Is Gennady Golovkin a great middleweight, worthy of being ranked alongside the special ones such as Marvin Hagler, Carlos Monzon, Bernard Hopkins and, perhaps the best of the lot, Sugar Ray Robinson? No, he isn’t – – but he might be one day.
There is no denying GGG’s qualities: his withering punching power, his accuracy, his ability at cutting the ring down on anyone he fights and his speed and punch variety. Indeed, Golovkin seems to have it all – except for one thing: a defining fight. Golovkin is so desperate to bank himself a career-definer, he (or his team) are even looking to lure a 39 year-old Carl Froch out of retirement. GGG has also spoken of his willingness to go up or down in weight in search of that one sparkling win all the greats seems to have on their resume.
With Canelo Alvarez unwilling to play ball (depending on your take on this whole sorry mess; one that has thus far deprived us of a great middleweight showdown – a career defining fight for both men) Golovkin has, amazingly, been the fighter criticised for not fighting the best. Fans, and some experts, argue how he should move up to light-heavyweight, yes, light-heavyweight to prove his greatness! Last time I checked, middleweight immortals like Hagler, Monzon and others never moved up through the weights, yet their legend is secure.
Yes, some special fighters, such as Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Hopkins did move up the divisions, but the point is, a fighter doesn’t have to do so to become a great. GGG could stay at middleweight, break B-Hop’s record for most title retentions and surely his place in history would be secure. But without that defining fight, the critics will always be there, whether it’s Triple-G’s fault or not (which it clearly isn’t, as the 34 year-old has shown he wants, craves the biggest and the best fights – and in time, maybe he will move up to super-middleweight).
But where will this defining fight come from if Canelo refuses to take the fight we all want to see? Danny Jacobs (also playing hard ball in the negotiations for a fight with the middleweight king) would be a good win for GGG, but no defining one. A win over Froch, if thee seemingly foolish comeback is launched, wouldn’t do it (although if GGG were to become the first man to KO the granite-chinned Cobra there would be plaudits headed his way) and neither would a win over Billy Joe Saunders.
Golovkin is unfortunate he does not live in an era when there are other great middleweights on the scene, also chasing that career defining magic they so wanted so as to cement their legacy. These days, a fighter can be so good, so dangerous, that he never gets the chance to prove just how special he really is.
This is the problem GGG, also one of the most exciting fighters on the planet today, faces. And the sad thing is, he may well continue to face this conundrum until he retires, with an unbeaten record, in a few years’ time. Greatness has to be proven, but what is a fighter to do if he is not afforded the opportunity to prove his worth?