Is 2015 Finally The Year of Gennady Golovkin?

By Thomas Gerbasi

Gennady Golovkin is not one for New Year’s resolutions or Facebook-friendly proclamations of “New Year, New Me.” No, not this 160-pound wrecking machine from Kazakhstan. But the man widely regarded as the true middleweight king does have high hopes for 2015, and if his wishes come true, the boxing world will celebrate along with him.

“I want the big names,” Golovkin said from his training camp in Big Bear, California, where he is preparing for a February 21 date with Martin Murray in Monte Carlo. “This year will be very good for me, for my fans, for everybody.”

The big names Golovkin has wanted are the same ones that have been on his hit list ever since he rose to prominence on the international scene in late 2012: Miguel Cotto, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, and Andre Ward. Throw in pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, and you have a selection of foes that could elevate “GGG” to mainstream star and not just boxing cult hero. And if anyone deserves that “big” fight, it’s the ever-smiling Golovkin, whose recent destruction of Marco Antonio Rubio last October proved why he may be the most popular fighter casual sports fans have yet to adopt.

In with a fighter he was expected to beat, but who had the power to gain his respect and, at the very least, figured to give him some rounds, Golovkin decided not to stick around to see what Rubio could do, blasting him out in two rounds. It was a finish capped off by an overhand left like nothing you have ever seen, a punch that put the Mexican down and out and reinforced the notion that if Golovkin hits you flush, you’re going to sleep.

“It's not just about one punch,” he said. “It’s my timing and my position to throw a great punch also. Of course, I thank my coach Abel Sanchez. He opened my eyes and I throw a lot of different punches in different situations, but I have my original power, my original speed, and that comes from hard work every day.”

That dedication to his craft may be the most impressive part of Golovkin’s arsenal. Think about it, he always makes weight, he always shows up to fight in shape, and he goes into every bout with the intention of getting his hand raised before the final bell. Sure, no fighter should get a cookie for doing what they’re supposed to do, but Golovkin does this when every interview before every fight centers on fighters who won’t be standing across from him on fight night. You can’t get more distracted than that, but the Karaganda native refuses to get moved from the task at hand, knowing that he is in a business where there is only a small window to get things done and then get out with your finances and health intact. And the only way to guarantee that you capitalize on that window is to be ready to fight every time your name is called.

“Right now, this is my life,” he said. “Preparation, training hard, I have to focus on my career because I'm 32 years old.”

However, he is not showing any signs of slowing down. The WBA middleweight king since 2010, Golovkin has successfully defended that crown 12 times, all by knockout. In fact, he has not been the distance a 2008 win over Amar Amari, a frightening string that makes it clear why his fellow stars have avoided him. England’s Murray, who gave Sergio Martinez and Felix Sturm scares in two previous title challenges, isn’t one to shy away from a fight though, and Golovkin knows it.

“I respect Martin,” he said. “I saw his fight with Sergio Martinez in Argentina and it was a very good fight and very close too. He proved that he was strong, and he's not an easy fight. He's a very tough guy, and this time he understands and I understand that this may be the last time for him in a title fight, so he's hungry.”

So is Golovkin though. He mentions Ward, Cotto, Chavez Jr. and Alvarez as possible foes at various weights, but with those fights not on the immediate horizon, he has adjusted his goal to unifying the middleweight title. Cotto has the WBC belt (Golovkin holding the interim trinket), Andy Lee the WBO, and Jermain Taylor the IBF. “GGG” is not picky, but he wants to make it clear that though there are those who may say they will fight him, he’ll actually do it. And with an always ambitious schedule in which he hopes to fight four times in 2015 (February, May, September, December), there’s plenty of time to get plenty of big fights done.

“I understand my situation, but I feel great and I feel my time is now,” Golovkin said. “For me, it’s very important to get the unification fight to see who is number one in the world, who is the best in the world in the middleweight division. Everybody says ‘I want to fight with Triple G.’ Okay, I’m ready for everybody.”