By Keith Idec
Gennady Golovkin would prefer it if Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. upsets Sergio Martinez.
Golovkin already has had his way with a less-developed Chavez in sparring sessions at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. And challenging Chavez (46-0-1, 32 KOs), particularly after a victory over the consensus middleweight champion, would earn Kazakhstan’s Golovkin (24-0, 21 KOs) more money than a fight against Argentina’s Martinez (49-2-2, 28 KOs).
The hard-hitting Golovkin wouldn’t be surprised if either fighter leaves UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center with the WBC middleweight title. The WBA 160-pound title-holder thinks, though, that the favored Martinez will win eke out a win tonight in Las Vegas (9 p.m. EDT; HBO Pay-Per-View).
“I think it’s a 50-50 fight,” Golovkin said. “Sergio is a better boxer, but Chavez has become stronger and bigger. I give a slight edge to Martinez, but I’m still looking for an evenly matched fight.”
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
