Gennady "GGG" Golovkin, the WBA and IBO middleweight champion and consensus top 160-lb. fighter in the world, is slated for an October 18 bout in California vs. a rugged, but limited fighter named Marco Antonio Rubio. It is not the fight Golovkin wanted, but he believes nonetheless it will help elevate him to star status.
"My first reaction was, 'Wow!' "he said to Yahoo! Sports when describing a throng of fans seeking his attention.
"It was interesting. Very cool. I didn't expect this, at least at first, and it was surprising to me. But it's a start. Every day is new for me. It's getting bigger, but it's still not that bad. I think after this fight, the Marco Antonio Rubio fight, it will be much bigger. It's [my first fight] in California, Mexican-style, and this is going to take me to a different [level] I believe."
Despite his increasing reputation inside the ring, Golovkin hasn't become a pay-per-view caliber star outside of it. Part of the problem is his naturally quiet demeanor, and broken English-the bigger issue is his lack of quality opposition.
Golovkin's most recent opponent, Daniel Geale, was billed as his toughest opponent yet. Golovkin faced him in his debut at Madison Square Garden's "big room" and knocked him out by Round 3. The performance was impressive, but so thorough that some could interpret it as Golovkin destroying another weak challenger.
GGG has a spotless record of 30-0-0, with 27 knockouts, and he's knocked out 17 straight opponents. That wreckage appears to have fighters in his weight class skittish. Following the Geale victory, Golovkin named Miguel Cotto as the man he'd like to fight next, and said he'd also face "Kid Chocolate" Peter Quillin. Cotto's trainer Freddie Roach said that they want Canelo Alvarez first, however, and Quillin appears headed toward a clash in Brooklyn with Daniel Jacobs.
Golovkin is caught between a rock and a hard place. He needs prime opponents to bolster his reputation, but the combination of the danger he presents and his relatively low profile make him an unappealing risk for the established names.
While Golovkin's said he is interested in unifying the middleweight division, he will probably have to move outside his weight class to find the opponent he craves. He is willing to drop to 154 lbs. to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr., and is also reportedly open to fights with super middleweights Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andre Ward.
"One of the great things about Gennady is that while we know there aren't a ton of guys right now at middleweight, he essentially has the ability to fight in three divisions," promoter Tom Loeffler said.
First, he must finsh Rubio, who hasn't been stopped since 2009.
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