Gennadiy Golovkin vs. Kamil Szeremeta: Bleacher Report Staff Predictions

IBF middleweight boxing champion Gennadiy Golovkin takes on mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta on Friday in the main event of a boxing card streamed live on DAZN.

Golovkin vs. Szeremeta takes place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The main-card action begins at 5 p.m. ET on DAZN, with the main event expected to begin around three hours later.

But before "GGG" returns to the ring against Szeremeta this weekend, Bleacher Report's combat sports crew got together to predict how things will go down in the center of the ring on fight night.

Kelsey McCarson: "Golovkin Should Have No Problem Steamrolling Szeremeta"

Rich Schultz/Associated Press

Will Golovkin return to his old form on Friday?

Golovkin returns to the ring for the first time in over a year on Friday against undefeated Polish middleweight contender Szeremeta.

Golovkin, 38, is one of the most accomplished middleweight boxing champions in history, and his opponent appears to be a 31-year-old with a glossy record and regional-level credentials intended to help "GGG" look more like the menace he once was than he probably is.

Last time out against a durable contender with elite skills in Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Golovkin didn't look like the fighter most people considered one of the scariest punchers in 160-pound history. Instead, Derevyanchenko appeared to get stronger as the fight progressed and Golovkin had to settle with escaping with a close victory on the scorecards in a fight that could have gone either way.

So it really seems like Golovkin's handlers are pitting him against Szeremeta so that the fighter can whack somebody like the old days. Szeremeta hasn't competed at the world level before, and even on his regional circuit, he's not much of a puncher. Golvokin should have no problem steamrolling Szeremeta within the first few rounds.

Golovkin, KO, Rd. 2

Lyle Fitzsimmons: "It'll Take a Highlight-Reel Demolition to Re-Rev the Interest"

Associated Press

Will fans get a highlight-reel knockout?

My man Kelsey is clearly in a charitable mood this holiday season, referring to Golovkin's anonymous opponent as a "middleweight contender."

While it's true the 31-year-old Polish export is unbeaten in 21 fights, it's no less true that he's never beaten a fighter ranked within the top three dozen at 160 pounds, which means the chances he'll hang with Golovkin any longer than the champion wants him to are utterly nonexistent.

This one's much more about Golovkin's name returning to the lips of boxing fans following 14 months of inactivity due to a pandemic and promotional logjams. He's 38 years old and no longer the boogeyman he once was, so it will take a highlight-reel demolition to re-rev the interest-level engines going forward.

That will happen Friday night. Perhaps instantly, or perhaps after Golovkin gets loose for a few rounds and lets the DAZN broadcast crew work through its entire checklist of breathless on-air bullet points.

Golovkin, KO, Rd. 7

Tom Taylor: "The Talk of His Decline Is Way Overblown"

Steven Ryan/Getty Images

Is the decline of Golovkin overblown?

At 38 years old, Golovkin may be a little slower and a little less effective than he once was, but the talk of his decline is way overblown. As narrow as his 2019 decision win over Derevyanchenko was, he still has the skill and concussive power to nuke pretty much anybody—particularly somebody like Szeremeta.

As Kelsey said, this is the first time the Pole has paddled into the deep end of the pool, whereas Golovkin has been drowning people there for years. It always feels a little harsh to refer to somebody who has dedicated their life to their craft as a warm body, but that's effectively what Szeremeta is in this matchup. He's good, but not good enough to steer clear of Golovkin's straight punches with enough regularity to avoid being pounded into paillard. He's got some pop in his punches, but definitely not enough to become the first man to stop the absurdly durable Kazakhstani legend.

There will come a day when father time catches up with "GGG." It's not going to be this Friday. Instead, he'll remind the world that he still has C-4 packed into both of his gloves with precisely the kind of vintage KO his team is hoping for.

Golovkin, KO, Rd. 4