GGG has never been down in 350 amateur fights nor the pros. I think his chin is phenomenal but everyone can get knocked by a perfect punch or a punch you dont see coming.
Whilst I have no doubt his chin is at least good, he is built to take a shot its his lack of defense that concerns me and the way he freezes when shots start coming back.
He can't do offense & defense or vice versa, its always one or the other.
I want to see him against a fighter with a good jab, a high ring I.Q that moves well, stays off the ropes & throws combinations. A guy who has a decent chin and solid defense. Someone who fits that bill to me is Sergio Mora.
I'm not interested in seeing guys with lackluster chins that are going to try zip in and out and have defensive lapses like a Daniel Geale.
I'm sorry but GGG will wipe that guys clock.
He has underrated defense. It's subtle. He's better than Rios or Matthysse.
But he'll never be Ward or Floyd. But he's better than most pressure fighters.
I notice with most of his fights that he gets to a point where's very comfortable with what's coming back and drops his hands. He's able to time the shots. Like the final round vs Stevens.
Whilst I have no doubt his chin is at least good, he is built to take a shot its his lack of defense that concerns me and the way he freezes when shots start coming back.
He can't do offense & defense or vice versa, its always one or the other.
I want to see him against a fighter with a good jab, a high ring I.Q that moves well, stays off the ropes & throws combinations. A guy who has a decent chin and solid defense. Someone who fits that bill to me is Sergio Mora.
I'm not interested in seeing guys with lackluster chins that are going to try zip in and out and have defensive lapses like a Daniel Geale.
I'm sorry but GGG will wipe that guys clock.
Maybe if Stevens had shown a little more balls, took the initiative and attempted to sustain more of an attack he'd have had more success in this fight than he did. But that isn't him and that's why he's a fringe level contender at best. Remember how easily he came apart once Brinkley survived his early assault.
Golovkin stood up to the barrage well. The problem was that it was a barrage. Once he got hit with the first one or two he became a billboard size target. That was one of the few times Stevens actually let his hands go. Makes you wonder how Golovkin would have responded to a more consistent stream of power shots like that. Elite level opposition won't be as submissive.
who's this elite level opposition at 160 you speak of? "Sit on the ropes" Quillen? "Movin back down to 154" Cotto? "Grandpa" Soliman?
come on dude.
Golovkin stood up to the barrage well. The problem was that it was a barrage. Once he got hit with the first one or two he became a billboard size target. That was one of the few times Stevens actually let his hands go. Makes you wonder how Golovkin would have responded to a more consistent stream of power shots like that. Elite level opposition won't be as submissive.
I think GGG beleived that he had Curtis close to beaten and wasn't expecting him to start firing back - it was a mistake he shouldn't have made - and usually wouldn't, in spite of his fearsome offensive reputation he's typically a cautious fighter.
Nonetheles in the slo-mo replay not shown on the clip, he actually shoulder blocks, then half parries most of whats coming at him, and the last punch of the initial flurry - the only one which catches him clean,- is over extended by Stevens due to Golovkins backing up and doesn't catch him full force as a result.
So what am I saying? Well, I'm not a big believer in chins - whilst I'm sure there's a physical variation in the impact different fighters can endure, most of being able to take a punch well comes from anticipation and being able to reduce the effects of what is coming at you - the ultimate good night punch usually being the one that simply isn't seen coming.
To me the Stevens fight showed that whilst Golovkin made a mistake in his judgement of what Stevens still had to offer, when he did find that he'd left himself exposed and at risk he responded well and quite fluidly - backing rapidly out of the danger zone whilst twisting to present his shoulders to the incoming threat.
What does it tell us about his chin - well not so much IMO, but it tells me that he's alert and aware of his vulnerabilities even when committed to the offense - but this was a lapse than might have been taken advantage of by a (very) smart or skilled opponent.
Golovkin stood up to the barrage well. The problem was that it was a barrage. Once he got hit with the first one or two he became a billboard size target. That was one of the few times Stevens actually let his hands go. Makes you wonder how Golovkin would have responded to a more consistent stream of power shots like that. Elite level opposition won't be as submissive.
He's a bit overrated but he's still got boxing skills unlike Provo who's way overrated when he's a glorified version of Brandon Rios.
Everybody is overrated on forums.
GGG is good but he is not the monster people say he is.
He's a bit overrated but he's still got boxing skills unlike Provo who's way overrated when he's a glorified version of Brandon Rios.
golovkin chin is serious .. at 160 it be tough to beat him .... every fighter great to all time great hall famers get hit and lose rounds ... you guys act like great fighters don't get hit .. it's like showing me andre ward dropped and hurt against boone ... we all know andre ward is one of the best .. his mauling holding will be tough to beat ... **** happens in this sport .. hagler is one of the best middleweights ever .. watch his fights on youtube come back to me .. it's part of the game .. golovkin has loss 1 to 2 rounds in his last 5 fights ... i mean jesus is he the greatest fighter ever? hell no but dude is no joke time tell how good he is
Those punches didnt even faze GGG and i dont care what anybody says Stevens is easily one of the biggest punchers at 160 right now.
Didn't faze him yet he backed up all the way to the opposite side of the ring while being walked down with a high guard and pinpoint accurate punches. But it didn't faze him. He could beat Froch, Kessler, Ward, Bika easily. They're punches would faze him even less.
I remember that part in the fight and I was anxious that Golovkin started to get careless with his defense. That was the only part of the fight that I remember Stevens actually putting on a decent offensive assault. Golovkin can definitely take a punch and I bet he got careless to show people that he can take a good shot too. He better not try to do that again though because you never know how a punch can affect you and I'd hate to see him get hurt for no good reason.
He actually takes even harder punches at 13:18 and 20:30