Gennady Golovkin is quite arguably the greatest puncher in boxing today. Triple G as he is affectionately known, boasts a career record of 33-0 (30 KO’s) and is currently ranked the No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, according to both The Ring and ESPN .
The casual boxing fan hardly knows any name within the sport other than Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquaio, but when it comes down to it, the man who gives the crowd what they want on a consistent basis is the brawler from Kazakhstan. At 90.9 percent, Golovkin is responsible for the highest knockout percentage in middleweight history.
Though Golovkin, 33, has completely annihilated any man who steps toe-to-toe with him in the square circle, his greatness has also become his undoing. Currently fighting at 160 lbs., Gennady can’t seem to attract the big names into the ring. Former boxing legend and current head of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya, 42, has said if he ever came out of retirement he would want to fight the best, and Golovkin would be at the top of his list .
Here’s a photo of Golovkin and De La Hoya after the Miguel Cotto-Daniel Geale fight on June 7 at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Good time at #CottoGeale last night. pic.twitter.com/ePCKkpJZPH
— Gennady Golovkin (@GGGBoxing) June 7, 2015
As the Inquisitr noted, a potential matchup between Mayweather and Golovkin has been floating around for a short time now, though Floyd, 38, has never fought above 154 lbs., and would be foolish to risk his undefeated record against a man with knockout power in both hands. Even Mayweather with his patented shoulder roll defense and blazing hand speed would have a tough time going up against Gennady.
Here’s Golovkin on TMZ Sports regarding a potential matchup with “Money” May, and how he feels about De La Hoya willing to get into the ring.
Many people throughout boxing believe Gennady can become the next foreign sensation here in the states, ala Manny Pacquiao. However, it remains to be seen if that will ever be the case. The talent is there and so are the HBO ratings , but the name recognition has yet to catch fire.
Fresh off a phenomenal sixth-round TKO stoppage of Willie Monroe, Jr. on May 16, Golovkin challenged both Cotto and Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to step up to the plate.
WATCH: @GGGBoxing says he is ready for @RealMiguelCotto or @Canelo #GolovkinMonroe http://t.co/ngJ40JHu0i
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) May 17, 2015
More than likely, Cotto and Canelo will fight each other in a major pay-per-view event later this year, leaving Golovkin searching for his next opponent. Among the top names: Carl Froch, Hassan N’Dam, Peter Quillin, Andy Lee, and David Lemieux.
No matter what happens next, Golovkin’s future looks promising. If Gennady one day manages to coax one or more of the top dogs into the ring with him, they had better bring their A-game because Triple G does not let up.
Who do you want to see Gennady Golovkin fight next? Let us know in the comments.
[Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images]