HBO Fight Preview

Gennady Golovkin vs. Martin Murray

By now Gennady Golovkin is known throughout boxing as one of the most dangerous fighters in the sport.  His power is becoming legendary as is his aww shucks, boyish charm during his post-fight interviews.  Golovkin seems willing to face nearly anyone in the sport and he has recently been stepping up his level of competition.  His last two opponents were supposed to be his toughest tests but didn't slow down Golovkin one bit.  Now the heavy hitter will step in against Martin Murray, a tough fighter who nearly dethroned Sergio Martinez back in 2013.  The two fighters are scheduled to go 12 rounds for Golovkin's WBAand WBC middleweight titles and at the very least it should be a fan friendly fight.

Golovkin's power is becoming the stuff of legend

Golovkin is know as a power puncher but he hardly a one-trick pony.  The orthodox Golovkin isn't the fastest starter in the world, although if an opportunity presents itself he will pounce on it.  Golovkin fights patiently waiting for his chance to land the power and he sets everything up with a stiff jab.  Golovkin's right hand is very dangerous but the punch he finishes most of his fights with is his left hook.  If Golovkin lands the left hook upstairs it is usually lights out but he is also becoming a very skillful body puncher.  The one thing every boxing fan loves is a knockout because it takes the decision out of the judges hands and Golovkin more often than not provides fans with the knockouts they crave.

While Golovkin has handled every fighter put in front of him he has yet to face any elite opposition.  His last two opponents Daniel Geale and Marco Antonio Rubio were supposed to be hist toughest opponents to date and he dispatched them in the 3rd and 2nd rounds respectively.  Geale was supposed to give Golovkin a hard time with his boxing skills although he didn't carry much power and Golovkin showed that unless you are at the level of a Floyd Mayweather that being slick isn't enough against him.  Rubio was supposed to be the opponent who finally tested Golovkin's chin but unfortunately Rubio didn't show up for that fight and Golovkin made easy work of him.  As it stands now Golovkin has a perfect record of 31-0 with an absolutely ridiculous 28 knockouts and the last time a Golovkin fight ended without a knockout victory was back in 2008.  While Murray may not have the power to really test Golovkin's chin he is as tough as they come and should give a good account of himself.

Murray almost scored a big upset of Martinez

Murray is a gritty fighter who fights out of the orthodox stance.  A good sign for him is that he has never been knocked down as a professional so it will be interesting to see if he can stay on his feet against Golovkin.  Murray likes to fight on the inside and he gets there behind a nice jab and a solid straight right hand.  While Murray doesn't have blazing hand speed his mitts are quick enough to put it good work.  The left hook of Murray is a good weapon but his best punch may be an uppercut he throws with the right hand that sneaks up on opponents on the inside.  Murray doesn't move exceptionally well in the ring and on defense he usually just puts on the earmuffs.  This fight should be a real good test for Murray to see just how good he can actually be.

The only real blemish on Murray's resume is his loss to Martinez but that was also the fight that really raised his profile in the sport.  He gave a good showing of himself and dropped Martinez with a right hand.  Murray's record is an impressive one of 29-1-1 but he only has 12 knockouts so Golovkin may not have to worry too much about return fire.  At this point in his career a win for Murray would send him into new heights in the sport but a loss wouldn't be devastating and may even improve his stock if he looks strong in defeat and can finish on his feet.

Murray really doesn't have the power to test the chin of Golovkin but he also has a concrete chin himself so Golovkin may not be able to demolish him like he does to so many other foes.  One problem Murray will face is that he is an inside fighter and staying inside with one of the most devastating punchers in the sport is a very dangerous place to be.  This fight is really about whether or not Golovkin can score the knockout.  It seems like no one can stand up to the power of Golovkin but if Murray can weather the storm and make it into the championship rounds it could make for a very interesting fight.

PREDICTION: Martin Murray is going to give a good showing of himself but that won't be enough to beat Gennady Golovkin.  Golovkin is just too strong and to patient to let Murray get the win and Golovkin will come out victorious by the way of 10th round stoppage.