By Barry Holbook: Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin needed two attempts to make the 170-pound limit for the IBF second day weigh-in this morning for his fight tonight on DAZN against Sergiy ‘The Technician’ Derevyanchenko. Golovkin (39-1-1, 35 KOs) weighed in at 170.2 lbs on his first weigh-in try, and he then stripped down and made the weight at 170 lbs. For his part, Derevyanchenko successfully made weight.
Golovkin looked haggard at Friday’s weigh-in with him coming in at 159.2 pounds. The 33-year-old Derevyanchenko was the more fresher of the two in weighing in at 159 lbs. He looked in superb shape.
Promising a “real drama show“, Golovkin will be fighting the number #1 ranked Derevyanchenko (13-1, 10 KOs) for the vacant International Boxing Federation middleweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York.
With his new trainer Johnathon Banks, Golovkin is re-energized, and looking to win back his IBF 160-lb title that he lost in 2018. The title was stripped from Golovkin when he failed to defend it against mandatory Derevyanchenko.
GGG vs. Derevyanchenko is even fight on DAZN says DiBella
“GGG-Derevyanchenko, it’s as good as fight as you can make in the middleweight division,” said Derevyanchenko’s promoter Lou DiBella to TheRingDigital. “This is not GGG fighting an ordinary guy. This is GGG fighting one of the bet middleweights in the world. The outcome is in doubt. It’s going to be a great fight.
“Don’t be surprised if Sergiy Derevyanchenko shocks the world. I know this is much closer to an even fight then it is a one-sided fight. This is not going to be a one-sided fight. It’s going to be a competitive dog fight, and you’re going to see a competitive action fight.,” said DiBella in discussing the Golovkin vs. Derevyanchenko match on DAZN.
For a lot of casual boxing, they think this is going to be a mismatch tonight in favor of Golovkin, because they’re not familiar with Derevyanchenko. The hardcore boxing fans know different. Derevyanchenko is real threat to beating Golovkin, and he’s got an excellent chance of doing that tonight. The two fighters have a common opponent in Daniel Jacobs, and Derevyanchenko looked better against him than GGG.
Derevyanchenko lost to Jacobs by a 12 round split decision in October 2018, but the results were controversial. Of the two, Derevyanchenko looked like the better fighter at the end, but the A-side guy Jacobs was given the victory. At best, you can call it a draw, but definitely not a win for Jacobs. Derevyanchenko was the superior fighter in that contest. His inside game was incredible, and a lot better that we saw from Saul Canelo Alvarez against GGG in their rematch last September.
Sergiy is fresher & hungrier than Golovkin
“I agree with what was said today,” said DiBella. “It’s going to be a give and take action fight, and I really feel confident that my fighter Sergiy Derevyanchenko can win on Saturday night on DAZN at Madison Square Garden. No, I don’t think GGG has a lot of holes in his game, but none of us are getting younger.
“I think GGG has been around for a long time, and has had a lot of fights. Sergiy is a little big hungrier, and fresher. They both were schooled with the same Eastern European boxing style. They’re both very, very technically sound skilled fighters. They both have tremendous pedigree, and ability, and both are terrific pros.” said DiBella.
In looking at the two fighter’s recent bouts, Derevyanchenko does look fresher. He’s fighting at a higher level than Golovkin right now. GGG really aged between his first and second fight with Canelo. The Golovkin that fought Canelo in 2017 looked considerably better than the fighter we’ve seen since then in his two fights.
Golovkin one of the greatest fighters of all time
“You don’t know Sergiy as well. You will after Saturday night,” said Derevyanchenko’s promoter DiBella. “It’s always a chance when you’re looking across the ring with GGG. He’s going to take chances he needs to take. He’s going to do what he needs to do to try and win this fight, and I think he’s got a really good chance to do it. I’m not sitting here being cavalier, screaming that we’re winning. We’re fighting one of the greatest fighters of all time,” said DiBella.
Regardless of whether Derevyanchenko wins or not, the boxing world is going to know his name after tonight. He’s going to take the fight to Golovkin, and force him to go all out if he wants the victory. At this point, Golovkin, 37, may not have enough left to beat Derevyanchenko. GGG talks about how his new trainer Banks has revitalized him with his new training techniques, but those are just words. We didn’t see a re-energized Golovkin in his last fight against Steve Rolls, and that contest was under the helm of Banks.
DiBella says Derevyanchenko is mellow until he gets inside the ring
“One of the greatest middleweights that has ever put on gloves,” said DiBella in talking of Gennady. “That’s how great GGG is. He’s one of the best ever, but make no mistake about it, Sergiy Derevyanchenko belongs in that ring at the Garden on Saturday night. He has a really good chance of upsetting the apple-cart, and shocking the world and beating GGG. He’s [Derevyanchenko] a mellow guy until he gets inside the ring,” said DiBella.
Golovkin needs a win tonight on DAZN to stay in the race to get a third fight with Saul Canelo Alvarez. Derevyanchenko is in a great spot to deny Golovkin that fight by acting in the role of the spoiler. A victory for Derevyanchenko over Golovkin can change his life, as there’s a good chance Canelo will quickly setup a fight against him. It would be a way for Canelo to show the boxing world that he’s superior to Golovkin without having to fight him again.
Both @GGGBoxing and @SDerevyanchenko have made the 170-pound limit at the IBF second day weigh in this morning. Golovkin needed two tries — weighed in at 170.2 on the first, stripped down and came in at 170 even on the second.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) October 5, 2019
