British boxing is buzzing right now, over two things: the imminent super-fight we can look forward to seeing this Saturday, and the very prescence of the star of the fight. Middleweight king Gennady Golovkin has touched down in london and fans cannot wait to see him do his stuff at the o2 arena against Kell Brook.
As much as british fans are supporting brook and genuinely want him to win, there is something special, regal even, about ggg being in town. A few good judges are giving brook a shot at winning on Saturday, but the overwhelming majority of fight people are basically looking forward to seeing a Golovkin showcase.
It is indeed an honour having ggg, the most feared and avoided fighter on the planet, on these shores. As respected as brook is and much as a british win would be enormous, fans are realists and they know how big it is having ggg here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcQT_gNqCes
Over the years, britain has welcomed some truly great fighters – where does triple-g rank on this distinguished list?
Sugar Ray Robinson boxed here, and he lost! The first Randy Turpin fight from 1951 ranks to this day as the finest, most memorable british boxing win in history.
Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali, boxed here on three ocasions, against Henry Cooper twice and against Brian London. Each time, Ali dazzled.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peKrSo-vmw4
Marvelous Marvin Hagler boxed here once and once only; the night he decimated alan minter to rip the middleweight crown. Sadly, the local fans took it upon themselves to congratulate hagler by throwing beer bottles at him! Let’s hope there is nothing nasty going on after ggg brutalises brook.
Some other special fighters have boxed in the UK, including: Mike tyson, Michael Nunn, Thomas Hearns, Kostya Tszyu, George Foreman and Razor Ruddock. But ggg, and the spectacular performance he can be relied upon to deliver at the expense of brook on saturday, may just top the lot (aside from that almost surreal day when turpin shocked the single finest boxer of all time!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIhGZ-ZqmqE