By Reveriano: I would like to begin this piece by reminding the viewer that I was a fan of IBO/WBA middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (33-0, 30 KOs) before it was popular to be a fan. I argued a few weeks ago that the only opponent that Floyd Mayweather Jr could choose for his last fight would persuade me to pay would be GGG. I would also like to state that I am extremely excited about this upcoming match.
I think it will be extremely entertaining and fun to watch. But at no point am I convinced, under the illusion, or believe that GGG will be the next PPV King.
My first point is that Golovkin is too old to ever be a start in the form that Manny Pacquiao or Mayweather became. His 35 years combined with his physically heavy style means that there is no way he can rival the 18 years of Floyd Mayweather or Pacquiao. GGG has maybe only two years ahead of himself before he starts declining for natural reasons.
My second point is that he does have the star potential to transcend the sport in such a limited time. He has no automatic fan base that will turn out for him. Only hardcore boxing fans that read this blogs would care enough to watch him. But there is no nationalism or national pride involved in his fights that can bring huge numbers. There is no Filipino/Asian Pride as was the case with Pacquiao. Or the American pride that Mayweather brought by being smarter in the ring. Unless they are brought from his opponents.
My third point is similar to the second but relates to personality. Meaning that he does not have the personality that entices viewers to buy his fight to watch him lose. Mayweather was the champion of this of course. But younger fighters like Adrien Broner and Amir Khan have completely embraced this. Ricardo Mayorga and Shane Mosley became clowns by trying to do this to sell their grudge match. His seriousness and nice guy style out of the ring is enjoyable to watch. But honestly makes for poor soap drama provocation that makes fights huge.
My fourth point is that other major fighters will continue to dodge him. Miguel Cotto and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will refuse to fight him. They have no need to do so. And he can at some point take the Ward fight. But that fight would not transcend due to the inactivity of Ward.
I sincerely believe that Canelo is the only choice to be the next PPV or face of boxing. And this has to do with the simple facts of demographics. Golovkin can try to win over the Mexican population by calling his style “Mexican Style” or speaking great about El Gran Campeon. But at the end of the day he is not Mexican. That combined with the simple fact that he is a much younger fighter means that he can and is creating the stage to be bigger. Cotto is basically taking the role of Sergio Martinez in his fight against Canelo. Maximizing the money he can gain from losing a title he does not and cannot hold onto.
In a fair world GGG would be a huge PPV start. But in the real world he will be a star but he will see an inferior, cherry-picking, catch weight, and lazy Canelo taking the role.
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