Gennady Golovkin KOs Dominic Wade
Photo by Harry How for Getty Images
A condensed version of this article was published on page B7 of the April 25, 2016 edition of The Wall Street Journal
Boxer Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin, or “Triple G” as he is known in the boxing world, seems like a mild-mannered and amicable man, as evidenced by his constant smile. But inside the ring, the 34-year-old Kazakh middleweight is a killer. Saturday night he proved it again, dispatching Dominic Wade in the second round for his 22nd-straight knockout victory.
The string of knockouts has turned Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs) into a phenomenon, particularly among online fight fans, an insular group often prone to hyperbole. In Golovkin’s case, the hype is real. Many superlatives are thrown at Golovkin, but at its core, his success comes down to one decidedly old-school factor: he has true, one-punch knockout power, which has always been the most exciting talent in sports, from Joe Louis to Manny Pacquiao.
Wade (18-1, 12 KOs), a native of Largo, Md., was the latest to learn the truth of Golovkin’s vaunted power, as he tasted the canvas three times on the night after only doing so once in his previous 18 fights. Largely unknown outside of the Beltway, Wade does not lack for confidence. A decorated amateur who barely missed out on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, Wade is a promising prospect that we have followed for years here on Stiff Jab.
Wade is also a larger man than Golovkin, but simply not the same class of fighter. He struggled in his previous fight against fringe contender Sam Soliman, poor preparation for the man widely regarded as the most dangerous in the middleweight division. I had also seen Wade get knocked down by a much lesser fighter, again a poor indicator of what was to come against GGG.
The fighters started out jabbing and feeling each other out, with Golovkin giving Wade a chance to assert himself. He soon determined that Wade had neither the speed nor the power to seriously trouble him. Just before the end of the first round, Golovkin caught Wade with a glancing overhand right behind the ear, which sent Wade to the canvas.
Wade rose and confirmed that he was OK to continue as the bell sounded to end the first round. But as he returned to his corner, his face betrayed resignation, and realization that all the talk about Golovkin’s punching power was true.
Golovkin opened the second round by hurting Wade with another right hand. He then upped the intimidation factor by passively letting Wade pelt him with combinations for a spell, making no move to avoid the punches. For a fighter, nothing is more discouraging than realizing even your best shots are not enough to halt your opponent’s advance. Golovkin then pounced, landing a left uppercut to the chin and a right to Wade’s shoulder that forced him down for the second time.
Wade was badly hurt by the uppercut and labored to regain his feet. Referee Jack Reiss asked Wade twice whether he was OK to continue, and Wade gamely replied “yes,” though he clearly wasn’t. Wade’s face was bruised and his limbs too heavy. The crowd rose to its feet, smartphones aloft, sensing blood and Vine loops looming.
A final right hand from Golovkin to Wade’s chin ended the night. Wade crawled to his feet, but couldn’t beat the 10-count. Golovkin raised one arm and bowed like a matador. His unblemished face appeared fresh from a light sparring session. He had barely broken a sweat.
Afterward Golovkin told HBO’s Max Kellerman in his improving English that he is willing to fight anyone. The “anyone” most people would prefer is Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the middleweight champion, but in truth a smaller man than Golovkin. Both camps claim to want the fight, but this is boxing, so they continue to haggle over the details while both fighters cash in against lesser competition.
“Of course I need big name or big fight,” Golovkin said. “I’m ready to fight anybody.”
Alvarez at least has fought some of the sport’s top names, while a big money fight has mostly eluded Golovkin to date. A fight between the two would likely take place next year at the soonest, and fans could easily have to wait much longer. While Alvarez is the true middleweight champion and Golovkin the top-ranked contender, according to the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, there is no central body in boxing with the authority to mandate that the two fight. The belts Golovkin displays after his wins are largely meaningless.
There are plenty of quality fighters willing to face Golovkin, but again, this is boxing, so the combination of risk and box office appeal must be right. Cuban Erislandy Lara has pushed for the fight, to no avail. Aside from Alvarez, the biggest fight Golovkin could make would be against 168-lb champion Andre Ward, but in that fight Golovkin would be the smaller man, and the underdog as well, an unappealing prospect thus far.
So someone like Brooklyn’s Danny Jacobs, England’s Billy Joe Saunders, or “Irish” Andy Lee would make a suitable opponent for Golovkin’s next fight. While each of those fighters would be a worthy opponent, none of them would likely pose a serious threat to Golovkin’s unblemished record. Absent a fight against Alvarez, it seems inevitable that Golovkin will have to move up in weight to find real competition and more lucrative paydays. When that happens, we will find out whether he is truly special.