The Tactical Calm of Gennady Golovkin

The Tactical Calm of Gennady Golovkin

When fight fans hear or read the name Gennady Golovkin, immediately the first word that comes up in mind, whether consciously or subconsciously, is “monster” or another suitable synonym no doubt. Hailed as the most dominant prizefighter in today’s Middleweight division, there is an atmosphere to his matches and a very rare type of dominance in his performance which convince people that yes, though GGG hasn’t fought the right kind of competition to call him great, most fans know he is great.

I’m sure fight fans who enjoy the technical works of precision, timing and patience found in the careers of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Guillermo Rigondeaux, and Pernell Whitaker can appreciate GGG’s performance against David Lemieux. Am I saying that GGG is a technical boxer? Obviously not anywhere near the same degree as the three aforementioned boxing grandmasters, but nonetheless GGG understood he couldn’t go about his conventional overwhelming forward pursuit against Lemieux, who himself has been considered a devastating puncher himself with ferocious in-fighting.

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Once again, Hearn looking for Joshua’s next foe: Molina, Jennings, Miller, Price in the mix

Once again, Hearn looking for Joshua's next foe: Molina, Jennings, Miller, Price in the mix

As fight fans are no doubt aware, Anthony Joshua will not be fighting Wladimir Klitschko on Dec 10. Due to, officially, a “minor” injury suffered by Klitschko, the two heavyweights will now look at fighting in the UK, in a big stadium, next spring some time. By then the 41 year-old Klitschko will not have fought for around 17 months.

In the meantime, Eddie Hearn says he is now back to square one, as far as looking to find a suitable challenger for IBF ruler AJ. Hearn told Sky Sports yesterday evening that he is now working on building a “huge card for Manchester.” After all they’ve been through, with promised big fights falling through, maybe the fans deserve a great card, stacked from top to bottom with good fights. Let’s hope Eddie can deliver. But who will it be in the opposite corner to Joshua, 17-0(17) on Dec 10?

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Hopkins-Smith & Shabranskyy-Barrera quotes

Hopkins-Smith & Shabranskyy-Barrera quotes

Former Two-Division World Champion and Future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins(55-7-2, 32 KOs) and Light Heavyweight Contender Joe Smith Jr. (22-1, 18 KOs) today hosted a Los Angeles press conference to discuss their 12-round battle set for December 17 at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. and to be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Also, in attendance for this press conference was Los Angeles-based undefeated Vyacheslav “Lionheart Chingonskyy” Shabranskyy (17-0, 14 KOs) as he takes on Cuban standout Sullivan Barrera (17-1, 12 KOs) for a 10-round bout for Shabranskyy’s WBC USNBC Light Heavyweight title on HBO Latino® Boxing on Friday, December 16 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Also rounding out the HBO Latino® Boxing card, was Former WBC Silver featherweight titlist Ronny Rios (26-1, 11 KOs) against Roy “Pitbull” Tapia (12-1-2, 6 KOs).

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Wladimir Klitschko injured, will not be fighting December 10

Wladimir Klitschko injured, will not be fighting December 10

Thanks to the man who has all the boxing news, Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, we now know Wladimir Klitschko will definitely NOT be fighting IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua on December 10; nor will the 40-year-old ex-champ be squaring up with anyone on that date. Klitschko, who has had a history of pulling out of/delaying fights due to injury, has picked up another one; apparently to his calf.

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Kovalev: I will be prepared 100% for Andre Ward

Kovalev: I will be prepared 100% for Andre Ward

When I was growing up in Russia I did not hear these words pound for pound. Once I learned what this was I knew this was important. I am honored that people think I am the fighter that could get this title. It’s important for me, for my career. I am champion in my division now, but I want to get all the belts and also I would like to be best pound for pound boxer in the world. I respect Andre Ward, he is very good boxer and Olympic gold medal winner, but he is man not alien so I have chance to beat him.

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David Lemieux still hopes for big fight with Canelo Alvarez

David Lemieux still hopes for big fight with Canelo Alvarez

Canadian power-puncher David Lemieux failed in his bid to derail Gennady Golovkin in a middleweight title fight unification last year, but the exciting contender is convinced he has the beating of Saul Canelo Alvarez, the man all of boxing wants to see get it on with GGG. But first, with Canelo looking to return to action in the early part of next year and of moving up to 160-pounds as he (hopefully) readies himself for a September showdown with Triple-G, there is talk of Canelo and Lemieux fighting one another.

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Can Gennady Golovkin really be expected to defeat the best at 175? Sanchez says his fighter “beats everybody that’s out there right now”

Can Gennady Golovkin really be expected to defeat the best at 175? Sanchez says his fighter “beats everybody that's out there right now”

It seems there is a growing number of people who feel middleweight king Gennady Golovkin should move up in weight if he’s to achieve true greatness. The likes of Floyd Mayweather and Roy Jones Jnr have said this, insisting GGG must “take a risk” by stepping up, to either 168 or, unrealistically (in the opinion of others) 175-pounds.

Can Triple-G, a reasonably smallish middleweight really be expected to move up 15-pounds and tackle dangerous light-heavyweights such as Sergey Kovalev? This is asking too much of even as special a fighter as the 34-year-old (who recently stated he’d consider going DOWN in weight, to 154, if the right mega-fight were possible) surely? But GGG’s coach, the knowledgable Abel Sanchez, says in time his fighter will indeed look at moving up to light-heavy, and that when he does so, look out Kovalev, Andre Ward and Adonis Stevenson.

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Pacquiao-Vargas: Can Pac-Man register his first KO since 2009?

Pacquiao-Vargas: Can Pac-Man register his first KO since 2009?

Has soon to return superstar Manny Pacquaio lost his killer punch? As fans know, the one time King of Zing, the former Master of Disaster, the formerly unstoppable Filipino Tornado has not managed to stop an opponent since way back in 2009, when he TKO’d Miguel Cotto very late on in a good fight. Since then, in fighting 11 times, Pac-Man has come up short in the KO stakes (although he did bite the dust himself, in being sensationally flattened by four-fight rival Juan Manuel Marquez, in December of 2012, six fights after the win over Cotto).

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Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, once bitter ring enemies, make peace with one another

Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, once bitter ring enemies, make peace with one another

In the 2000s, they engaged in one of the most fierce, genuinely hate-filled rivalries in lower weight boxing history. Super-bantamweights/ featherweights /super-featherweights Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales went to war three times – the first battle, from February of 2000 being recognised as one of the greatest fights in modern day boxing history – and they came to blows outside of the ring also. Simply put, these two did not like each other.

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