Are you frustrated as I am watching GGG interviews?

[pesticid]

The guy never answers any question and it's not like he doesn't understand the question. I think he doesn't want to answer any questions truthfully so he dances around.


Question: How do you stay motivated, doing the same stuff day after day, how do you make it interesting?

Answer: You know, this is serious business, boxing is serious business. I am very motivated. This is not a game, etc., etc.

Question: How do you think you have improved, do you see improvement?

Answer: Yeah, little steps, Wade is not that big of a step, next fight maybe a bigger step, unification. I am not afraid.

It's like you can never get an answer for him.

Questions: What do you think of Andre Ward?

Answer: Andre Ward too much for me - and he means it that he's tired of Andre Ward discussion but not many people have asked him that anyway.

Somebody should make a highlight of his answers.

[j0zef]

There was an interview of his that someone translated from Russian and posted here where a lot more of his actual personality comes out.

Basically, he says that he doesn't want anyone knowing anything of his private life and he doesn't like reporters because they try to make a story out of everything. So this is what he developed, a polite PR-persona when he thinks the question is a waste of his time.

[Dr Rumack]

I feel like that with all fighters who don't have English as a first language. Pointless interviews and no depth or personality in the answers.

The English speaking thing is good for marketing fighters but it's bad for fans who actually want to learn more about the boxers they watch.

[Eff Pandas]

Boxers are notoriously bad interviewees. This is why Fury & Hamed & loud guys who can actually provide some sound bites are so valuable to boxing. Probably 10x the clicks writers get for the Fury's vs most guys. Can't really be frustrated with GGG anymore than the average boxer getting interviewed. Hell sometimes I think some of these boxing writers/interviewers are such hacks that its not even the boxers fault interviews suck.

[observer]

I translated a GGG interview from Russian once. Will dig it out and post it here.

I think GGG just doesn't think that he as a person owes it to the public to tell stuff about himself. To him, he does a job. That's all it is. He is ready to answer questions about boxing (or so he says) but no-one is asking him those. Sure, I'd like to ask him about the punch he used to KO Rubio, but beyond that, how much of a conversation can you have sticking strictly to GGG as a boxer, not a person?

He is actually a lot more direct with reporters in his native Kazakhstan and pretty much tells them to get lost when they keep bombarding him with personal questions

[observer]

You've seen Golovkin's interviews. They don't tell much about him. Especially if the interview is in English.

I am publishing a translation of unedited tape of Golovkin talking to a Russian boxing journalist, Anna Dragost. The original is on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=CEKq98YknPA

This is not a word for word translation, but rather extracts - about 90% of the conversation (I left out bits that wouldn't be of interest to the readers here).

Enjoy an opportunity to find out what Golovkin is really like!

------------------------

G: Hi, I am Gennady Golovkin.WBA and IBO World Champion. My next fight is happening on January 19 at MSG. Do I need to say something now?
A: Of course!
G: Right, so I am already talking?
A: Correct, you are now looking at me and saying: I am Gennady Golovkin,the biggest threat of the middleweight division!
G: No no no, guys. That's not something I can allow myself to say. No hard feelings. 'The biggest threat of the middleweight division?'That just doesn't do it for me.
--------------------
A: So this is not an image? You are just a nice guy, for real? A nice, decent type of guy?
G: Hell, I am not a nice guy.I am not always nice. Nice guys, they stay at home.
G: I'll tell you what, I never read any comments on websites. I never watch my interviews.I am not on Facebook, I am not on the Russian social networking sites. Well, a friend of mine runs my Facebook account, His brother runs Twitter. This is a way of keeping the fans informed.I am telling you, practically no-one is in touch with me directly. Few people are my friends, few people are in touch with me directly. Otherwise all sorts of rumours start going around, people start trying to assert or demonstrate their influence. So I am not on any social media.
----------
G: Yes, you need to try hard. Of course, in a fight, it's more complicated. Small gloves, so it's a risk. Of course, I am technical enough to minimise the damage, not let any punches through, and it could look picture perfect. But I prefer action. It's like a hunt, I am a predator. You feel the opponent out (clicks his fingers) and you start. Whether you succeed or not, it's a different matter. But you take care of the business.
A: I was always curious, when the noise starts. The boxers fight, and sometimes the stadium just chants a name, and it's not yours. The stadium supports your opponent. What does the other boxer feel? Does he hear the crowd?
G: I can't talk about boxers in general, I can only talk about myself. You come out, and ... What I like about professional boxing is, you are fighting one on one. Well, maybe two on one, if the referee is supporting the other fighter. You are in the ring, and you have the time. You have 12 rounds. However rich your opponent is, however poor he is, whoever he is, what matters is how prepared he is, and you can see it. When you start boxing, when you start feeling your opponent out, who he is, then the whole arena - and lots of times I boxed on a hostile territory. Well, for a European, I had to often box in Asia. Asia's a nightmare. I know how Russians are supporting their fighers, but Asia is a whole other thing, another way of thinking. You come and everything is different. But you are feeling your opponent, and you feel that no matter how many people support him, no matter how many people wish for him to win, when he starts breaking, you are the one breaking him. And you do your job.
A: But often the support of the crowd gives strength to the home fighter, who gets more active because of it?
G: No.
A: No?
G: No. Every professional is already maxed out. He's ready from the first to the last bell ring. From start to finish. You are ready, you are making your calculations, you have your strategy and tactics, you feel your strength, if you start reacting to all of this you will be burned out in two rounds.
A: And what about the shouting of the coach.can you still hear it through the crowd?
G: Of course. They are there, in the ring, with you. They talk to you and you hear them.
-----
A: Have you had to fight outside the ring?
G: of course.
A: How often?
G: Pretty often. Pretty often.
A: Probably in Russia?
G: Of course. Well, I lived in Kazakhstan.
A: Before you became a professional boxers?
G: And after.
A: So being a professional boxer, you allow yourself to get into street fights?
G: Well, who doesn't? Show me one guy who doesn't?
A: And you appear like such a shy guy. I was so wrong about you ... (giggles)
G: Well, I am a real person. I live my life. Life is beautiful. And I get to live all of it. Sometimes it's fights. But I don't know a single boxer who doesn't or didn't used to get into street fights.
A: Well, neither do I.
-------------
G: Well, it's not my territory, but I hope one day I'll make it over here.
A: You are getting there. Mexcans already recognise you. A couple of fights on HBO and you'll have no worries.
G: I have no worries already.
A: Tell me, do you ever get big-headed? ****y?
G: Great people never get big-headed (both lough).

[SugarRayCurtain]

Hes a pretty boring individual even in his russian interview, seems like a pissy guy with a bit of an attitude problem. Why does he fight outside the right even as a pro boxer? I understand growing up but people must recoqnise him now.
And no recognisable pro boxer fight outside the ring, who the hell is he reffering too? f**kin Jermain Taylor? lol

[Dr Rumack]

You come and everything is different. But you are feeling your opponent, and you feel that no matter how many people support him, no matter how many people wish for him to win, when he starts breaking, you are the one breaking him. And you do your job.

Good quote.

[observer]

Hes a pretty boring individual even in his russian interview, seems like a pissy guy with a bit of an attitude problem. Why does he fight outside the right even as a pro boxer? I understand growing up but people must recoqnise him now.
And no recognisable pro boxer fight outside the ring, who the hell is he reffering too? f**kin Jermain Taylor? lol

This interview was taken 3 years ago, before his Rosado fight. I am sure he hasn't had any street fights since he became famous. Media would milk it to no limit.

[El-blanco]

His English is very poor and he has a very limited vocabulary. He repeats the same **** all the time because those are the words he knows. If you've ever been around someone trying to learn another language you'll notice they just repeat themselves often and say stuff that isn't pertinent to the conversation. I don't think he's trying to be deceptive but I agree, I can't stand his interviews and usually change the channel after the fight is done because listening to him stumble through it is insufferable.