Gennady Golovkin Really Good, Getting Better

Published

10 years ago

July 28, 2014

NEW YORK – The fastest-rising star in boxing has a nickname, “Triple G,” that would seem simple enough to figure out. The star’s full name is, after all, Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin. He is a 32-year-old knockout artist who would appear to be a man for all seasons, and apparently all regions, a world traveler who was born in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, now resides in Stuttgart, Germany, trains in Big Bear, Calif., and is becoming one of the hottest sports tickets in this international media capital since Derek Jeter was a kid shortstop for the Yankees and Madison Square Garden was still the mecca of boxing.

But to hear Golovkin’s promoter tell it, in the aftermath of GGG’s latest demolition derby, that nickname could just as well stand for Good and Galloping toward Great. Even though Golovkin stepped inside the Garden’s hallowed ring as a 4-to-1 favorite over Australia’s Daniel Geale, who came in as a reasonably well-regarded two-time former alphabet champion in the middleweight division, the comparative ease with which the WBO/IBO 160-pound titlist won – on a third-round technical knockout, the takeout shot coming on a crackling counter right hand to the jaw a split-second after Geale had landed a big right of his own – had superlatives flowing like wine at an ancient Roman bacchanal.

“We don’t think there’s anyone in the middleweight division that can stand up to Gennady’s power,” pronounced K2 Promotions’ Tom Loeffler, who suggested the fast-filling Golovkin bandwagon was reminiscent of the heady rise of another dangerous puncher from an earlier era.

“It’s kind of the Mike Tyson effect here in America that Gennady’s bringing to the middleweight division,” Loeffler said of Golovkin, who smiles a lot more than Iron Mike back did during his snarling, baddest-man-on-the-planet heyday. But regardless of his postfight disposition, it has been a rapid and remarkable transformation for Golovkin, of whom many Americans knew little, if anything, until he decided to come to this country two years ago to see if the streets really were paved with gold and dream fulfillment was indeed possible for someone who dared to think big and had the will and the wallop to back it up.

Golovkin’s exclamation-point victory, his 18^th consecutive victory inside the distance, seemed all the more electrifying in comparison to the co-featured bout of the HBO-televised doubleheader, a WBC heavyweight eliminator pitting Philadelphia’s Bryant “By-By” Jennings against Cuba expatriate and Ireland-based Mike Perez. Jennings (19-0, 12 KOs) won a split decision that would have ended in a draw had not referee Harvey Dock, who had issued multiple warnings to Perez, deducted a point from him in the 12^th round for hitting on the break. With the win, Jennings is guaranteed first dibs on the winner of a yet-unscheduled bout between WBC champ Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) and Deontay Wilder (31-0, 31 KOs).

“It was a very technical fight,” Jennings said. “(Perez) wouldn’t trade with me. I wanted him to stand in there and fight. I was expecting the inside pressure of Mike Perez. It didn’t happen.”

There was no such hesitancy to engage on the part of Geale (30-3, 16 KOs), who appeared to understand that Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs) – who was 345-5 during a storied amateur career – was too adept at cutting off the ring for the challenger to successfully play keepaway for 12 rounds. Geale was determined to meet GGG’s fire with a few flames of his own, and may he who got there first and hardest have his hand raised at the bout’s conclusion, whenever it came.

Geale, who went down in the first round (after tripping on a camera that the photographer had extended too far onto the ring apron) and again, legitimately, in the second after being on the wrong end of a left hook to the body and a right hand upstairs, did get there first in the climactic third stanza. His right hand landed, and with some oomph behind it, to Golovkin’s left temple, which gave the Aussie a mere nanosecond of exultation before GGG’s counter right landed with the percussive force of a runaway tractor-trailer. Even though Geale beat the count, his readiness to fight on, or lack of it, did not satisfy referee Michael Ortega, who waved his arms at the 2-minute, 47-second mark.

“I fought a guy everybody said had immense power,” Geale allowed. “He caught me with a good shot. Obviously, I’m very disappointed. I had a pretty good game plan going out there. Things were going (according) to plan, to some extent, but I guess when you make a mistake you have to pay the penalty.

“He definitely is a guy that’s going to be tough to beat. I’m not sure there’s too many guys out there that are going to give him much of a run.”

Someone asked the 33-year-old Geale, who has been boxing since he was nine, if Golovkin was the most devastating hitter he’d ever faced.

“Is he the hardest puncher? He’d be up there for sure,” Geale replied. “I’ve been hit by a lot of people. It’s hard to remember every single one. But I was expecting power. He’s a strong guy. Golovkin’s the type of guy that’s pretty well-rounded. He’s got good footwork. He has great timing, which means he’s going to have great power as well.”

For his part, Golovkin seemed pleased with himself. OK, so he didn’t follow the instructions of his trainer, Abel Sanchez, as assiduously as he might have. Sanchez kept hectoring Golovkin to mix up his attack, to go to the body more, and not to head-hunt so much. But, Sanchez said, “he was hell-bent on trying to knock him out early and he wasn’t listening.”

An unmarked Golovkin, flashing those pearly whites, said he was there to give the enthusiastic and pro-GGG crowd – the announced attendance was 8,572, in an arena scaled for a capacity of 9,000 or so – what it came to see.

“Not big surprise,” Golovkin said of the deepening love affair U.S. audiences have with him. “I think my fans, and all people who understand boxing, like my style. Is like Mexican style. Just fight. Is not boxing, just fight. I think people love this style. Is very good for me. For everybody.”

That simple declaration, as much as anything, explains why Golovkin, who has yet to appear in a pay-per-view bout, is being moved at a steady pace toward that elusive nirvana known as superstardom. He is the leading man of his personal Big Bang Theory, eager to swap punches with anyone in and around his weight class who has a heavy reputation and the gumption to test himself in the crucible of the squared circle. Golvokin’s expressed desire to face all comers is a refreshing change for frustrated aficionados of the sport who have tired of the circle dance involving Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, as well as others on either side of the roped-off curtain separating HBO- and Showtime-affiliated fighters.

What Golovkin wants – and the sooner the better – is unification matchups and the sort of star turns that can turn a visitor from a far-off land into America’s adopted sweetheart. Sanchez, who is Mexican-American, has a hankering to put in GGG against high-profile Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-1-1, 32 KOs), but Loeffler’s first priority is a likely future Hall of Famer, newly crowned WBC middleweight champ Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32 KOs), who has fought in New York 11 times and is box-office certainty in the Big Apple. Also on the radar screen are the other alphabet middleweight champs, the IBF’s Sam Solimon (44-11, 18 KOs) and the WBO’s Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs). Down at 154 pounds is super welterweight Canelo Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) and up at 168 are WBA champ Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KOs) and WBA/IBF titlist Carl Froch (33-2, 24 KOs). If you’re confused by Ward and Froch both holding versions of the WBA crown, well, join the club.

“Gennady wants to prove that he’s the best middleweight champion,” Loeffler said. “The only way to do that is to fight the other champions. But we can’t force anyone to get in the ring. We saw that with the (proposed) Chavez fight. We agreed to a lot of different conditions to get the Chavez fight, and it didn’t happen.

“Cotto is at the top of our list right now. Chavez is at the top of Abel’s list. I think a fight between Miguel Cotto and Gennady Golovkin at the big arena here at Madison Square Garden is the biggest fight that can be made right now in New York City.”

And if securing desirable dates in the fall and winter isn’t possible because of the Garden’s bookings of Knicks and Rangers games, there’s always Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

“It was my prediction before the fight, and I stand by it, that this will be the highest-rated boxing show of any in America,” Loeffler said. “That’s a tribute to somebody from Kazakhstan, living in Germany, training in Big Bear, who’s been here less than two years. It’s the excitement he brings to the ring and fans seeing that he’s willing to fight anyone.”

So the hype drum for Golovkin continues to be banged with increasing enthusiasm. Sanchez, throwing caution to the wind, has gone so far as to compare GGG to such legendary fighters as Sugar Ray Robinson, Bernard Hopkins, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvelous Marvin Hagler. It is an audacious leap of faith on Sanchez’s part and, until Golovkin fights and defeats as many of today’s elite practitioners of the pugilistic arts as is logistically possible, such comments are at best imprudent. Golovkin hasn’t even done enough yet to be compared with many of the middleweight champions whose last name begins with G, a select group that includes the likes of Harry Greb, Rocky Graziano, Joey Giardello and Emile Griffith, although he probably rates higher than Ceferino Garcia and Otis Grant.

But excitement and hope are where you find it, and fight fans desperate to identify new stars are looking to Golovkin and WBO light heavyweight champ Sergey Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs), the “Krusher from Russia” who defends his title against Australia’s Blake Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) on Aug. 2 at the Revel in Atlantic City, as candidates to fill that void.

At the very least, Golovkin is doing much to erase the negative image of his homeland that stems from the hilarious but cruel 2006 mockumentary, “Borat: Cultural Leanings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” which starred British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen as a hapless journalist from a third-world sty. It remains to be seen whether GGG can knock Cotto or Canelo or Chavez into the ringside seats, but the guess here is that Cohen had best stay out of this very real Kazakh’s punching range.

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Bernard Fernandez

Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza Shine in Phoenix

Published

12 hours ago

December 7, 2024

Phil Woolever

Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza Shine in Phoenix

PHOENIX – Saturday was a busy night on the global boxing scene, and it’s quite likely that the howling attendees in Phoenix’s Footprint Center witnessed the finest overall card of the international schedule. The many Mexican flags on display in the packed, scaled down arena signaled the event’s theme.

Co-main events featured rematches that arose from a pair of prior crowd-pleasing slugfests. Each of tonight’s headlining bouts ended at the halfway point, but that was their only similarity.

Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, now 39-2-1 (32), defended his WBO Junior Lightweight belt with a dramatic stoppage of more-than-willing Oscar Valdez, 32-3 (24). The 29-year-old champion spoke of retirement wishes, but after dominating a blazing battle in which he scored three knockdowns, his only focus was relaxing during the holidays then getting back to what sounded like long-term business.

“Valdez was extremely tough in this fight,” said Navarrete. “I knew I had to push him back and I did. You are now witnessing the second phase of my career and you can expect great things from me in 2025.”

“I don’t really know about the future,” said the crestfallen, 33-year-old Valdez. “No excuses. He did what he wanted to and I couldn’t.”

Navarrete, a three-division titlist, came up one scorecard short of a fourth belt in his previous fight last May, a split decision loss to Denys Berinchyk. This was Navarrete’s fourth Arizona appearance so he was cheered like a homeboy, but Valdez was definitely the crowd favorite, evident from the cheers that erupted as both fighters were shown arriving in glistening, low rider automobiles.

Both men came out throwing huge shots, but it was Navarrete who scored a flash knockdown in the first round, setting the tone for the rest of the fight. There was fierce action in every frame, with Navarrete getting the best of most of it, but even when he was in trouble Valdez roared back and brought the crowd to their feet. He got dropped again at the very end of round four, and Navarrete sent his mouthpiece into orbit the round after that.

When Navarrette drove Valdez into the ropes during round six it looked like referee Raul Caiz, Jr was about to intervene, but before he could decide, Navarrete finished matters himself with a perfect left to the ribs that crumpled Valdez into a KO at 2:42.

“He talked about getting ready to retire soon so I told him we had to fight again right now,” said Valdez prior to the rematch. There were numerous “be careful what you wish for” type predictions of doom and he entered the ring at around a two to one underdog, understanding the contest’s make or break stakes. “Boxing penalizes you if you have a lot of losses,” observed Valdez. “It’s not like other sports where you can lose and do better next season. In boxing, most people don’t want to see you again after a couple of losses.”

What Valdez might decide remains to be seen, but even in defeat he proved to be a warrior worth watching.

Co-Feature

After their epic, razor-close encounter almost exactly a year ago, it was obvious Rafael Espinoza, and fellow 30-year-old Robeisy Ramirez should meet again for the WBO featherweight title belt Espinoza earned by an upset majority decision. Espinoza turned the trick again this time around, inside the distance, but it was more anti-climactic than anything like toe-to-toe.

The 6’1” Espinoza, now 26-0 (22), was the aggressor from the opening frame, but 5’6” Ramirez, 14-3 (9) employed his short stature well to stay out of immediate danger and countered to the body for a slight edge. The Cuban challenger avoided much of their previous firefight and initially controlled the tempo. The crowd jeered him for staying away but it was an effective strategy, at least at first.

Espinoza connected much better in the fifth round and looked fresher as Ramirez’s face rapidly reddened. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere in round six, Ramirez took a punch then raised a glove in surrender. Whatever the reason, even looking at Ramirez’s swollen right eye, it looked like a “No Mas” moment. Replays showed a straight right to the eye socket, but that didn’t stop the crowd from hooting their disgust after ref Chris Flores signaled the end at 0:12.

***

Richard Torrez, Jr, now 12-0 (11), displayed his Olympic silver medal pedigree in a heavyweight bout against Issac Munoz, 18-2-1 (15). Torrez, 236.6, found his punching range quickly with southpaw leads as Munoz, 252, tried to stand his ground but looked hurt by early body work that forced him into the ropes. He was gasping for breath as Torrez peppered him in the second, and Munoz went back to his corner on unsteady legs.

Munoz’s team should have thought about saving him for another day in the third as he ate big shots. Luckily, referee Raul Caiz, Jr. was wiser and had seen enough, waving it off for a TKO at 0:59.

“I don’t train for the opponent,” reflected Torrez, who isn’t far from true contender status. “Every time I train, I train for a world championship fight.”

***

Super-lightweight Lindolfo Delgado, 139.9, improved to 22-0 (16), and took another step into the world title picture against Jackson Marinez, now 22-4 (10), 139.2.

On paper this junior welterweight matchup appeared fairly even, and Marinez managed to keep it that way for almost half the scheduled ten rounds against a solid prospect but Delgado kept upping the ante until Marinez was out of chips. The assembled swarm was whistling for more action after three tentative opening frames, as Delgado loaded up but couldn’t put much offense together.

That changed in the 4th when Delgado connected with solid crosses. In the fifth, a fine combination dropped Marinez into a delayed knockdown and a wicked follow-up right to the guts finished the wobbly Marinez, who had nothing to be ashamed of, off in the arms of ref Wes Melton. Official TKO time was 2:13.

In a matter of concurrent programming, Saturday also held a lot of highly publicized college football and basketball games which likely detracted from the larger mainstream audience and media coverage this fight card deserved. That’s a shame but you can’t fault boxing, Top Rank, or any of the fighters for that because, once again, they all came through big time in Phoenix.

Photos credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Brooklyn’s Richardson Hitchins Wins IBF 140-Pound Title in Puerto Rico

Published

13 hours ago

December 7, 2024

David A. Avila

Brooklyn's-Richardson-Hitchins-Wins-IBF-140-Pound-Title-in-Puerto-Rico

A change of champions took place as Richardson Hitchins rallied from a lethargic start to wrest the IBF super lightweight title from Australia’s Liam Paro by split decision on Saturday in Puerto Rico at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan.

Brooklyn has another world champion.

“I’m just happy to be a world champion,” Hitchins said.

Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) proved that his style of fighting could prevail over Paro (25-1, 15 KOs) who had previously knocked off another Puerto Rican champion, Subriel Matias.

Both fighters expected a different kind of encounter as Paro immediately started the fight with constant pressure and short, precise combinations. Hitchins had expected a different attack and seemed hesitant to pull the trigger.

“I couldn’t get my timing,” said Hitchins. “I thought he was going to put the pressure on me.”

Soon Hitchins ramped up his attack.

After Paro had jumped ahead with a constant strategic attack, Hitchins slipped into second gear behind a sharp right counter that found the target repeatedly.

Things began to swing in the Brooklyn fighter’s favor.

Those long arms came in handy for Hitchins who snapped off deadeye rights through Paro’s guard repeatedly. Soon the southpaw Aussie’s eye began to show signs of damage.

But Paro never quit.

Aside from using quick counters, Paro began firing lead lefts and the occasional right hook and uppercut. But seldom did he target the body. Slowly, the rounds began mounting in favor of the Brooklyn fighter.

Perhaps the best blow of the fight took place in the ninth round as Hitchins connected flush with a one-two combination. Though stunned, Paro trudged forward looking to immediately counter.

He mostly failed.

Still, Paro knew the rounds were not one-sided and he could close the distance. The Aussie fighter did well in the 11^th and 12^th round but could not land a significant blow. After 12 rounds one judge saw Paro the winner 117-11, while two others saw Hitchins the winner 116-112 for the new IBF titlist.

“He’s a hell of a boxer,” said Paro who loses the title in his first defense. “It’s not a loss, it’s a lesson.”

Other Bouts

A battle between Puerto Rican featherweights saw Henry Lebron (20-0) out-battle Christopher Diaz-Velez by decision after 10 action-packed rounds.

In a lightweight fight Agustin Quintana (21-2-1) gave Marc Castro (13-1) his first loss to win by split decision after 10 rounds.

Welterweight Jose Roman Vazquez (14-1) defeated Jalil Hackett (9-1) by split decision after 10 rounds.

Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom

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A Six-Pack of Undercard Action from the Top Rank Card in Phoenix

Published

17 hours ago

December 7, 2024

Arne K. Lang

A Six-Pack of Undercard Action from the Top Rank Card in Phoenix

Top Rank promoted a 10-fight card tonight at the NBA arena in Phoenix. The undercard included welterweight standout Giovani Santillan and a bevy of young prospects.

Based on his showing tonight, Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez is a prospect on the cusp of being a contender. A high-octane fighter with ring smarts that bely his tender age, the 22-year-old Gonzalez pitched a near 8-round shutout over Argentina’s Gerardo Antonio Perez, advancing his record to 12-0 (7). Although Gonzalez was forced to go the distance after five straight wins by stoppage, Perez, an Argentine who had never been stopped and was better than his 12-6-1 record, had a granite chin.

LA junior bantamweight Steven Navarro improved to 5-0 (4 KOs) with a second-round stoppage of Gabriel Bernardi (7-2). Navarro had Bernardi, a Puerto Rican, on the canvas twice before referee Raul Caiz Jr waived it off.

In a welterweight contest slated for “10,” Giovani Santillan improved to 33-1 (18 KOs) at the expense of Fredrick Lawson who retired on his stool after only one round. It was a nice confidence-booster for Santillan who took a lot of punishment in his last fight vs. Brian Norman Jr, a fight that Santillan was expected to win. However, tonight’s win should come with an asterisk as Lawson, a Chicago-based Ghanaian, is damaged goods and ought not be permitted to fight again, notwithstanding his 30-6 record. (All six of his losses, including the last three, came inside the distance.)

In a welterweight contest slated for six rounds, 19-year-old SoCal prospect Art Berrera Jr advanced to 7-0 (5 KOs) with a second-round TKO over Juan Carlos Campos (4-2) who fights out of Sioux City, Iowa. Referee Wes Melton lost his balance as he stepped in to stop the one-sided affair with a nano-second remaining in round two and went flying into the ropes, but was seemingly unhurt.

In a major surprise, Cesar Morales, a former Mexican national amateur champion, lost his pro debut to unheralded Kevin Mosquera, a 23-year-old Ecuadorian. A flash knockdown in the opening minute of final round factored into the result. The judges had it 39-36 and 38-37 for Mosquera (3-0-1) and 38-38.

The night did not start well for Morales’ trainer Robert Garcia who had five fighters in action tonight.

In the lid-lifter, 21-year-old Las Vegas lightweight DJ Zamora, a protege of the late Roger Mayweather, improved to 15-0 (10 KOs) with a second-round stoppage of Argentine import Roman Ruben Reynoso (22-6-2). Zamora put Reynoso on the canvas in the opening round with a left to the solar plexus and knocked him down in the second round with a counter left to the chin. Reynoso made it to his feet, but had no beef when the fight was waived off. The official time was 1:56 of round two.

Bouts involving former Olympians Lindolfo Delgado and Richard Torres Jr plus two compelling world title rematches round out the 10-fight card. TSS correspondent Phil Woolever is ringside. Check back later for his post-fight reports.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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