Gennady Golovkin Is Much More Than a Brawler

It’s easy to get carried away with superlatives sometimes, and easier still to oversimplify matters which are complicated.

Such is the case with unified middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin, a violent and destructive fighting machine of the highest order.

That’s the thing about Golovkin: He’s no mere animal; he’s a bellicose machine. And though his 21-fight knockout streak would lead some to believe he is simply an outstanding puncher, and his crowd-pleasing style might cause even more people to think of him as a mindless brawler, Golovkin is so much more than that.

He is a near-perfect aggressive stalker, a spectacularly effective aggressor, something which, as noted by The Sweet Science’s Frank Lotierzo, is perhaps the hardest style in boxing to employ (at least successfully).

And that takes a world of skill.

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Former IBF middleweight titleholder David Lemieux found out the hard way. That isn’t to say Lemieux, a 27-year-old from Quebec, thought anything different than the truth about Golovkin headed into their bout late last year. Elite performers like Lemieux have probably forgotten more about boxing than most of us will ever know.

Rather, Lemieux found out that once the bell rang, the Golovkin he prepared for—the one he heard talk during the fight buildup, the one with whom he expected to come forward and trade power shots—was a much smarter fighter than that. Golovkin’s nuanced approach in facing Lemieux, a heavy puncher in his own right, relied primarily on Golovkin’s use of a battering ram-like jab from a distance.

“He’s a very, very good fighter,” said Lemieux. “He really suckered me in to a Mexican style of fight, and then come fight night, it was the complete opposite of that.”

Lemieux was slowly pummeled by the careful boxing of Golovkin, to the tune of a Round 8 knockout loss. Though he maintains the fight was stopped too early, Lemieux continues to praise Golovkin as one of boxing’s best fighters.

“It’s for me to adapt, and for me not to get suckered into something like that. GGG had a good night. He is a good fighter. My respect goes to him.”

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Golovkin, age 34, faces undefeated American middleweight Dominic Wade on Saturday night at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The bout will be telecast live on HBO starting at 10 p.m. ET. While Wade looks like a good opponent on paper (he was a highly decorated amateur boxer, one who has yet to taste defeat as a professional prizefighter), most expect Golovkin to trounce the 26-year-old come fight night.

But how he does the trouncing will be the thing to watch. Here’s something to remember: No matter what happens on Saturday, it will probably be way more complicated than it appears.

The Fight City’s Lee Wylie, widely hailed as one of the few boxing writers who actually knows what he’s talking about, considers Golovkin boxing’s premier hunter. And Golovkin is no caveman with a stick. He’s the 2016 version of a hunter, one with night sights, migration maps, a Rambo knife and high-powered rifle.

Indeed, Golovkin’s greatest attribute might be his footwork. Sure, it looks like he’s just coming forward and throwing punches, but in reality, he doing a bunch of small things to get his opponent into position. His wide stance simultaneously provides him power and balance and allows him the ability to punch with either hand whenever he has his man in range.  

Other Golovkin specialties, aptly pointed out by Wylie for The Sweet Science way back in 2013, are his ability to cut off the ring, his swift combination punching and his superb jab.

Lemieux, of course, experienced all of it against Golovkin, particularly that last part.

“Golovkin is a top fighter who knows his craft. … He has more experience, and that night he was the better fighter.”

There’s no shame in that. Golovkin is a better fighter than most every other fighter in boxing today. Lemieux knows that. Wade will know it soon. GGG is not just a brawler. He’s a gifted and superb technical fighter who uses high-level skill to seek and destroy.

Yes, Golovkin can brawl. But he can do so much more.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.