Is GGG's stamina a ticking time bomb?

[Daddy T]

Before I start this isnt a GGG hate thread. He's a very good MW, easily the best MW on the planet etc etc. So no getting defensive or accusing me of being a 'hater' or whatever

That said, anyone else think his stamina looks extremely suspect? Even by the middle rounds, in fights he isnt being pushed that hard in, he looks like he is starting to struggle. Sloppier defence, hands start dropping, and looks like he is breathing very heavily taking in big gulps of air (more so than other fighters). Vs Murray and even the short fight vs Monroe he looked like he was struggling (not as much as his opponents though) and there were a few times I thought "if his opponent was better GGG would be in trouble here."

Obviously this would be difficult to achieve due to his power and ring generalmanship, but how do you think he would do if he was forced to fight at a higher pace, to work harder in the first half of the fight? Either having to work harder chasing a guy down or being forced to throw more punches by an inside fighter? Im not sure how he would cope tbh

Not saying there is definitely a problem here, his stamina hasnt failed him yet in the limited tests that he has had. More a question if he comes up against elite fighters in the future

I dunno he went 11 fairly intensive rounds with Murray and seemed fresh as a daisy. I think anyone who goes 10 or 11 rounds with GGG is gonna be in a lot worse shape than him lol

[SplitSecond]

I've noticed him pacing himself plenty of times and he will take a break, but bad stamina he doesn't have.

Considering how hard he punches his stamina is freakish.

[New England]

it's always an issue that a puncher has a tougher time generating power later in the fight. i think that golovkin's stamina looks fine in the context of the big punchers in boxing.

i also don't doubt that he's got a coasting gear. he has a terrific jab. one of the very best in the sport. put a few looks behind it and you can coast. his amateur career was so extensive that you've got to figure that he knows how to buy some time. all of those guys with a pedigree know how to stall, catch a breath, etc. he fought 350 amateur fights by all accounts. that pedigree is what separates him from a lot of the punchers you see in a lot of ways.

i'm more worried about his defense .


in short, i'm sure he's getting tired. he works hard and punches like a mule. gets hit, too. i'm confident that he's got plenty of experience fighting tired. if he's really tiring out in a fight to the point that he needs to adjust, or genuinely hurt, [which we have not seen,] i'm confident that he'll have some tricks to show people. that might be holding, using the ring, using the jab to keep an opponent away to buy some time, etc. i don't think he'll get on his toes like tommy hearns did when he was hurt by ray leonard, but i think he'll have other dimensions besides coming forward all the time.

[New England]

I've noticed him pacing himself plenty of times and he will take a break, but bad stamina he doesn't have.

Considering how hard he punches his stamina is freakish.

i tend to agree with this. his style lends itself to doing damage without wasting much. he's clinical. everything comes behind the jab. he works the body as an investment. he's not only fit, but he's efficient.

i think he's very steady for a puncher. punchers typically need to take breaks that golovkin doesn't need to take.

[-PBP-]

He works behind the jab and has proven he can box and counter punch though so I'm not overly concerned with his stamina. He can coast and bank rounds.

I think he's shown some holes inside of the pocket but I don't think anyone at 160 has the ability to exploit that.

[Beercules]

I think he just fights at a calculated pace. He does drop off in middle rounds though, but he like someone else said he picks it up a round or two later.

[The Gambler1981]

Guys who are active and push the pace on him will cause him problems, they will have to take a good amount of punishment to come out ahead though. So there is a big gap between causing some issues and actually winning.

If he is not finding success easy to come by I am sure his stamina will look worse, like it always does.

[Eastcoast]

People have commented that he regularly changes up the power on his punches to throw off his opponent's defense. Not throwing fastballs all the time while maintaining pressure likely saves a lot of juice.

[The Gambler1981]

It is not just the rounds, like when a guy gets inside he tends to just sit there and wait for the break-up. He uses his energy when it suits him best, if he is not in the proper place for him he will conserve.

Not that that is a real problem, it is just how he operates but in certain situations it could be an issue.

[BostonGuy]

I think the heavy breathing thing is a technique he always uses. Maybe I'm making that up, but I'm pretty sure I've seen or heard that somewhere before.

He still looked very fresh against Murray to me come the 11th. He has lapses in the mid-rounds sometimes, but I don't think stamina is the reason because he picks it up again within a round or two every time. I'd be surprised if stamina was the reason he lost to someone.

In other words, he paces himself. As to the thread topic, in all the Golovkin fights I've watched, he's never looked 'gassed' or otherwise exasperated. It's a nonissue, until someone proves otherwise.