Golovkin separating myth from facts

By Angel Flowers - 03/20/2017 - Comments

Image: Golovkin separating myth from facts

By Angel Flowers:

GGG More Myth Than Legend

Gennady “GGG” Golovkin went to battle with the unheralded Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs this past Saturday night on Pay Per View. From that fight we were able to determine a lot about the middleweight kingpin separating myth from the legend he has inspired. Guys like Golovkin remind me of Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, an absolute monster until they step in the ring with a semi live body. Golovkin was given a boxing lesson almost the entire fight, his fourth round knockdown of Jacobs was more of a tackle but giving the champion the benefit of doubt we will say it was the only real time he got to Jacobs. Meanwhile Jacobs, a man who was thoroughly dominated then knocked out by Dmitry Pirog looked to have been given Golovkin all kinds of problems, which thoroughly explains to this writer why Golovkin has been acting the way he has.

Golovkin attempted to cash himself out for the fight against Jacobs, he wanted beyond the lion’s share against a guy who was a champion, however, flawed within his own right. I think Golovkin knew Jacobs was not Gabriel Rosado or David Lemieux, two flawed fighters who have done virtually nothing since being humiliated by Golovkin. GGG no matter how much his management proclaim he is the most avoided boxer is anything but. After his fight with Jacobs if you were a guy like Super Welterweight Champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, why would you waste your time fighting a guy like Golovkin who is worth less than what he claims? Canelo Alvarez last two American PPV buys were 300k fighting Liam “Beefy” Smith who was then champion and Amir “King” Khan at 600K. The Jacobs fight was Golovkin’s second American PPV, his first fight against then middleweight champion David Lemieux brought in a measly 150K despite it being a unification match. I would not be surprised if the Jacobs fight failed to make even 200K with the American boxing public as they can see Golovkin for what he is, someone who cannot hold their attention with his outright refusal to fight Alvarez, hiding behind numbers while claiming to fight anyone anywhere.

Golovkin made a $2.5 million purse with his fight against Jacobs, $2 million for fighting David Lemieux, against Willie Monroe Jr. he made $1.5 million and against Curtis Stevens he made $400k. His biggest payday to date was the $5 million he made fighting a welterweight Ezekiel “Special K” Brook who was the most popular fighter by far. Golden Boy who promotes Alvarez offered Golovkin double his biggest purse to date and he still refuses the fight event though Alvarez, who has never fought at 160 agreed to his weight limit. This is a case of Golovkin pricing himself out of a fight, all one has to do is look at the man he is claiming he wants to fight to see how it is done. Alvarez made $5 million dollars fighting Floyd Mayweather, it was his biggest purse to date and he did not mind the $42 million Mayweather took in. When Alvarez fought Miguel Cotto he took a 75/25 split purse in Cotto’s favor not caring at all about the money. Golovkin seems to think he should be 50/50 or 60/40 with Canelo despite not doing anything to deserve it, to put him up there with other middleweight champions is a travesty and only done by those ignorant of real no nonsense fighters.

Golovkin has called out retired former Jr. Lightweight Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather to meet him at 154 pounds. Many in the 154 pound bracket such as Erislandy Lara has been willing to fight Golovkin but he has declined. Alvarez who by all means is the PPV king in boxing now offered to fight him at 155 pounds and he declined despite it would have been his biggest payday. You can argue Golovkin appears scared to leave the middleweight division like other great champions, which is why he will never make the money he thinks he is owed. Many people point out former champion “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler stayed in the middleweight ranks but this comparison makes absolutely no sense when evaluating who Hagler fought compared to Golovkin. On Golovkin’s resume does any name stand out as being a future hall of Famer or at least someone who after losing to Golovkin is still a talented enough boxer who will go on to fight and win more titles? The only name you possibly could have thought of is welterweight Ezekiel Brook and possibly Jacobs but look at Hagler’s foes.

Thomas Hearns went on to win not only the Jr. Middleweight title but the light heavyweight title as well. No one in Golovkin’s resume compares to this former champion. John “The Beast” Mugabi went on to win the Jr. Middleweight title. Roberto Duran ended up eventually capturing the middleweight title himself after fighting Hagler. This is not to mention Hagler fought Sugar Ray Leonard and Alan Minter. In the past thirty years alone I rate Golovkin maybe eighth greatest as it concerns people who once held a middleweight title, behind such warriors as Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Sergio Martinez, Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya Canelo Alvarez and Felix Trinidad. It was a toss up for me to place him over men such as Gerald McClellan or Jermain Taylor.

If I was Golovkin after the horrid performance, he put on I would accept Canelo’s offer to fight. Canelo himself fought for less money than his opponents in an successful attempt to become the man in boxing. Golovkin needs to do the same thing, his PPV numbers once they come out will solidify what I am saying.