By B.G.B: It seems that WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin’s (29-0 26 KO’s) fearsome knockout ability is finally paying dividends. The upcoming bout with super middleweight contender Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (48-1-1 (1 nc) 32 KO’s) is without a doubt the biggest fight of Golovkin’s career thus far. But what kind of challenges can we expect Chavez to confront Golovkin with? Chavez has an impressive amount of KO’s himself and has proven that he has the ability to cause damage to fighters.
In a fight he was badly loosing against Sergio Martinez, he was able to impose himself in the final round almost getting what would’ve been a huge victory. Golovkin however, is not Sergio Martinez. In fact, Golovkin is a completely different animal to any fighter that Chavez would have faced. In retrospect, Golovkin has never fought someone like Chavez. Both like to fight. Both will come to fight. There is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that this fight will end in a knockout; a defining knockout that will make or break either of them.
At 32, it can be assumed that Golovkin is at his prime age and the step to stardom needs to be taken now. He’s a middleweight world champion that has performed to his ruthless best in every fight he has been in. However, at this point the opposition he has faced cannot be regarded as particularly impressive, has he has stormed through a resume of middleweight contenders, but not world title opposition. Chavez Jr however, has been in tough fights, with durable opponents and of course a huge world title clash with Martinez, as mentioned above. Bar that loss, Chavez has built his career on an aggressive fighting style, his size and his iron chin. Taking these attributes into account, can we suggest Chavez can win this fight?
Golovkin is more than a brawler. Golovkin boasts a stunning amateur record consisting of 345 wins, something that has developed Golovkin’s boxing skills as a professional considerably. He shows poise, patients, accuracy, power and a ruthless instinct to finish a fighter. Golovkin’s ability to pressure his opponents with a variety of shots to the head and the body showcases more than just power. His footwork, his know-how and awareness of his ring positioning is all an essential part of his game. So far, Golovkin has executed his style effortlessly, albeit against less skillful fighters. The opponents that have tried to fight Golovkin at his own game have all suffered the same outcome: an exhausting and painful beating. However, there are some who are still not convinced. Although possessing his obvious skill set, he is not a fighter that seems particularly difficult to hit.
Chavez Jr has demonstrated his own willingness to engage in dust-ups himself. He imposes himself through his come-forward nature and weight advantages that have ranged between 10-25 pounds in previous fights. This may be a controversial tack tic, but cannot be denied. His iron chin has helped him through his career that has experienced more controversies than highs. However, he is a former world champion and that cannot be underestimated. He walks opponents down with constant pressure, throwing strong uppercuts and hooks. Similar to Golovkin, he is also not difficult to hit.
Taking all this into account only predictions can be made, not guarantees. This is boxing, and any fighter that has reached world level has the ability to cause an upset. So what does this fight mean for each fighter? For Golovkin it can go various ways. He can either win, and finally start to truly impose himself on the great fighters like Ward, Martinez and Mayweather. Or, he loses, and his invincibility that has been evidently showcased on lesser opponents is folly, and Golovkin will have to start back down at the bottom before another serious fight comes along. For Chavez, if he wins he gains a respect that he is yet to achieve. A rematch with Martinez (or a fight with Cotto depending on victor) will likely emerge, or he can take another direction and fight the likes of Froch and Ward. His own legacy will be in the making, earning him both respect and PPV appeal. If he loses, it may not be the end of Chavez. There are still likely to be reasonably big fights out there for Chavez, and he is young enough to bounce back.
Assessing this, it would seem Golovkin indeed has a lot more to lose than Chavez and in some respect, less to gain. With a Knockout victory of Chavez, it can either be taken as a sign for fighters to continue to avoid Golovkin, or he does not get credit for defeating Chavez. If Golovkin is the favorite for this fight, then It can be argued that he needs an impressive KO victory. Chavez has been beaten and been on the right side of controversial decisions in the past. This some what lowers expectations of Chavez as a formidable threat to Golovkin, which in the future may be held against him.
Their aggressive fighting styles are no doubt going to make this fight exciting, whether it be a balanced brawl, or a one sided massacre. My prediction for the fight lies heavily on the side of a one-sided massacre. When bombs start flying, Golovkin will land and questions will be asked of Chavez, which I expect will go unanswered. However, if his disicpline through training is good, Chavez may be able to impose himself throughout the fight and may have some opportunities to hurt Golovkin. If his iron chin is strong and he can take Golovkins heavy shots, then indeed Chavez will ask questions of Golovkin. However, I do not believe Chavez will be able to take those heavy shots, and I expect and KO victory for Golovkin within 6 rounds.
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