Wherever the middleweight division goes from here, the reality is that the 160 lb. class is Gennady Golovkin?s?
Wherever the middleweight division goes from here, the reality is that the 160 lb. class is Gennady Golovkin?s.
Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez is still the biggest draw in the division, by far, but even before the clenbuterol controversy that led to a six-month suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, it was clear that he was not really a middleweight. A few 155 lb. fights against other junior middleweights?including a win of the so-called ?lineal? middleweight title over a fighter in Miguel Cotto, who, himself, was just doing cameo appearances as a middleweight?is hardly a commitment to the division.
No, 160 is Golovkin?s until further notice. He?s the top rated and most bankable full-time middleweight at the moment and sits atop the division. Three world title belts and big TV ratings on HBO over the weekend for his one-sided blowout of Vanes Martirosyan pretty much confirm that he?s the king in a world without a committed Canelo.
This king of the hill status, however, means that the dynamic has changed when it comes to his career decisions and what?s expected of him. The ?we can?t get the fights we want, so we fight the fights available to us? narrative is now completely off the board. Every top middleweight seems to be gunning for Golovkin at the moment and as division top dog and top draw, he can fight anyone he chooses. If bouts with the likes of Jermall Charlo, Billy Joe Saunders, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, and Demetrius Andrade don?t materialize, Golovkin will be held accountable?fairly or unfairly?just like Sergio Martinez and Miguel Cotto, who opted to pass on Golovkin as a high risk/low reward challenger years ago, were held accountable.
But, then again, Golovkin has had a charmed boxing life with plenty of fawning media supporters eager to defend his honor at every possible challenge. It?s hard to recall a long-reigning champion receiving so little flak for such a slim r?sum? as Golovkin?s. A raging case of entitlement may make it so that the Kazakh KO machine can both have his cake and eat it too.
His team certainly seems to be kicking the tires on how far they can push their good fortune.
?I think there?s a lot of opportunities for Gennady,? Golovkin promoter Tom Loeffler said after Golovkin squashed Vanes Martirosyan in two rounds Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. ?You know, [Ryota] Murata?s really one of those guys who?s really blazing a trail, selling out arenas in Japan, getting tremendous ratings on television in Japan. He?s the WBA mandatory and that would be a tremendous fight??
Who, exactly, would be eager to see Golovkin-Murata ahead of Golovkin-Charlo or Golovkin-Saunders? Maybe members of a secret Triple G fetish sex cult? Maybe. But no real fight fan, anywhere, is in favor of wasting the 36-year-old Golovkin?s remaining years on meaningless paper title grabs.
The ?Most Feared Man? narrative is no longer in play for King Golovkin. Heavy is the head that wears the crown and, unless something crazy happens to the observational and reasoning skills of the boxing public, what got him support and sympathy from fans as an avoided fighter just won?t work anymore as the division figurehead. Even the deeply beloved giver of ?Big Drama Shows,? probably can?t convince the world that he?s both in control AND at the mercy of others? whims when it comes to who is available to fight.
These are the legacy years for Gennady Golovkin. His decisions from this point forward and his willingness to demand tough matches over tailor-made romps will determine how his long-lasting middleweight title run is regarded by future generations.
