(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) By Babatis Banda: WBA Super World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (31-0-28) seems to have taken the sport of boxing by storm. He has the highest knockout ratio in his weight class and looks unstoppable. Some enthusiasts are already making comparisons with the likes of Mike Tyson and so far, you can’t blame them.

Over the weekend, we saw Golovkin destroy challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (59-7-1, 51 KOs) in a somewhat impressive show, but not enough to show exactly what Golovkin is made of in their fight at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Rubio could not be the real test for Golovkin, he was another victim lined up to help build the GGG persona. I have also heard some people suggest that Golovkin is the next big thing after Floyd Mayweather Jr in this sport of boxing, and I disagree.

Golovkin as impressive as he seems, has yet to be tested. Golovkin should undergo a litmus test against either Miguel Cotto or Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Canelo and Cotto hit just as hard as Gennady and they are able to take a punch too. My take is that Golovkin can’t beat Manny Pacquiao. If Pacquiao was to walk the ring against Golokin, he would circle and damage Golovkin from those straight lefts. Golovkin is slow, stiff and very predictable.

I don’t intend to take away the Golovkin hype, but I want someone to remember when it happens that I did talk about it. For now Golovkin is building an impressive record, but against whom? I understand that you cannot just throw-in somebody without a resume with the big stars. A boxer has to earn the fight first by showing they are above average. The moment to know if Golovkin is the real deal is now. He has so far done well against some of the fodder he has been fed on, but now the real tests begin.

Let Golovkin come down to 154 and fight Pacquiao, Canelo, Cotto or Mayweather. That might be the beginning of the end of the hype job. Remember, Canelo looked a monster before Mayweather humbled him. Someone with speed, good foot work and a good boxing IQ can easily beat Golovkin and I make no apologies for my observation.