some time, but if judging the raucous ovation he received from a typically tough New York crowd counts, then Golovkin is now a bonafide superstar.
Fittingly coming out to Jay-Z’s “Encore” following an electrifying performance from co-star Roman Gonzalez (more on that later) only added to the type of energy in the arena that was reminiscent of the kind felt at the weigh-in for Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas. Golovkin has a Mike Tyson-like aura and a cloak of invincibility that Lemieux was expected to test because of his own big power. But just as Madison Square Garden absolutely exploded as Golovkin made his way to the ring, GGG did the same once he heard the sound of the bell. Sporting an All-American look in ring attire, Golovkin continuously pushed Lemiuex’s wig and neck back with a punishing left jab to the head for the first few rounds, landing with alarming frequency and accuracy.
In round 3, a more determined Lemieux landed a crispy right hand which got the attention of the Kazakh star, but Golovkin shook it off and continued boxing beautifully. Long left hooks to the head followed thudding left hooks downstairs. A preternatural calm accompanied spectacular ring generalship and footwork, as Triple G showcased vastly underrated boxing skills. The crowd went wild in round 4, as a Golovkin assault sent Lemieux reeling around the ring, one started by a massive right hand. The granite chin of Golovkin was again on display in round 5, as Lemiuex landed a solid overhand right and then a thunderous left hook – which would have dispatched most middleweights in the world, but resulted in a blank stare. What followed was a violent reprisal from Golovkin, punctuated by a lethal left hook to the body which froze Lemieux as he began taking a knee. As his knee graced the canvas he ate a clean-up right hand from Golovkin which could’ve resulted in a penalty.
Golovkin (34-0, 31KOs) then savaged a game Lemieux (34-3, 31KOs) in the 6th, who continued to fight with the heart of a lion into the 7th, as doctors stopped the action briefly to look at his condition. The often comical grimace of referee Steve Willis told the crowd and an HBO viewing audience that Lemieux was taking a seismic beating throughout the contest, and he mercifully halted the massacre at 1:28 of the 8th round.
Gennady Golovkin is now the current, unified WBA, IBF, Interim WBC and IBO middleweight champion and clearly has his sights set on the winner of the November 21st showdown between WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and Saul Canelo Alvarez. “Guys look at the table,” said Golovkin, while pointing at his belt display in front of him. “I want the real WBC belt at 160. Miguel Cotto is a great fighter and so is Canelo, but yes, I want all belts at 160.” Cotto, who has shown a reluctance to consider a fight with Golovkin in the past, has recently indicated he will indeed fight Golovkin as part of the 3rd (and final) fight of his deal with Jay-Z and ROC Nation. Canelo has repeatedly declared his desire for an ultimate unification war with Golovkin should he defeat Cotto, as the fight lexicon for 2016 appears to be taking shape. An interesting moment occurred during the post fight press conference, as Golovkin actually revealed that a fight with Cotto or Canelo was ‘not his dream fight’, which prompted this writer to ask him if in fact that dream fight was with Floyd Mayweather and if he could make 154 lbs. Golovkin nodded his head during the question with assurance that he could, before stating with gleaming and hopeful eyes that it is a fight he desires.
“I hope so, I really hope to fight him,” declared Golovkin with confidence. At the dais after an unheard plea of his new IBF mandatory Tureano Johnson (who beat a very tough fighter in Ireland’s Eamonn O’Kane) for a fight with him, it was hard to miss the surge of motivation that came over GGG following the question of Mayweather. As the new MGM Grand International nears completion and Golovkin’s arrival at the top of the fight mountain, such a bout is definitely within striking distance because no one believes Mayweather is done.
Meanwhile, at a ‘big boy’ mansion in Las Vegas, the recently “retired” and undefeated former (we know he hates that word) pound-for-pound boss Floyd Mayweather, was not at all pleased with the notion made by Stephen A. Smith the other day on ESPN that GGG would ‘walk through’ him. Reports out of Floydville suggest that he “see’s something”, ala Sugar Ray Leonard’s famous assessment of Marvin Hagler, prior to his 1987 upset in their superfight. Whatever he allegedly saw would have to be exacerbated by Canelo or Cotto, in a way that John Mugabi made clear during his 1986 bout with Hagler that prompted Leonard out of retirement.
There doesn’t appear to be any signs of weakness or slippage in Golovkin, as he unveiled a much more refined set of technical skill to go along with his stalking attack. Never before had Golovkin demonstrated his overall boxing ability and a piston-like jab that rearranged that features of Lemieux. A fierce hybrid of Julio Cesar Chavez and Kostya Tsyzu, Golovkin added elements of Ike Quartey to an already lethal arsenal in his annihilation of Lemiuex. This wasn’t GGG’s first time at the Garden, but it somehow felt like a smashing debut in his first appearance on PPV, as he’s now announced himself as arguably the greatest force in the sport of boxing on its biggest stage.
A STAR IS BORN
Although Golovkin was the headliner and the big star of the evening, the most complete fighter on the planet was unveiled on HBO in the form of Nicarauguan badass Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. The undisputed flyweight world champion summarily dispatched and dismissed a world class fighter in former world champion Brian Viloria with remarkable ease. Gonzalez (44-0, 38KOs), used the first round to measure and size up Viloria before dialing up a dazzling display of offensive and technical brilliance. Every punch combination known to man– punctuated with signature chopping hooks and sweeping uppercuts, was hurled at the once indestructible (he had never been stopped or knocked down before as a pro or amateur) Filipino great Viloria (36-5, 22KOs) who was overwhelmed and blown away by Gonzalez.
The point is, it wasn’t supposed to look this easy and fans need to understand exactly who this man is. This is flyweight version of a vintage lightweight Roberto Duran with elements of the late Edwin Rosario. Not only is Gonzalez currently the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, but at age 28, he is already an all-time great, arguably the best flyweight ever, the best fighter to ever come out of Nicaragua (including the great Alexis Arguello) and he’s going to get better.
HBO showcased him in New York opposite Golovkin for a reason, because they understand the rare quality of his talent. But in order to maximize the potential of that talent he needs to be paired with someone worthy of his greatness and someone who can push him to depths of his ability. Perhaps Mexican sensation Juan Francisco Estrada can do it (Gonzalez defeated Estrada via wide UD in late 2012), but more than likely he can’t. Since HBO clearly backs its new superstar, that means he’ll need another bonafide star to test his vast talent. Roughly 7lbs separate “Chocolatito” from the great Cuban world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux. If “El Chacal” truly wants to justify a perilous defection from his country for stardom, a compromise and a showdown with Gonzalez would be the ticket. If there is even a remote possibility that this can be done- it absolutely should be. As the sport experiences a long awaited renaissance in the era of the catchweight, what a classic beauty this fight would be.
THE NEXT GREAT HEAVYWEIGHT?
Quite possibly the world witnessed a new star on the heavyweight scene and Oscar De La Hoya may have himself a major blue chip on his Golden Boy roster. Strictly using the eye test, Luis Ortiz’s brutal 2nd round massacre of Matias Ariel Vidondo was as shocking as it was thorough. At 6’4 and 240 lbs, Ortiz (23-0, 20KOs) doesn’t have that much more time to make himself at household name at age 36, but he is a classically trained Cuban fighter with a knockout and an imposing athlete. De La Hoya mentioned the possibility of a match-up with Bryant Jennings on HBO before pursuing the likes of Wladimir Klitschko or Deontay Wilder. Either way, we’ll be watching what happens with this promising fighter with great interest.
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Overall, a sensational night of combat and an epic event for the sport, as the stars came out from all across the world to witness a new era in boxing. For more on your favorite fighters and news related to the world of boxing, visit Real Combat Media.
