Why Golovkin Will Never Be As Big As Mayweather

Published

8 years ago

October 22, 2015

Sizzle always seems to top substance in life.

This especially holds true in politics and sports.

Gennady Golovkin is now the biggest star in boxing with the temporarily retirement of Floyd Mayweather and the inactivity of Manny Pacquiao…. and he’s still on the ascent. Recently he was seen starring in an Apple watch commercial shadow boxing, and that was before the highest profile bout of his career against defending IBF middleweight title holder David Lemieux, whose title he now owns.

So, how big a star does the WBA/IBF/IBO middleweight title holder Gennady Golovkin 34-0 (31) become?

It’s certainly no coincidence that one month after Floyd Mayweather’s last fight and immediate retirement announcement, Golovkin has dominated the talk among most boxing observers. Since barely beating a washed up Oscar De La Hoya in 2007, Mayweather has been boxing’s biggest star fighter and box office draw. Now with Floyd stepping out of the limelight, for at least the next year or so, it’s been assumed that Golovkin is the new must see fighter in professional boxing, and deservedly so.

Floyd Mayweather was very controversial and went out of his way to be the one wearing the black hat. He fed off of negative attention and went out of his was to annoy fans, especially those who didn’t care for him. He cultivated his own cottage industry made up of those who were more so fans of his than actually being boxing fans. They hate to hear that said, but a lot of their scope is limited to Mayweather and his opponents and that’s about it. What is most amazing is the fact that as technically proficient as he was, Floyd’s style and 95% of his bouts were devoid of action and not fan friendly.

In the past, boxing’s biggest draws and superstars were knockout punchers like Golovkin and Mike Tyson. Muhammad Ali and Mayweather were world stars who didn’t possess one punch knockout power and were the exception to the rule. However, they were great salesman, the difference being Ali sought to fight the best of the best and more than half of his bouts were exciting and drama filled.

Boxing’s newest star Golovkin is the anti-Mayweather. GGG has the makings of a special fighter. He has one-punch fight altering power in both hands. His accuracy is very good and he also possesses short power and doesn’t rush his shots. His balance is good and he seems to always be in position to punch. So far his chin looks like it’s a great last line of defense and it’s not all that easy to find. He also likes to put on a show for the fans and seems to be willing to fight the best, something that makes him a dying breed among today’s elite fighters.

Boxing fans know when they tune in to watch Golovkin fight, they’re going to see something dramatic happen in the ring. It has to because his style and power all but insures it, win or lose. In addition to that, he’s a gentleman and doesn’t talk trash or belittle other fighters. He’s not arrogant or garish like Floyd Mayweather, doesn’t get in trouble away from the ring and isn’t a twitter or Instagram troll.

I’ve read other writers who have said, “It’s refreshing to have a modest, humble boxer who never fails to deliver the goods, doesn’t brag, trash talk, cherry pick and beat women.”

“It’s a breath of fresh air after the stench, lies (from Mayweather)..”

….And they’re right, that sentiment..

However, Golovkin will never be quite the star that Mayweather is/was, and that’s very sad, but even more telling in regards to today’s society and culture. Today’s culture loves in your face hostility and braggadocio, of which Mayweather is the poster child. The quiet humble warrior is overlooked today. When all is said and done Gennady Golovkin may be a great fighter. But, that’s not enough to make him a huge superstar outside of the boxing world the way Mayweather was. At best when it comes to selling fights he’ll be Manny Pacquiao lite. I say lite because Pacquiao had the ability to go up in seven weight classes after winning his first world title and many fans wanted to see if he could do it. Golovkin doesn’t have that option.

Sure, Gennady can go up to super-middleweight and light heavyweight and perhaps win a title, but he isn’t going to be a factor above that like Pacquiao was as a junior-welterweight and welterweight. So just based on the element of physical stature, Golovkin doesn’t have the latitude Mayweather and Pacquiao both had in regards to winning multiple titles.

Then there’s the personality factor, which is huge.

As mentioned above, Golovkin’s personality fits the humble warrior mantra like Pacquiao, but that’s where the similarity ends. Mayweather overshadowed Pacquiao because he didn’t mind being seen as a villain and bad guy; actually, I think he relished it. His bragging and posting copies of paychecks and betting stubs all over the Internet brought him a lot of attention from more than just boxing or Mayweather fans. Also, Floyd traveling with a huge entourage and three or four bodyguards brought out the TMZ faction every time he left his Vegas mansion, further adding to the persona and making of his brand.

Due to his friendship and tutelage with Vince McMahon of the WWE, Floyd learned how to verbally sell a fight and also how to tease and tantalize the fans. Add to that he never really fought who the fans most wanted to see him fight when they actually wanted to see the bout, and it kept them thirsting for more, and the more thirsty they became the less he gave them. Thus ultimately making many tune into see him hopefully lose.

None of this applies to Golovkin as a draw.

Think about the dynamic between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. Tyson’s fights really weren’t exciting, unless you liked watching no hope contenders getting blasted out in a round or two. That, along with every opponent who fought Tyson back beat him with the exception of Tony Tucker and Razor Ruddock. On the other hand, a majority of Holyfield’s fights were exciting and action packed. Yet, if Tyson fought Alex Stewart on the same night Holyfield fought Riddick Bowe, most fans would watch Tyson-Stewart because of all the drama that accompanied Mike, even though Holyfield-Bowe is the better fight.

Well, I think the same thing applies to Golovkin when compared to Mayweather on the world stage. I don’t think it has anything to do with Floyd being American or Gennady’s broken English. The determining factor is, Golovkin is a nice guy who appears willing to fight all comers and looks to end his bouts with every punch he throws, as opposed to Floyd who looked to do anything but fight or face the opponents who the public most clamored to see him against. But in today’s world in which sizzle always is preferred over substance, Floyd’s personality, antics and manufactured undefeated record dictated that when he was on top….he’ll always be considered more must see than Golovkin will ever hope to be. And that’s one prediction I would love to be wrong about down the road.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Frank Lotierzo

Skavynskyi and Bustillos Win on a MarvNation Card in Long Beach

Published

2 days ago

September 24, 2023

David A. Avila

Skavynskyi and Bustillos Win on a MarvNation Card in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Ca.-A cool autumn night saw welterweights and minimumweights share main events for a MarvNation fight card on Saturday.

Ukraine’s Eduard Skavynskyi (15-0, 7 KOs) experienced a tangled mess against the awkward Alejandro Frias (14-10-2) but won by decision after eight rounds in a welterweight contest at the indoor furnace called the Thunder Studios.

It was hot in there for the more than 600 people inside.

Skavynskyi probably never fought someone like Mexico’s Frias whose style was the opposite of the Ukrainian’s fundamentally sound one-two style. But round after round the rough edges became more familiar.

Neither fighter was ever damaged but all three judges saw Skavynskyi the winner by unanimous decision 79-73 on all three cards. The Ukrainian fighter trains in Ventura.

Bustillo Wins Rematch

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In the female main event Las Vegas’ Yadira Bustillos (8-1) stepped into a rematch with Karen Lindenmuth (5-2) and immediately proved the lessons learned from their first encounter.

Bustillos connected solidly with an overhand right and staggered Lindenmuth but never came close to putting the pressure fighter down. Still, Bustillos kept turning the hard rushing Lindenmuth and snapping her head with overhand rights and check left hooks.

Lindenmuth usually overwhelms most opponents with a smothering attack that causes panic. But not against Bustillos who seemed quite comfortable all eight rounds in slipping blows and countering back.

After eight rounds all three judges scored the contest for Bustillos 78-74 and 80-72 twice. Body shots were especially effective for the Las Vegas fighter in the fifth round. Bustillos competes in the same division as IBF/WBO title-holder Yokasta Valle.

Other Bouts

In a middleweight clash, undefeated Victorville’s Andrew Buchanan (3-0-1) used effective combination punching to defeat Mexico’s Fredy Vargas (2-1-1) after six rounds. Two judges scored it 59-55 and a third 60-54 for Buchanan. No knockdowns were scored.

A super lightweight match saw Sergio Aldana win his pro debut by decision after four rounds versus Gerardo Fuentes (2-9-1).

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Tedious Fights and a Controversial Draw Smudge the Matchroom Boxing Card in Orlando

Published

2 days ago

September 23, 2023

Arne K. Lang

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Matchroom Boxing was at the sprawling Royale Caribe Resort Hotel in Orlando, Florida tonight with a card that aired on DAZN. The main event was a ho-hum affair between super lightweights Richardson Hitchins and Jose Zepeda.

SoCal’s Zepeda has been in some wars in the past, notably his savage tussle with Ivan Baranchyk, but tonight he brought little to the table and was outclassed by the lanky Hitchins who won all 12 rounds on two of the cards and 11 rounds on the other. There were no knockdowns, but Zepeda suffered a cut on his forehead in round seven that was deemed to be the product of an accidental head butt and another clash in round ten forced a respite in the action although Hitchins suffered no apparent damage.

It was the sort of fight where each round was pretty much a carbon of the round preceding it. Brooklyn’s Hitchins, who improved to 17-0 (7), was content to pepper Zepeda with his jab, and the 34-year-old SoCal southpaw, who brought a 37-3 record, was never able to penetrate his defense and land anything meaningful.

Hitchins signed with Floyd Mayweather Jr’s promotional outfit coming out of the amateur ranks and his style is reminiscent in ways of his former mentor. Like Mayweather, he loses very few rounds. In his precious engagement, he pitched a shutout over previously undefeated John Bauza.

Co-Feature

In the co-feature, Conor Benn returned to the ring after an absence of 17 months and won a unanimous decision over Mexico’s Rodolfo Orozco. It wasn’t a bad showing by Benn who showed decent boxing skills, but more was expected of him after his name had been bandied about so often in the media. Two of the judges had it 99-91 and the other 96-94.

Benn (22-0, 14 KOs) was a late addition to the card although one suspects that promoter Eddie Hearn purposely kept him under wraps until the week of the fight so as not to deflect the spotlight from the other matches on his show. Benn lost a lucrative date with Chris Eubank Jr when he was suspended by the BBBofC when evidence of a banned substance was found in his system and it’s understood that Hearn has designs on re-igniting the match-up with an eye on a date in December. For tonight’s fight, Benn carried a career-high 153 ½ pounds. Mexico’s Orozco, who was making his first appearance in a U.S. ring, declined to 32-4-3.

Other Bouts of Note

The welterweight title fight between WBA/WBC title-holder Jessica McCaskill (15-3-1) and WBO title-holder Sandy Ryan (6-1-1) ended in a draw and the ladies’ retain their respective titles. Ryan worked the body effectively and the general feeling was that she got a raw deal, a sentiment shared by the crowd which booed the decision. There was a switch of favorites in the betting with the late money seemingly all on the Englishwoman who at age 30 was the younger boxer by nine years.

The judges had it 96-94 Ryan, 96-95, and a vilified 97-93 for Chicago’s McCaskill.

In the opener of the main DAZN stream, Houston middleweight Austin “Ammo” Williams, 27, improved to 15-0 (10) with a 10-round unanimous decision over 39-year-old Toronto veteran Steve Rolls (22-3). All three judges had it 97-93. Rolls has been stopped only once, that by Gennady Golovkin.

Photo credit: Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing

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Zhilei Zhang KOs Joe Joyce; Calls Out Tyson Fury

Published

2 days ago

September 23, 2023

Arne K. Lang

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Joe Joyce activated his rematch clause after being stopped in the sixth frame by Zhilei Zhang in their first meeting. In hindsight, he may wish that he hadn’t. Tonight at London’s Wembley Stadium, Zhang stopped him again and far more conclusively than in their first encounter.

In the first meeting, Zhang, a southpaw, found a steady home for his stiff left jab. Targeting Joyce’s right eye, he eventually damaged the optic to where the ring doctor wouldn’t let Joyce continue. At the end, the fight was close on the cards and Joyce was confident that he would have pulled away if not for the issue with his eye.

In the rematch tonight, Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) closed the curtain with his right hand. A thunderous right hook on the heels of a straight left pitched Joyce to the canvas where he landed face first. He appeared to beat the count by a whisker, but was seriously dazed and referee Steve Gray properly waived it off. The official time was 3:07 of round three.

Zhang, who lived up to his nickname, “Big Bang,” was credited with landing 29 power punches compared with only six for Joyce (15-2) who came in 25 pounds heavier than in their first meeting while still looking properly conditioned. One would be inclined to say that age finally caught with the “Juggernaut” who turned 38 since their last encounter, but Zhang, 40, is actually the older man. In his post-fight interview in the ring, the New Jersey resident, a two-time Olympian for China, when asked who he wanted to fight next, turned to the audience and said, “Do you want to see me shut Tyson Fury up?”

He meant it as a rhetorical question.

Semi-Windup

Light heavyweight Anthony Yarde was matched soft against late sub Jorge Silva, a 40-year-old Portuguese journeyman, and barely broke a sweat while scoring a second-round stoppage. Yarde backed Silva against a corner post and put him on the deck with a short right hand. Silva’s body language indicated that he had no interest in continuing and the referee accommodated him. The official time was 2:07 of round two.

A 30-year-old Londoner, Yarde (24-3, 23 KOs) was making his first start since being stopped in eight rounds by Artur Beterbiev in a bout that Yarde was winning on two of the scorecards. Silva, a late replacement for 19-3-1 Ricky Summers, falls to 22-9.

Also

Former leading super middleweight contender Zach Parker (23-1, 17 KOs) returned to the ring in a “shake-off-the-rust” fight against 40-year-old Frenchman Khalid Graidia and performed as expected. Graidia’s corner pulled him out after seven one-sided rounds.

In his previous fight, Parker was matched against John Ryder who he was favored to beat. The carrot for the winner was a lucrative date with Canelo Alvarez. Unfortunately for Parker, he suffered a broken hand and was unable to continue after four frames. Tonight, he carried 174 pounds, a hint that he plans to compete as a light heavyweight going forward. Indeed, he has expressed an interest in fighting Anthony Yarde. Graidia declined to 10-13-4.

The Zhang-Joyce and Yarde-Silva fights were live-streamed in the U.S. on ESPN+.

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