The great Gennady Golovkin will not go on forever and we should enjoy and fully appreciate the world middleweight ruler while he is here – as his trainer Abel Sanchez said recently. At the age of 36 – a number of birthdays after which he had celebrated, Marvin Hagler, for many THE greatest middleweight in boxing history, had long since retired – GGG is surely closing in on the end of one heck of a fine career.
Currently 38-0-1 (34), Golovkin appears to have plenty left; going by his perhaps flattering showing against super-welterweight Vanes Martirosyan anyway. But for the critics there is unfinished business for Triple-G to attend to before he can walk away a great.
There is the huge (now even huger) return fight with Canelo Alvarez – even though practically every sane fight fan had GGG winning last September – and some fans/critics/experts continue to insist how Golovkin needs to move up in weight and become a two-division ruler if he really wants to “prove” his greatness. Never really mind that the aforementioned Marvelous Marvin never budged an inch or a pound above 160 his whole career, his legendary status assured anyway (and rightly so ).
So, all the above being said, who should Golovkin fight before he walks away and awaits his induction into The Hall of Fame?
Seeing as he can fight two, maybe three times a year, it’s reasonable to assume Golovkin will fight on for maybe three years; maybe two. So looking at five or six more fights, who should GGG get it on with?
How about this lot:
Canelo in the rematch. Duh! An obvious one to kick off with. But can Golovkin get a stoppage win this time round? Will it happen in September?
Billy Joe Saunders. Can GGG make his dream of owning all the middleweight belts at one time a reality? Can Golovkin cope with the unbeaten Saunders’ slick southpaw approach? Might GGG have another fight in the UK?
Ryota Murata, the all-action warrior from Japan, wants the fight and the WBA belt-holder might be in the frame for this year (especially if the Canelo return doesn’t come off here in 2018). It might not last too long but this fight has excitement writ over it.
A move up to super-middleweight. Could GGG beat a top 168 pound champion, say a James De Gale or the winner of the WBSS between George Groves and Callum Smith? Again, would Golovkin enjoy the idea of another fight in the UK?
A move up even higher, to light-heavy. The ultimate challenge for Golovkin – against a feared 175 pound banger such as the Adonis Stevenson-Badou Jack winner or Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev? Imagine the praise Golovkin would rightfully enjoy if he pulled this off.
If he does all the above some critics will, crazily enough, remain. But Golovkin’s place amongst the 40 greatest fighters of all-time would be secure.
Imagine a 43-0-1 Golovkin, a three-weight king at that! Even the old timers would have to remove their hat in Gennady’s presence.