Gennady “GGG” Golovkin Staying Busy With Sergio Martinez in Sight

 Few have exploded on the mindset of boxing fans like Gennady “GGG” Golovkin.

After one year of captivating fans with his raw power through assistance of HBO, the Big Bear Lake-based middleweight champion will not be televised in the U.S.

“We did everything we could to have it televised,” said Tom Loeffler, promoter with K2 Promotions, which works with Golovkin. “It looked like HBO was going to be able to negotiate it with German television, but the venue is too small to accommodate the production equipment.”

Golovkin (28-0, 25 Kos) keeps busy and defends the WBA and IBO middleweights titles against Osumanu Adama (22-3, 16 Kos) on Saturday, Feb. 1. The title match takes place in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Both men weighed 159.2 during the Friday weigh-in.

The world champion from Kazakhstan has maintained a busy schedule for the past several years. At age 31, he’s not about to take a rest. As one female fighter recently said, “I’ll rest, when I’m dead.” The fighter that said that was UFC’s Ronda Rousey, who spent several weeks training in Big Bear with Golovkin. In between his own training regimen the middleweight champion guided Rousey and her three teammates through workout sessions at The Summit training camp in Big Bear.

Golovkin always keeps busy.

The man Golovkin meets, Adama, hails from Ghana and though he has three losses the 33-year-old has never been stopped. He also has sent 16 opponents unconscious in his 25 pro fights. Television or not, it’s a fight that brings little to the table for Golovkin except keeping him busy and sharp.

“He’s a good fighter with a good record,” said Golovkin, who would never say anything to the contrary. Too much class.

Abel Sanchez, who trains Golovkin, does most of the talking and says they have a plan that directs them to a major fight.

“We want to fight Sergio Martinez, but we hear he’s looking to fight Miguel Cotto,” Sanchez said recently of the WBC middleweight titlist from Argentina. “Maybe after that fight if it happens, we could come to terms with Sergio Martinez.”

At one time a fight between Martinez and Golovkin was continents apart. Now the margin has shrunk and it’s about as far away as Monaco to France.

Golovkin signed a deal with HBO that gives the network sole rights to broadcast the Big Bear Lake-based power-puncher. Before the deal, it made little sense for Martinez to fight his middleweight counterpart. Now, with both signed to the same network, it makes a whole lot of cents, or dollars.

All that is necessary is for Golovkin to keep his undefeated record intact.

“I’m working hard and staying busy,” said Golovkin last week in Big Bear. “I’m ready for the fight.”