WBA Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin is considered by some to be the baddest man on the planet, but that still hasn’t stop some critics and pundits from wondering if the man known as ‘GGG’ can take a punch and withstand the same pressure he applies to other.
Golovkin returns to HBO and Madison Square Garden tonight to defend his WBA Middleweight title against Daniel Geale at 9:30 pm est. The last time we saw Golovkin he entered the ring seething about the lack of respect he was receiving from Curtis Stevens.
By the end of the night, Golovkin left the Brooklyn native quiet and having to take several breathers on his way to a complete domination and 8th round stoppage.
Golovkin is considered the best middleweight in boxing, but is expected to get his stiffest test from the rugged Geale. The two men are similar in height and stature, but Golovkin is the more polished boxer.
Golovkin has stopped his last sixteen opponents and holds a 90% knockout rate. Geale is a good boxer and an ex world title holder who doesn’t feel he’s outmatched in this bout. Geale has faced elite competition and held his own in all of those bouts. This will be Geales first bout against an opponent who’s considered to have no apparent weaknesses.
For Geale to have any shot at the upset, he’ll likely have to trade punches with Golovkin. GGG is boxer who doesn’t feel he can be knocked out, and will take chances on offense, while leaving himself exposed defensively. It’s up to Geale to try to punish Golovkin while avoiding getting himself KO’d in the process. Geale is neither a huge puncher, or defensive couterpuching genius in the mold of Floyd Mayweather or Guillermo Rigondeaux. Daniel Geale is a solid boxer with good speed, who simply isn’t quick enough to keep Golovkin at bay for 12 rounds.
Gennady Golovkin is staring at a possible showdown with Miguel Cotto and he’s unlikely to waste a performance on the grandest of stages tonight.
I predict a full on assault by the beast from Kazakhstan.