WHO is there to defeat, or at least compete with Gennady Golovkin? The Kazakh has looked imperious as he’s risen through the middleweight ranks, most recently dispatching David Lemieux to take a firm hold on the WBA and IBF 160lbs titles. Luckily enough, for us, there are many candidates who would present Golovkin with a real fight. Click below to read our top five next opponents for Gennady Golovkin.
5. James DeGale
Golovkin is a force at middleweight, his 21 consecutive knockouts are testament to his power. Though aggressive he is also a quality technician, just look at his use of footwork and the jab last weekend. Golovkin may not the biggest middleweight but his qualities are surely enough to carry him out of his natural division, and with James DeGale the leading super-middleweight champion at the moment, he would be a natural opponent at 168lbs.
4. Andre Ward
Words have already been traded between Golovkin’s team and Andre Ward. The American has size on side, he’s a relatively big super-middle and he has a very different style to Golovkin. Slick, clever and a defensive master, he might just be the man to nullify the attacking threats the Kazakh poses. It’s been a long time since Ward has even made super-middleweight though and so his stock has fallen.
3. Andy Lee
Yes, Andy Lee above Andre Ward. With the Irishman, we wouldn’t have to endure tedious months of contractual wrangling as we wait to see if a fight can be made. We know Andy Lee wants this fight. He is the WBO middleweight champion at the moment and who wouldn’t want to see Golovkin-Lee at Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick’s Day? Of course, Lee has a demanding fight with Billy Joe Saunders coming up, and if Billy Joe topples him the Hatfield traveller would vault into Lee’s spot.
2. Saul Alvarez
“Canelo” is the big star of Mexican boxing presently and the thought of him colliding with the Kazakh master’s vaunted ‘Mexican style’ is undoubtedly appealing. Alvarez is hugely popular, aggressive and carries dangerous punching power. He might even have learned from his loss to Floyd Mayweather and improved his boxing IQ.
1. Miguel Cotto
The Puerto Rican warlord fights Alvarez on November 28 for the WBC middleweight title. It’s a huge event for the sport and Cotto is already in the premier league of boxing stars. Cotto has also done something even Golovkin has yet to do – he dethroned the number one middleweight, Sergio Martinez when he won his title.
There would be problems making this fight, Golovkin wants to fight for a middleweight title actually at middleweight, while Cotto has been boxing at catchweights below 160lbs. Plus Cotto is nearing the end of his glittering career anyway. But it would be an unmissable event.
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