On Saturday, April 23, 2016, two of the world’s top fighters put their skills on display in separate fights as Gennady Golovkin (34-0, 31 KOs) takes on Dominic Wade (18-0, 12 KOs) and Roman Gonzalez (44-0, 38 KOs) takes on McWilliams Arroyo (16-2, 14 KOs).
Unified Middleweight champion Gennady, “GGG” Golovkin, will defend his WBA, IBF, IBO and WBC “Interim” titles against undefeated mandatory challenger Wade.
The co-featured bout features consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and the WBC Flyweight champion, Gonzalez, battling Arroyo of Puerto Rico.
The fight card will take place at the Fabulous Forum and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 pm, EST/7:00 pm, PST.
Read on for Round By Round Boxing’s staff predictions for Golovkin vs. Wade and Gonzalez vs. Arroyo and let us know who you think will win.
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All photos by Chris Farina/K2
Roman Gonzalez
vs.
McWilliams Arroyo
Liam Brady, Staff Writer/Graphic Designer
This has the potential to be an entertaining fight, particularly when you consider both fighters and their knockout ratios.
Nevertheless, I love the combination punching of Roman Gonzalez, which is riveting to watch.
The fight could have back-and-forth action, though I see Gonzalez coming out on top via his aforementioned combinations.
I predict a stoppage win for Gonzalez, who will eventually make McWilliams Arroyo capitulate within six to eight rounds.
Prediction: Gonzalez
Chris Nicastro, Staff Writer
The Little Drama Show should do much of the same as Gennady Golovkin. McWilliams Arroyo is a good fighter, but he brings nothing to the table that Chocolatito isn’t already familiar with.
Roman Gonzalez will outwork Arroyo from the start of the bell and won’t give up more than a round or two. Arroyo should be another easy knockout for the pound-for-pound king of the ring.
Prediction: Gonzalez
Brandon Glass, Staff Writer
Despite the significant difference in experience, McWilliams Arroyo is a worthy opponent. I know he’s not Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue, but he’s no slouch.
Arroyo had a decorated amateur career, but as a pro, he’s a boxer puncher that can close the show (all but two of his 16 wins were decided before going the distance).
All that said, as solid a fighter as Arroyo is, he’s gonna need a crowbar against Chocolatito. Roman Gonzalez is perfection; it’s the little things like slight head movement in the pocket, punch selection and his ability to cut off the ring that makes this seem like mission impossible for Arroyo.
I do believe that Arroyo will hang around long enough to make this interesting, but I predict Gonzalez stops him down the stretch.
Prediction: Gonzalez
Art Hernandez, Photographer
Prediction: Gonzalez
Jack O’Connell, Staff Writer
Roman Gonzalez vs. McWilliams Arroyo is a sleeper hit in the making. With their guards up tight and chins tucked in, both flyweights will clash head first and strike sparks.
At first glance, Gonzalez and Arroyo have almost identical techniques. Both come forward with high guards, looking to take turns unloading powerful combinations, mixing it up to the head and body. Neither fighter is much of a counter puncher, as they will patiently wait for their opponent to unload before they do so themselves.
What separates the fighters, however, are the fine details. Gonzalez’s combinations are consistently crisp and compact, when at times Arroyo can get messy. Arroyo’s jab is less snappy and assertive than Gonzalez’s. While Arroyo’s power punch is his left hook, Gonzalez is effective with nearly every shot.
Finally, Gonzalez’s balance is near perfection. In contrast, Arroyo stands a bit too straight, leaving himself unready when his opponent moves. Against the savvy Amnant Ruenroeng, Arroyo struggled to get off punches whenever Ruenroeng shifted positions in the ring.
The odds makers have “Chocolatito” Gonzalez a massive favorite over Arroyo. All things considered, the fight should be much, much closer than the odds predict. However, while Arroyo is a solid opponenet, Chocolatito is the pound-for-pound best for a reason. Arroyo will hang around for 12 combative rounds, but all roads lead to a Gonzalez decision. Gonzalez by an action-packed decision.
Prediction: Gonzalez
Shelbi Keyes, Staff Writer
Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (44-0, 30 KOs) and McWilliams Arroyo (16-2, 14 KOs) will face off in the co-main event on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin vs. Dominic Wade. For the past two years Gonzalez and Golovkin have been a routine card pairing—some have called it the “Big Drama Show/Little Drama Show”—with the next episode airing on HBO this Saturday night. Gonzalez will be defending his WBC flyweight title against Arroyo, a former amateur world champion.
Since Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s retirement last year, Roman Gonzalez has emerged as the widely-chosen top pound-for-pound star (both The Transnational Boxing Rankings and The Ring have him ranked as number one). Gonzalez has an extremely impressive resume, along with an undefeated record, and he is a three-division world champion.
Though many American boxing fans might not be familiar with Arroyo, he is said to be a worthy challenger. Dismissing this bout as an “easy win” for Gonzalez or describing Arroyo as “just another cab driver opponent” would be a mistake. Arroyo has a high ring IQ, great head movement and the ability to mix up his attack distributing both head and body shots.
This fight is undoubtedly going to be one to remember, both fighters have huge knockout percentages and both come into this fight confident that they will leave with the belt. But if Gonzalez comes into this fight prepared to do what he normally does—cut off the ring and unleash blistering head and body shots—I believe he will record yet another impressive win, ending the fight prematurely.
Prediction: Gonzalez
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
This fight will be fun while it lasts. You’ve got two guys who like to come forward, throw powerful combinations and are looking to make a statement.
Roman Gonzalez is the consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world and hopes to catapult himself into a headlining gig after this fight, while McWilliams Arroyo is trying to win a title after losing a questionable decision to Amnat Ruenroeng.
I like Arroyo to have some minor success early on, but Chocolatito, with his masterful inside-game, will be too powerful and precise and earn a stoppage victory.
Prediction: Gonzalez
Gennady Golovkin
vs.
Dominic Wade
Liam Brady, Staff Writer/Graphic Designer
With all due respect to Wade, I see him trying to box and move, the most logical thing to do against Golovkin when you can’t match him for power.
However, just like his last outing at The Forum, I believe Golovkin will “seek and destroy” and break down his opponent within six rounds.
In other words, the customary narrative for a Golovkin fight.
Prediction: Golovkin
Chris Nicastro, Staff Writer
Rumor has it that this fight has come damn near close to selling out the Forum in Inglewood, further cementing GGG’s status as the Grateful Dead of boxing.
Gennady Golovkin’s fans don’t care who he fights. He could fight a damn kangaroo in Antarctica and the legion of GGG would follow.
Golovkin is going to keep mowing people down until he gets every belt he desires.
Dominic Wade may have a remarkable amateur pedigree and a great start to his professional career, but he’ll be far too green for the Kazakh.
Expect him to box well early, but fade quickly with Golovkin knocking him down and out by the middle rounds.
Prediction: Golovkin
Brandon Glass, Staff Writer
Really, there isn’t much to this. Gennady Golovkin is a MONSTER in this sport, with 91 percent knockout ratio and 15 successful world title fights under his belt(s).
Dominic Wade, the (replacement) mandatory challenger, has only 18 (non-title) bouts under his. Wade’s only edge in this fight is his athleticism; particularly, his hand speed and foot work. Can Wade focus long enough to survive until the later rounds, frustrating Golovkin and still remain sharp?
Even after taking leather off GGG? I think that’s a task too big to ask from a guy whose first dance at the world level was a split decision win over a 42-year-old journeyman in Sam Soliman. Golovkin stops Wade in four rounds, tops.
Prediction: Golovkin
Art Hernandez, Photographer
Prediction: Golovkin
Jack O’Connell, Staff Writer
This Saturday, Gennady Golovkin will be offered a sacrificial lamb…I mean, will face rising contender Dominic Wade. I’m being generous calling Wade a “contender.” His last scrap with Sam Solimon really showed that he’s still a prospect with much to learn.
If Wade wants to pull off the upset (and I mean huge upset), he is going to have to deploy a Martin Murray-style game plan: stick, move, smother, repeat. Murray was able to frustrate Golovkin with this strategy and, in my eyes, pick up a round in the early stages of their fight back in 2015.
Wade can stick, he definitely can move. Smother? Against Solimon, whose bread and butter is fighting inside clinches, I think we know the answer to that.
Truth be told, I don’t think Wade has the capacity to do so, certainly not against a fighter as relentless as GGG. Golovkin is going to stalk Wade from bell to bell and essentially manhandle him with his fists. Golovkin will jab with authority, effectively cut off the ring, and from there, knock Wade out with a big right hand. Golovkin by early KO.
Prediction: Golovkin
Shelbi Keyes, Staff Writer
This Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood California, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin puts his WBA, IBF, and IBO Middleweight Championship titles on the line against mandatory challenger Dominic “Lights Out” Wade. Though most boxing fans may not be thrilled to see Golovkin in this fight, Wade is no pushover.
Both fighters have blemish-free records, Golovkin is 34-0 with 31 KOs and Wade is 18-0 with 12 KOs. Someone’s ‘0’ has got to go. Wade has a huge opportunity in facing Golovkin. As of now, he is virtually unknown in the boxing world. That can all change Saturday night if he upsets Golovkin.
Wade heads into the bout with four-and-a-half inch reach advantage, which typically allows him to keep his opponents at bay and lets him land snappy jabs and counter punches. Wade seems to be extremely confident in interviews and media workouts, mentioning that his time is now and if he didn’t take this opportunity, he would probably never get this shot again.
Despite his mental and physical preparation for the fight, I don’t see Wade lasting more than six rounds. Golovkin is coming off of an impressive TKO victory over David Lemieux at Madison Square Garden last October.
With his sights firmly fixed on current WBC champion Canelo Alvarez, this matchup is simply keeping him ring-ready for bigger fights in the future.
Will Wade pose a challenge in the ring? Definitely. But, I believe Golovkin will use his aggression and skill to cut off the ring and take advantage of Wade’s lack of head movement, ending it within six rounds.
Prediction: Golovkin
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
The Big Drama Show returns to Inglewood on Saturday night as Gennady Golovkin takes on the IBF No. 1 mandatory challenger, Dominic Wade.
Odds makers have Wade anywhere from a +1600 to +6700 underdog. That means you can win a healthy sum of cash if he springs the upset. That’s a big if.
Standing across the ring from Wade on Saturday night will be the “Good Boy Killa,” Gennady Golovkin, who in my opinion is the best fighter in the sport. Wade, while being a talented up-and-coming fighter with a strong amateur background (and in his own words, a thug!), is not ready for this level of fight.
Golovkin is an animal that will cut off the ring and make Wade and his lanky frame very uncomfortable with precise power shots. Wade has to try to make good use of his jab (he sports a four-inch reach advantage over GGG) and athleticism to even survive the first couple of rounds, but that will be really difficult.
I see Golovkin taking Wade out in less than three rounds with top-notch aggression and unearthly power.
Prediction: Golovkin
