THE middleweight division has always been an illustrious one in boxing, and current IBF and WBA king Gennady Golovkin plans to add to its vast history.
The Kazakh destroyer – who holds the highest knockout percentage in middleweight championship history (91%) – hopes to add his name alongside the likes of Harry Greb, Sugar Ray Robinson and Marvin Hagler as one of the greatest middleweights ever.
As Golovkin prepares to fight unbeaten Dominic Wade on Saturday night, his trainer Abel Sanchez spoke about the work they’ve been doing in the gym to make ‘GGG’ a fighter to remember.
“Every training camp, I try to implement a couple things that I think are going to be, not necessarily for this opponent, but that are going to be necessary for us to compete with the elite guys at the top in the future,” he said.
“So every training camp, we put in a couple new things, and in this training camp we did also. Obviously those are the things that we would keep close to the vest, but are things that are going to make him a better fighter and hopefully make him the greatest of all time that I think he could be when the time comes.
“One of the greatest middleweights. I think that when we’re all finished, maybe not in the near future, but in the future they give them the accolades that are due them. I think that eventually when, 20 years from now, when we all sit down and discuss, when people sit down to discuss the middleweights, Golovkin will be one of the middleweights that they talk about.”
Golovkin has struggled to nail down the marquee fights he craves, despite the significant attention his explosive fighting style – and cheery demeanor – have garnered.
IBF mandatory challenger Wade is a colossal underdog and seen by most as a means to an end – unification fights for Golovkin.
Despite this, Golovkin maintains he does not become frustrated nor under-motivated as he keeps in mind his goal of ‘all the belts.’ He also remains unconcerned with pound for pound rankings after Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao – the former No 1 and No 2 – retired.
“I understand what to do. I understand it’s very important, every fight with an opponent,” he said.
“I understand my motivation is my goal for all the belts in the middleweight division. I have motivation. I feel good. I’m working hard every day. I just feel this is my time.
“Right now it’s not of interest for me who’s number one, number two. You know after Floyd or Manny; it doesn’t matter for me. I know my style. I know my division is very important. You know I think people understand more things. To fans, people understand my style. People love my style, and I just thank my fans.”
It has been mandated that, should Golovkin and WBC middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez [who fights Amir Khan on May 7] get through their next fights, their respective teams must enter negotiations for a monster unification fight.
While a fight with the Mexican superstar would do wonders for Golovkin’s career, he still insists his focus is on the belt, rather than the fighter.
“It doesn’t matter for me, if Canelo wins or Canelo lost. Canelo can talk, it doesn’t matter. My focus is only on Dominic Wade, right now,” he said.
