SONAHR May 17, 2015 – Who, among the top fighters in the 154-168 lb weight range, is the one who can end the unbeaten run of WBA ?super?/WBC ?Interim? middleweight champion Gennady (GGG) Golovkin? It definitely isn?t Willie Monroe Jr., who was stopped in six rounds at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Saturday.
Even though Monroe was not ranked in the Top 10, he is a creditable contender with an intriguing back story. He is the nephew, not the son, of Willie ?The Worm? Monroe, who outpointed future Hall of Fame middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler back in 1976. Monroe?s father also fought professionally. This generation?s Monroe put up a courageous effort, but possessed neither the punch nor the elusiveness to hold off the ultra-skilled, power-punching champion. Although Monroe had his moments in the bout, the moment that counted came in the sixth round, when the referee rescued him after Willie beat the count on a hard knockdown. Monroe was also decked twice in the second, then rallied in a way that could only enhance the pride of his fighting forebears, even though his surge fell short.
So now Golovkin?s record stands at 33-0, with 31 knockouts. None of his last 20 bouts has lasted the distance. He doesn?t hold all the major middleweight belts, but he dominates his division the way his fellow Eastern Europeans ? light-heavyweight Sergey Kovalev and heavyweight Wladimir Klitschko ? overshadow theirs.
The knock against GGG is that he hasn?t yet engaged in a career-defining contest against a competitive opponent. But that?s not Golovkin?s fault. It could well be that no one else in his division is capable of beating or even extending him. Miguel Cotto has been inactive since he annihilated a hobbled Sergio Martinez last year. Martinez has also been on the shelf, and the announcement of his retirement could come any day now. How about Peter Quillin, Hassan N?Dam, Andy Lee or Jermain Taylor? No, no, no, and hell no. None of those fighters is in Golovkin?s league.
Outside the 160-pounders, junior middleweights Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara could pose problems for Golovkin. But Golovkin has the tools to beat both those guys at their own game ? slugging in the case of Alvarez, and boxing in the case of Lara.
Among the super-middleweights, Carl Froch and Andre Ward could pose problems for the smaller Golovkin. But Froch is slipping past his prime (GGG is a young 33), and Ward seems to be auditioning for the lead role in The Invisible Man. Froch-Golovkin could possibly happen, though. It would be a blockbuster in Froch?s native England.
Moving farther afield, Golovkin could throw caution to the winds and take on Kovalev at light-heavyweight, or a catchweight. Would the good little man be good enough to upset the good big man? Fight fans would pay a lot to find out.
And then there?s Floyd Mayweather Jr. After defeating Manny Pacquiao earlier this month, Mayweather is looking to take one more fight to tie Rocky Marciano?s 49-0 record. Would Mayweather risk that accomplishment against a bigger, faster, stronger, and perhaps equally skillful Golovkin?
Not gonna happen, folks.
Golovkin is the next great middleweight champion, a worthy successor to Bernard Hopkins. Let?s enjoy him while we can, regardless of who is ? or isn?t ? in the opposite corner.
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace, as well as the Imaro series of fantasy/adventure novels. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers. His novels, Imaro, Damballa, and Abengoni: First Calling are available at Amazon.com.
