By Robert “Big Moe” Elmore: I have no problem with WBA/IBF/IBO champ Gennady Golovkin (Trip) goals of wanting to unify the division. He has faced opposition that has been willing to face him. There are several big names he could face like Peter Quillin, Daniel Jacobs, Saul Canelo Alvarez, and Andy Lee. There has been major criticism about who he has faced as of late. I agree.
If Golovkin is going to blow up to the status of super star, he’s going to need that marquee name on his resume. Even if he did journey to super middleweight at this time, there are no big names that will bring him to the big pay day limelight.
I say that because with the number one and number two guys gone (Andre Ward and Carl Froch respectively), the division has not had time to find the “the guy” at 168. There is IBF champ James DeGale, WBC champ Badou Jack, WBA champ Fedor Chudinov and WBO champ Arthur Abraham, but none of these guys have separated themselves from the pack yet. However, I think it’s too early to judge Trip’s opposition. So to criticize his opposition means we have to look at those who came before him.
Many, including myself, give Marvin Hagler much respect for the impact he made while fighting. Let us ask ourselves these two questions. After 34 fights, can anyone name a former/current champion that on Hagler’s resume? Two, how many current or former champions does he have on his resume? I’m talking world titles (if you want to include minor titles, be my guest). There are only six and they are Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Vito Antuofermo and Alan Minter Tony Sibson (European Champion).
So out of 60 plus fights there are only six former/current champions on his resume? If we were to scale over Bernard Hopkins 20 title defense run we will only find three current or “to become” champions and they are Sergundo Marcado, Simon Brown and Glen Johnson. It wasn’t up until the middleweight tournament of 2001 that names began to be added to Hopkins resume. I bring this up not to disrespect, but to show that this is what can happen when a fighter chooses to reside in one division for a lengthy period of time.
The names may not have been all that big during Hopkins or Haglers run, but they were the top contenders in the division. In fact, after Hagler beat Mustfa Hamsho in their first encounter, Hamsho worked his way back the number one contender to Hagler’s belts. Antwon Echols and Robert Allen were granted rematches against Hopkins but neither fighter ever became champion. While the criticism is going on about Trip’s opponents, go ahead and answer what champions were on Hagler’s resume after 34 fights.
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