Golovkin vs. Martirosyan: “I can’t lose this [fight],” says GGG

By Dan Ambrose: Gennady Golovkin knows he cannot afford to lose this Saturday night when he puts his IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight titles on the line for his fight against replacement opponent and 2004 U.S Olympian Vanes Martiroysyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs) at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Martirosyan is the replacement opponent for Saul Canelo Alvarez. He dropped out of the fight a couple of weeks ago after testing positive for clenbuterol. Martirosyan was the best option for Triple G on short notice. Golovkin could have fought his IBF mandatory Sergey Derevyanchenko or Demetrius Andrade, but those are not the type of fighters that one takes on three weeks’ notice. Golovkin would need a lot more time to prepare for their styles than just three weeks.

With no one gives Martirosyan any chance, Golovkin has to not only beat him but he also needs to make sure he defeats him in a style. If Golovkin struggles at any point in the fight on Saturday, it will be proof to his detractors that he skis a few steps and he’s not the fighter that he once was. It’s a no-win situation for Golovkin in other words. He’s not going to get credit for knocking out Martirosyan, and if he struggles at any point in the fight the critics will rip him apart and says he’s slipping. Martirosyan is a very good fighter though, who would make any top middleweight have to fight had to beat him.

Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) has everything to lose if he gets beaten by the 31-year-old Vanes. Not only would Golovkin lose his IBO, WBA and WBC belts, he would ruin a lot of the interest from the boxing public in his rematch with Saul Canelo Alvarez, which is supposed to take place on September 15. With the bundle of money GGG stands to make in the rematch with the still highly popular Canelo Alvarez, he clearly can’t lose to Martirosyan.

“This is a real fight. I can’t lose this on May 5th,” Golovkin said about Martirosyan. “I met him at Olympic games. He’s very good fighter. One punch can change life. Boxing is not a game,” Golovkin said.

This fight gives Golovkin a chance to break his 2-fight dry spell of no knockouts. Golovkin had a long KO string before it was interrupted by Daniel Jacobs, who forced him to go the full 12 rounds last March. Canelo Alvarez also was able to go the full 12 rounds against GGG. Martirosyan will give Golovkin a chance to get back into the knockout routine, and that should make the fight worth it for him. If Golovkin had selected Demetrius Andrade or Sergey Derevyanchenko, it would have been harder for him to KO those guys because of their defensive skills and their mobility. Golovkin says he wants to use the Mexican style on Saturday night in looking to slug it out, and Martirosyan gives him a good chance of doing that.

If Golovkin comes up short in this fight against Vanes, he can kiss goodbye his rematch against Canelo Alvarez this year, and he can forget about his unification fight against WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders. Golovkin might keep his IBF title depending on if the sanctioning body let him keep him, because it’s not on the line on Saturday. Golovkin probably would wind up facing Martirosyan in a rematch next instead of Derevyanchenko.

Golovkin knows that Martirosyan is a good fighter, and a lot better than what he’s being given credit for by the casual boxing fans, who don’t have a clue who he is. Martirosyan gave Erislandy Lara a run for his money in his two fights with him, and he also gave Demetrius Andrade a very tough fight in losing to him by a 12 round split decision five years ago in 2013. Martirosyan knocked Andrade down in the 1st round. Andrade has a good chin. The fact that Martirosyan was able to knock him down is a testament to how hard of a puncher he is.

”I’m ready for anybody,” Golovkin said. ”I know my style. I know my power. I feel great. Inside the ring, I’m a different guy. My goal is all the belts in the middleweight division. It doesn’t matter who stands in front of me. When I go into the ring, I know this is my day,” Golovkin said.

Golovkin needs to show the boxing public that he’s ready for anybody by taking on anybody by facing his IBF mandatory challenger Sergey Derevyanchenko (12-0, 10 KOs) next. Golovkin saying he wants all the belts suggests that he plans on keeping his IBF title, which won’t be on the line against Martirosyan due to the IBF choosing not to sanction the fight. They don’t feel Martirosyan is suitable to challenge for the IBF belt because A. He’s never fought at 160 before during his career. B. He’s lost two out of his last three fights C. Martirosyan hasn’t fought in 2 years.

There’s obviously a lot not to like about Martirosyan, but he is still a very good fighter and he’s given problems to very good fighters in losing efforts.

A lot of boxing fans are overlooking the threat Martirosyan brings to the table in this fight. There are many bitter people saying that this fight isn’t worth watching, but they might not be familiar with Martirosyan. If anything, this fight is more intriguing than the Golovkin vs. Saul Canelo Alvarez fight, because Martirosyan is more of a pure slugger with much better power than what people expect.

Martirosyan isn’t going to run from Golovkin like his last two opponents Canelo and Daniel Jacobs.
Golovkin could have pleased the knowledgeable boxing fans if he had chosen to fight Derevyanchenko or Demetrius Andrade on May 5 instead of Martirosyan. However, Golovkin would have put himself in a tough spot by taking on those guys on short notice, and he wouldn’t get credit from the casual boxing fans for beating either of those guys.

The casual fans wouldn’t be any more excited about Golovkin fighting Andrade or Derevyanchenko than they would be for him to fight Martirosyan, because they’re not familiar with any of those fighters. It takes a long time for the fighters to build a fan base and become recognizable to the casual fans. Unfortunately, Derevyanchenko and Andrade are not well-known fighters. Golovkin had 3 weeks’ notice to find an opponent thanks to Canelo backing out of the fight after he tested positive for clenbuterol. The fans should be appreciative to Golovkin for keeping the May 5 date and not pulling out of the fight.

The Golovkin vs. Martirosyan weigh-in will be open to the public this Friday at 12:00 p.m. PT on May 4 at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel, 6101 W Century BLVD, in Los Angeles, California.