The 14 months in between fights isn’t an ideal layoff for Gennadiy Golovkin, although perhaps also not a bad thing for a 14-year old pro entering the twilight of his career.
Golovkin is still considered one of the best middleweights in the world, if not the very best now that longtime rival Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (53-1-2, 36KOs) is competing in the 168-pound division. Still, it is clear that the 38-year old Kazakhstani is no longer the fire-breathing dragon long viewed during his lengthy first title reign.
As much was revealed in a back-and-forth 12-round war with Sergiy Derevyanchenko, which Golovkin won by unanimous decision to win an alphabet title last October at Madison Square Garden in New York City. More than a year later comes the first defense of his second title tour, as Golovkin (40-1-1, 35KOs) faces mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta (21-0, 5KOs) of Bialystok, Poland.
“I treat every fight very seriously. At this level, there are no easy fights,” Golovkin acknowledged of his upcoming fight during a recent Zoom media conference call. “When you’re a champion, you realize that every opponent brings certain challenges.
“I take training very seriously and I hope that the harder I train that the easier it will become in this fight.”
The two collide this Friday, live on DAZN from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida in a bout which has been in the works since the two fought on that same Garden card more than a year ago. A calf injury postponed plans for a springtime showdown, with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic further delaying such a fight along with Golovkin’s career.
Still, the break could be viewed as a blessing in disguise for the two-time middleweight titlist. Golovkin undoubtedly needed the rest following the grueling fight with Derevyanchenko, which came 13 months after the second of two memorable and physically taxing championship clashes with Alvarez.
Neither fighter will have an advantage from an activity standpoint this weekend, as both have been out for the same 14-month period. It’s a far cry from where Golovkin once was during the heart of his first title reign, habitually fighting 3-4 times per year. His second tour as a middleweight titlist now features a career-long layoff, though simply viewed as a challenge that any true champion simply has to overcome.
“We’ve had enough time to adapt to the COVID situation,” insists Golovkin. “Thanks to my team we were able to organize training camp and get ready for this fight. We made some adjustments and there was a special emphasis placed on power training. I know that I am ready for this fight.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
