You know that feeling you get when it?s the first Sunday of the NFL season? That?s the same feeling boxing fans will receive on Saturday morning.
The two best pound-for-pound fighters will be in action during a loaded doubleheader that extends from the West Coast to the far East Coast. Gennady ?GGG? Golovkin (35-0, 32 knockouts) goes on the road to defend his middleweight belts against Englishman Kell Brook (36-0, 25 KOs) at the O2 Arena in London, airing at 2:30 p.m. on HBO.
The nightcap features Roman ?Chocolatito? Gonzalez (45-0, 38 KOs) moving up in weight to challenge WBC super flyweight champion Carlos Cuadras (35-0-1, 27 KOs) at The Forum in Inglewood, California. HBO will televise a replay of Golovkin-Brook following the Gonzalez-Cuadras bout.
For the hardcore boxing fans, the day is actually a tripleheader. HBO will also air the co-main event from The Forum, as Jesus Soto-Karass and Yoshihiro Kamegai meet in a rematch after a split draw in April. If you didn?t see their fireworks in the first bout, do yourself a favor and YouTube it right now.
?On September 10th, we have four undefeated world champions with a combined record of 151-0-1 with 122 knockouts, live on HBO, not pay per view, in the United States,? said Tom Loeffler, who promotes Golovkin. ?It?s really an outstanding tripleheader and the biggest day of international boxing this year.?
Fighting on the same day isn?t new for Golovkin and Gonzalez, who are often at the top of every boxing pundits? best pound-for-pound list. The boxer known for his initials ?GGG? won?t be closing the show this time.
Gonzalez, the exciting Nicaraguan, is headlining his first HBO main event and will look to add his fourth division world title. Gonzalez wants to accomplish the feat to honor his mentor Alexis Arguello, the Nicaraguan legend who passed away in 2009.
Arguello came up short on two attempts to win a belt in four weight classes after losing to junior welterweight Aaron Pryor in Miami in 1982 and later in 1983 at the Caesars Palace.
?I dedicate this fight to my mentor Alexis Arguello,? Gonzalez said. ?I know how badly he wanted a fourth divisional championship and I want to do this for him. I love fighting at The Forum, I feel very comfortable there knowing that Alexis had success there.?
For Golovkin, it wasn?t the fight he wanted after Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez, Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank all passed on facing the middleweight monster. Brook, who?s regarded as one of the best welterweights, stepped up to the challenge by moving up two weight classes.
Golovkin has knocked out his last 22 opponents, but Brook could be his toughest opponent.
?Right now my focus is on Kell Brook, he signed the contract and that?s who I?m ready to fight,? Golovkin said. ?I have a great deal of respect for him.?
Brook has been spewing confidence this week, and stepped on the scale heavier than Golovkin during the Friday weigh-in. Brook weighed 159.4 pounds compared to Golovkin?s 158.8.
Should be an exciting Saturday in the ring.
Vargas wants revenge
Jessie Vargas, the Mexican-American welterweight champion, grew up idolizing Mexican greats Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez.
The Mexican trio posted a 2-6-1 record against Manny Pacquiao. Vargas will get a chance to avenge the losses of his heroes when he meets Pacquiao on Nov. 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
?He?s the older fighter, I?m the younger fighter, the same position when he beat Morales and Barrera,? Vargas said. ?I feel they were past their primes. I watched them live. (Those fights) hurt me, they were my idols. I said to myself I?m going to be in that position once and I hope that (Pacquiao) is still fighting at that time.?
?This is not a movie that you (seek) revenge,? Pacquiao responded. ?This is sports and do your job.?
