Gennady Golovkin.
Better known as “Triple G” defended his Middleweight crown last night against a game Matthew Macklin from the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Uncanville, CT.
And while the fight lasted a mere 7 minutes and 10 seconds, one thing was crystal clear. Golovkin is looking like the real deal.
Since his American debut last fall, the Golovkin train has gained considerable steam. American fans love his style, he was trending on twitter last night and this is beginning to feel like a special ride, however long it lasts.
Michael Buffer announced that Golovkin’s KO ratio is the highest in the Middleweight division and that is only of the concerns that Golovkin’s future opponents have to worry about. Golovkin looks extremely confident in the ring, his ability to cut off the ring last night, control the tempo of the fight and make every punch seem as if Macklin had to try a new strategy with every punch Golovkin threw, makes him an overwhelming favorite to take the Middleweight reign from Sergio Martinez in a matter of months if not now.
Some fight fans and boxing scribes are already saying Golovkin is the best in the division and perhaps he his. However, with Golovkin’s rise in popularity sometimes comes the downside. How is willing to fight him now at 160lb?
Kid Chocolate, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Sergio Martinez would be on the short list of opponents many like to see face Golovkin. However, while Golovkin is the “it” fighter in the 160lb division will the business side of the any deals work out with the guys willing to most likely get knocked out?
Saturday nights fights were televised on HBO after Dark. Any fight that would include Martinez or Chavez Jr would almost without a doubt need to be a PPV bout but is Golovkin a PPV seller? Chances are HBO would like to have him on HBO Championship Boxing atleast once if not twice more, continue to build up his audience and then perhaps a Martinez or JCC bout. It seems highly unlikely a Kid Chocolate bout would happen due to the Goldenboy freeze out by HBO.
In the end the next opponent will work itself out and the most exciting part of the whole process is that Boxing has another new fighter to be excited about. Add Lucas Matthysse, Broner, Mares, Santa Cruz, Garcia and many more fighters that are making a splash on the US stage and while Boxing may never have another De La Hoya, or Mayweather, Mosley or Hopkins, Boxing will be fine.