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Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux are officially set for their middleweight title unification bout, which takes place Saturday evening in front of a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York City. HBO Pay-Per-View will air the event live.
The bout marks the first unification bout for both fighters, as well as their respective PPV debuts.
Golovkin (33-0, 30KOS) has rapidly emerged as one of the biggest stars in the sport today. His drawing power has been felt on both coasts of the United States, a remarkable rise to fame following his stateside debut just over three years ago.
Saturday night will mark his attempted 15th defense of at least one middleweight belt since entering the title fray in 2010. The unbeaten knockout artist from Kazakhstan - who claimed a Silver medal for his proud nation in the 2004 Athens Olympics - has scored stoppage wins in his last 20 fights.
Lemieux (34-2, 31KOs) comes in having won nine straight, including seven stoppage wins over that stretch. The hard-hitting middleweight from Montreal fights in the U.S. for just the second time in his career, his previous trip across the border coming in a 10th round stoppage of Gabriel Rosado last December at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The latest ring appearance for the camera-friendly Lemieux came in June, scoring four knockdowns en route to a 12-round decision over Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam to win a vacant middleweight title.
BOXINGSCENE.COM STAFF PREDICTIONS: GENNADY GOLOVKIN vs. DAVID LEMIEUX
Ryan Burton (Golovkin TKO5): Lemieux will rock GGG early but the Mexican Style of Golovkin will prevail and stop him during the first half of the fight.
Jake Donovan (Golovkin KO6): Lemieux couldn't have come across any more likable over the course of this promotion. His demeanor is the perfect complement to his all-action, fan-friendly style. The hope is that he makes it interesting and can test Golovkin's chin at some point. The concern is that his wide-open attack doesn't end very well against the best middleweight in the world.
Stephen "Breadman" Edwards (Gonzalez mid-rd TKO): Gonzalez stops Viloria midway through in a shootout.
Michael Gibbons (Golovkin TKO7): Should be fun while it lasts. People underestimate how good of a technical fighter GGG is. He will eventually overwhelm Lemieux.
Peter Lim (Golovkin KO3): Records and KO percentages notwithstanding, Lemieux is simply a lamer, tamer version of Golovkin and this will be a one-sided affair. Lemieux's vulnerabilities, particularly his punch resistance, were exposed in back-to-back losses in 2011. Lemieux hits hard enough to have a puncher's chance, but short of catching Golovkin napping, it will be all Kazakh and no Cunuck. Golovkin knows he cannot afford to toy with a murderous puncher like Lemieux as he did against Monroe and Murray and ends it as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Golovkin punctures Lemieux's gas tank with piercing body shots before separating him from his senses in the third round.
Cliff Rold (Golovkin KO): Anyone with the speed and power of Lemieux is a live underdog. If he can hurt Golovkin early and force an all out war, if he can create the sort of chaos that throws technical considerations out the window, he will get his chances. Even in that scenario, Golovkin probably prevails. That doesn’t take into account the other boxing advantages Golovkin brings to the ring. For all the fanfare he’s earned in a streak of twenty knockouts, it’s easy to forget that Golovkin was a highly accomplished amateur. He knows how to fight more than one way. His jab will be the key to controlling and disrupting the offense of Lemieux. Of the two, Golovkin has a much better chance to succeed going backwards. Off the back foot, Lemieux can only hope for a blind prayer counter. He has to be able to consistently come forward and keep the pace where he wants it. For a few rounds, he might. His better speed could take Golovkin time to contain. Eventually he will and then this fight is over. The pick is Golovkin by stoppage anywhere from the third round to the fifth in a fight that sends the fans home happy.
Victor Salazar (Golovkin TKO7): Might not be Hagler-Hearns but it will be fun as long as it goes with GGG's chin getting tested. Golovkin will prove to be too much.
Reynaldo Sanchez (Golovkin TKO6): Hard fight for Golovkin…this is the best test for both, if Lemieux can handle the pressures and land some power shot early, he got a real chance. Anyway, I think this will be a toe to toe fight for 3-4 rounds after that, Golovkin will make Lemieux feel his power and beat him by TKO.
Alexey Sukachev (Golovkin KO4): This is really about who will land the first true power punch. Chances are higher that Golovkin will be the one - thanks to his smoothness and vast amateur pedigree. It'll be high adrenaline all way through but the Kazakh banger will make it painful for the Canadian. Big Drama Show!
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com.
Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Facebook Page: JakeBScene
