In a fight that was more competitive than firstly perceived, Middleweight monster Gennady Golovkin was put to work on 21st February at the Salle des Etoiles, Monte Carlo. Challenger Martin Murray proved to be tougher than expected as he remained determined throughout, despite being dropped by two body shots in the 4th round.
An iron-will was not enough to stop referee Luis Pabon from stopping the contest at the 0:50 mark of the 11th, however. Official scorecards, which recorded another knockdown in the 10th – courtesy of a Golovkin right-hand to the temple – stood at 99-88, 100-87, 99-88. BoxingBase.com had the contest similarly at 99-88.
Brit Makes Golovkin vs Murray Tricky Test for GGG
But the shutout scores did not reveal the entire story. Yes, Golovkin was the man that night, the predator without a reverse gear, clocking up another big win. But he was also made to think and adjust thanks to Murray’s footwork, elusiveness and grit.
Murray landed some clean shots of his own, surprising both Golovkin and the Monaco crowd by getting through with some tasty combinations in the latter stages of the fight. Ironically when he was most hurt and fatigued.
As inspiring and bold as his efforts were, the simple reality was that he was up against a fighting machine that is programmed to destroy. Or otherwise known as Golovkin, ‘GGG’. In terms of strength, just as with Golovkin’s other victims like Daniel Geale and Marco Antonio Rubio, this was a tale of the wheelbarrow colliding with a bulldozer. Eventually the wheels fall off.
No offense, Murray.
And when that ‘bulldozer’ constantly put Murray on the back foot, it lessened the Brit’s firepower. Pressure kills. Needless to say, this Golovkin fellow is quite the elite boxer-come-powerhouse, certainly at Middleweight where he has blasted out – and mostly knocked out – every man put in front of him.
Golovkin vs Murray: Aftermath & Future Matchups
How to deal with a machine man like Golovkin? There are of course names like Andy Lee and Peter Quillin out there, but one has to ask themselves: do we really want to see those fights or simply see the wrecking machine challenge a Super Middleweight who can provide a real challenge? Perhaps Lee and Quillin are being overlooked? We will find out the answer to that question when they trade leather on 11th April.
Whatever Golovkin does, he has the boxing world’s attention. And the fact he looked more human against Murray – well, perhaps a little – has only added to his mainstream appeal. This guy is fantastic for boxing. (watch Golovkin’s Greatest Hits)
Following Golovkin vs Murray, the Kazakhstan hero now extends his intimidating unbeaten record to 32 wins, 29 knockouts, while Britain’s Murray drops to 29 wins, 12 knockouts, 2 losses, 1 draw. The IBO World, WBA Super World, and Interim WBC World Middleweight titles – confused yet? – return home with Golovkin. Perhaps the WBC and WBA could create a single ‘World Middleweight Bad Ass’ title to clear things up a bit?
So now comes the question: where does Golovkin go from here? There are rumors of a fight with fellow 160-pounder Willie Monroe darting about – does slick boxer Monroe have a style that can trouble Golovkin? Or will his lack of power simply invite Golovkin to go for the kill from the first bell? Let your thoughts be known in the comments!
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