Gennady "GGG" Golovkin is set to fight Saturday vs. Willie Monroe Jr., a slick southpaw that promises to give the Kazah knockout artist more trouble than expected. Monroe Jr. is one of the purest boxers Golovkin will have seen in his career, and his left-handed awkwardness is something Golovkin actually wanted to seek out.
"He is a southpaw and I want to fight any style," Golovkin told Boxing Scene. "The great champions fight southpaws. Even though I fought southpaws in the amateurs like Andy Lee and Matt Korobov this is the pros. Willie Monroe is smart. It will be a good challenge. It will be an interesting fight and a big test for me."
One of the problems Monroe Jr. might face inside that ring is Golovkin's boxing ability. The WBA and IBO middleweight champion rightfully generates headlines and built his brand on knockouts. In fact, Golovkin has knocked out 19 straight opponents. His in-ring intelligence, and boxing acumen are often the catalysts for those knockouts, not a brawling tendency.
"I know I can box like Mayweather. I can fight smart," Golovkin said. "But that is boring for people. I want to bring excitement. I want to bring drama show. People want excitement. They want a show. HBO gave me a chance over two years ago. People love my style. Now they believe that fighters like Lee and [Miguel] Cotto say they must fight Gennady. They must fight the best name."
Golovkin, despite being one of the most avoided fighters in the sport, hasn't become bitter over his inability to get fighters the caliber of Cotto in the ring. Golovkin is now the mandatory challenger for Cotto's WBC middleweight belt, but even now it's more likely that he will sign a "step-aside" deal than actually fight the four-division champ.
"I want to believe that Cotto will fight me," Golovkin said. "That is the biggest fight for me. To fight for the WBC title since I am the interim champion. The fight is close for us. It's important to see who is the best."
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